Meet Updater: Thomas Crescenzi, Senior Front End Engineer
Meet Thomas Crescenzi, Senior Front End Engineer at Updater! Below, he shares his worst moving story, his favorite Saturday Night Live skit, and what he loves about working at Updater.
Where did you grow up?
Southeastern Pennsylvania, right on top of Delaware.
Do you have a moving horror story?
I once moved from the third story of a house to the first story of a house. Sounds easy, right? Grab some beer, pizza, and friends and it’ll take an hour, right? Not even close.
The only way in and out of the third-floor attic apartment were rickety old metal stairs too narrow for two people to stand next to each other. Turns out, moving 20 vertical feet can be more miserable than hundreds or thousands of miles if the only way to traverse them is down terrifying metal stairs. We ended up throwing stuff from the second story down into the 3-feet snow banks that were in the backyard. This helped improve spirits a bit but I had quite a few things that weren’t found till the snow melted in the spring!
What is your best piece of moving advice?
Movers are worth it. Pizza + beer + friends is a combination that, while cheap, generally ends in disaster.
What’s your favorite thing about working at Updater?
I really enjoy the team environment at Updater. It feels like everyone has a place and that their opinions are valued. The general air of collaboration makes working here awesome.
What do you love about your job?
The problems that we’re solving here at Updater are doubly interesting to me. First, we’re trying to help people with a part of their life that’s universally considered to be miserable. While moving somewhere new is always fun and exciting, the actual act of moving is generally awful. It’s great to know that the work we’re doing is changing that. Second, the software problems of a growing company are really interesting. Trying to build a great product that scales well is super exciting.
What are two personal tidbits about you?
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I built my first computer when I was 10 from scraps a friend of mine rescued from the middle school’s trash.
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I regularly drive three hours each way to go skiing for a day during the winter months.
If you could travel to work every day on a vehicle without wheels (think: hovercraft, broom), what would you choose?
I really wish there was a hyperloop between New Haven and NYC. My train ride to the office is about two hours so I wouldn’t complain if someone built something faster.
What’s your favorite fast food restaurant?
Chick-Fil-A. I plan trips around this restaurant and am willing to go 30 minutes out of my way to get myself a spicy chicken sandwich. Luckily, they are becoming more common in the Northeast.
What do you do to unwind?
I love spending a weekend in the woods — hiking up a mountain, sleeping under the stars. It’s the best way to recharge after a week in the city.
What’s your favorite Saturday Night Live skit?
I can’t handle the Hot Tub Lover’s sketches. I think they tend to be forgotten because of how good everything else is that Will Ferrell has done. Something about really awkward hot tub experiences never fails to make me laugh. It’s also a plus that the actors can barely keep it together. That’s when you know it’s a good sketch.
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