You told us you want to know more about the people behind your projects. You got it. This is the 14th profile in that series.
Name
Chris Rouw
Title
Partner
How do you help clients?
I work with clients to build custom software solutions—from understanding a client’s needs to writing awesome code that delivers.
What led you to here?
Like the other partners, Jason invited me to be one
of the founders. I joined so I could control my own destiny, build a great place to work, and have the freedom to work on the types of projects I wanted.
Tell us about your background or training.
I attended Central
College and took a programming class my first semester. Right away I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
My first job was at Principal Financial Group in Des Moines. Then I worked at CUNA Mutual Group in Waverly.
What is your work mantra?
My mantra is to build apps in a way my mom would understand. If I can get my mom to understand it, then it’ll work.
What guides you?
At work it's doing the right thing and trying to make a difference. At home it's doing what's best for my family.
What are you reading?
I’m re-reading “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries. I want to re-learn some of the lessons and apply them
to client projects.
Who do you follow?
I follow Seth Godin and my wife’s blog.
For fun, I follow a crazy group called Black Heart Gold Pants. Getting other people’s perspectives is like sports therapy. Some of the stuff they write
is hilarious.
What’s your favorite app?
Facebook and Twitter are the apps I use most. They’re good for both my personal and professional lives.
Where do you see the field going in 1-3 years?
User experience (UX) is going to be more and more important for mobile and web apps. People get impatient if something takes too long. They want apps to be as easy to use as possible.
It goes back to the mom test.
You can learn more about everyone at Far Reach
here.