Welcome to our Beyond The Data series, where we spotlight the people behind the technical work at phData, sharing their career journeys, favorite projects, passions outside of work, and fun facts.
This week, we’re excited to feature Justin Delisi! Justin is a Sr. Solutions Engineer and has been an invaluable part of our team for over three years. Not only does he bring expertise and insight to every project, but he’s also one of our top blog writers, sharing knowledge that helps our community grow. Here are three of his standout blogs:
Let’s get to know our incredible Sr. Solutions Engineer, Justin, beyond the technical work.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background and interests?
Hello there! My name is Justin Delisi, and I’m a Sr. Solutions Engineer at phData. I’ve lived my entire life just north of Detroit, MI (Go Lions!). I enjoy reading fantasy novels, playing retro video games, and generally just being around my family and friends. I’ve enjoyed technology since I was a child, and I ended up selling technology products at stores such as Circuit City, RadioShack, Verizon, and Best Buy.Â
I finally realized, with a lot of help from my wife, that I could have an even better career with my passion for data and went back to school at 35 years old to get my Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Wayne State and then eventually a Master’s from the University of Michigan. Since then, I’ve worked in a data engineering-related position for several companies throughout the US.
What does a typical day look like in your role?
My role is unique in that it changes a lot from day to day. One day, I could be in many meetings with clients, helping them determine how to architect their entire data ecosystem at a high level for a new project, and another day, I could be creating a POC of a specific AI tool that a client is looking to potentially utilize.Â
One thing that never changes is that every day, I’m constantly learning new tools and technologies to ensure that when I present a solution to a customer, I have all the available information.
phData is known for supporting career development. How has the company helped support your growth and shifting career goals over time?
I’ve gone through 5 roles within just 3 1/2 years here, and I never would have moved so quickly without the support I received from phData. From offering training for the next steps in my career to others in the company willing to share their personal experience in roles, it feels like the company as a whole wills you to succeed.
You've written quite a few blogs for phData — How many have you written so far?
I’ve written 72 blogs and 12 case studies.
What's been your favorite blog to write, and why?
Do any of my blogs focus on the phData Toolkit? It’s just so helpful to me on projects, and writing about it makes me feel proud to work for a company that puts so much effort into making projects more streamlined for their engineering teams.
You also get a bonus for blogging! How has that incentive helped motivate you or encourage creativity in your writing?
As I mentioned earlier, I went back to school later in life, and that wasn’t free! So I’ve been using the bonuses to chip away at those loans. The real motivation I have to write the blogs is to be able to put myself in a position to be able to pay for my children’s education (both homeschool and in college) so I can set them up for success in their lives.
What does your day look like outside of work?
I spend most of my time with my wife and two kids. We play outside, go for bike rides, play board games, and recently we’ve been doing movie marathons. We just watched the Lord of the Rings series together.
If you could only pick one destination for the food, where would you go?
Japan. I’d put an all-you-can-eat sushi place out of business.
Are you looking for the next step in your career?
Join our team and work alongside Justin, or check out our careers page to see our current job openings.
Who knows? You might even earn extra cash writing blogs… and try to beat Justin’s record while you’re at it!
