What it does: WSO2 is an open-source software provider that specialises in application programming interfaces, headquartered in Colombo.
Financials: WSO2 recently reached over US 37 million in subscription revenue, representing a 51% growth year on year. It’s the sixth-largest open-source company in the world.
The good: Knowledgeable colleagues, fun working environment and minimal bureaucracy. High salaries and benefits. Unlimited leave days.
The not so good: Very exclusive hiring policy. Poor work-life balance. No formal code review systems.
Hiring grads with degrees in: software engineering; computer science.
WSO2, which stands for ‘Web Services Oxygenated’, was founded in 2005. What started as a joke over dinner by founders Sanjiva Weerawarana and Paul Fremantle became an intense brainstorming session. The pair observed that technology companies often ran into the problem of reconciling old and new systems. So they devised their first product, codenamed ‘Tungsten’, to help bring different systems together. “It’s like lego”, Fremantle once mused. This helped lead to the company’s name, as Oxygen molecules are also kind of like lego… at least in their minds!
The company now sees success all over the world, doing roughly 45% of its business in North America and the remainder all over the world, selling numerous subscriptions and services designed to facilitate web integration. They’ve seen significant growth in the last five years and continue to project even greater results.
WSO2 is often spoken of fondly by former and current employees, as the company attracts highly talented developers and pays them well. The benefits are impressive, like unlimited paid annual leave, including sick days. It’s a fast-growing and fast-moving country with a very little process to inhibit it.
But this all comes at a cost. Just getting into WSO2 is enormously competitive, with fresher jobs going exclusively to top performers. Those that make it can be shocked by the lack of process, which although can be beneficial, can be distressing to those used to following instructions. In addition, they’ll expect a lot of you. Employees report a nearly non-existent work-life balance at WSO2, despite the unlimited leave. Promotions always go to top-performers, so unless you’re working harder and longer than everyone else, it could take a while to advance.
It’s a company for highly self-motivated people. If you see yourself one day working for similarly managed companies like Google or Facebook, this is an ideal proving ground. If you’re just interested in stability and want a life outside of work, look elsewhere.
The extensive recruitment process begins by sending in your CV online. If successful, you’ll have to go through multiple technical interviews, normally starting with an interview by a panel of three. This is followed by an interview with your department head and then the CEO. Throughout this series of interviews, you’ll not only be asked to write code but be asked tough questions about your personal life, particularly ambitions.
For software engineering roles, you can expect up to seven interviews, at least four of which will be testing your technical skills. If you make it through this gauntlet, you’re in!
As you might have guessed, WSO2 is a culture of enthusiasts. You’ll be surrounded by diverse colleagues who live for their work and talk about it even when they aren’t in the office. Open-source software is their business, so they do their best to foster a community outside the company that issues patches, features and even attends community events simply out of love for the products.
WSO2’s mission is to provide as little software as possible to create as much value as possible for businesses. It aims to develop, run and reuse its integrations safely for the benefit of all its clients.