---
title: "Balloon Team Spotlight: Jamie Bate, Senior Software Engineer"
description: Get to know Jamie Bates, Senior Software Engineer at Balloon!
---

[The Insight Blog](https://blog.getballoon.com)

# [Balloon Team Spotlight: Jamie Bate, Senior Software Engineer](https://blog.getballoon.com/balloon-team-spotlight-jamie-bate-software-engineer)

 Written by [The Balloon Team](https://blog.getballoon.com/author/the-balloon-team) | January 22, 2021

**What is your role at Balloon?**  
Software engineer but always happy to do what ever is needed at the time.

**What’s your background?**  
I currently live in a small town in New Zealand called Nelson with my family. Originally I studied Geology at University, but soon realised I would be bored so rapidly transitioned to work in tech. I have worked for a selection of great companies in New Zealand and then in 2013 I “virtually” moved to San Francisco to work on a passion project with a startup in the area of Type One Diabetes. Since then, I have enjoyed working with small, passionate, and focused startups and the range of work and challenges that comes with it.

**Why did you want to join Balloon?**  
Great founders with grit, Amanda as CEO, mission-driven 

**Why is Balloon’s mission important to you?**  
Because great ideas and thoughtful insights come from many places. Giving people a positive way to air them and then build on those ideas is important. 

**Describe something outside of work that you’re passionate about.**  
Getting outside. As a kid, I really got into cycling and found it was a great time to think while I went somewhere. I am still really passionate about riding and, even though now with kids and work there is a lot less time, I still get out and into the forest to go mountain biking. It also helps that I live in an amazing place to explore outdoors!

**What do you consider your greatest achievement?**  
Consistency and just getting on with things without fuss … oh, and also four great kids :) 

**What is your greatest fear?**  
Getting stuck and no longer evolving and adapting as things change 

**Who are your real-life heroes?**  
I don’t know if I would say I have heroes but I do have many people that I admire greatly. A few that spring to mind are: 

- Helen Clarke - former prime minister of New Zealand who went on to work at the UN and WHO. I admire the way she went about representing NZ on the world stage.
- Jacinda Ardern - current prime minister of New Zealand. Jacinda has had to deal with a number of hard situations, with the attack on our Muslim community in Christchurch and also Covid-19. She has done so with create compassion and also decisiveness.
- Sir Edmund Hillary - the first person to have reached the summit of Everest along with Tenzing Norgay. He then also became a great philanthropist helping the Sherpa people building schools and hospitals. He just had a huge heart and a can do attitude while remaining humble. 

**What do you hate?**  
Being late 

**What is your current state of mind?**  
What will the new normal be? It feels like in so many aspects of life it is time for a change as the current/ ‘old’ ways we are doing things are not working out. I see it as a positive thing and am interested to see where it will lead us.

[View full post](https://blog.getballoon.com/balloon-team-spotlight-jamie-bate-software-engineer)

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