Developing Android: An Accidental Career
Martynas Jurkus

Meet our Android developer Martynas Jurkus who’s been making the Vinted app great for three years. How did a guy who belongs to the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, loves sci-fi and is a real gaming geek come to work for a women’s shop, sell & swap app? Well, according to him, it’s a pretty awesome story.

What’s your history with Android?

I started as a Java developer in one of the major international companies in Vilnius working with telecommunication systems. I became an Android developer purely by accident. One of my friends asked me to develop an Android application for him. I knew nothing about the system, but I read about it a lot and it had caught my attention. After doing a couple of projects, I finally got sucked into Android. At first, it was mainly a hobby. But my passion became more and more serious. When your work becomes your passion, you don’t have to work another day in your life.

How did you end up on Vinted?

When I got invited for an interview at Vinted as an Android developer, I knew nothing about the company. Vinted was just starting with their mobile platforms and needed an in-house team to develop them. I was a quite a novice at Android development, so I thought I totally blew my chances with interview task. But the next day I got a call, and my career picked up from there.

During my 3 years in Vinted, I have had the chance to work in different teams with amazingly smart people who love their jobs and are extremely passionate about all that Vinted represents.

I had the opportunity to work with all the best possible parts of the app: the NewsFeed, initial payments platform, Android app UI overhaul, and German payments integration. Now I'm a part of a team creating services that will enable members to understand how and when their items sell best and what to do to be a successful seller.

What’s your most memorable challenge?

Vinted is always changing, so there are quite a few challenges everyday. One of the biggest challenges was the payment system implementation. We only had 7 weeks to do complete that task. But we made it work, and it was a great success. Implementing the payment system was also an amazing teamwork experience. Such focus, such dedication, such “wow!”

Another major challenge was when we promised to overhaul our Android UI in just a week. In reality it took us more than a month - not too many people were happy about that. But as saying goes, better to ask for forgiveness than permission...

What motivates you most?

People. Intelligent, curious, innovative, challenging, passionate, courageous, inspiring, funny, smiling, and friendly people. It's all about people.

Is it fun working at Vinted?

We always think of ways to have fun. During our Christmas party there was an obstacle course and various challenges. One of them was to put plastic boxes on top of each other... and climb them. Of course we there were all safety precautions - helmet, safety harness, etc. I was putting last box in its place, and I almost had it. The tower was about 5 meters tall already when it started wobbling. Gravity did the rest. I smacked my face into the side of one of those plastic boxes and chipped my 2 front teeth. I ended up walking around with huge gap for a week. So yes, Vinted is extremely fun.

Join our team
We’re always on the lookout for new talent. Say hi at opportunities@vinted.com