Meet Tyler Cadman – Embedded Software Team

At Punch Through, we encourage everyone to proudly be themselves and want you to know the people behind the work that we’re so proud of. That’s why we launched our “Meet the Team” series, where we introduce you to one of our team members each month. 

Meet Tyler, as a senior embedded engineer, he specializes in embedded development and systems engineering. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, biking, canoeing, and being outdoors.

What were you doing before working at Punch Through?

My path toward my role at Punch Through has taken an unpredictable route from a degree in Engineering Physics at Cornell University to a love of firmware development and system design.

I discovered an affinity for systems engineering at my first role out of college at Lockheed Martin. I worked on a large, complex system, and found that I really enjoyed the problem solving, communication, and tradeoffs involved in system design.

A move to Minnesota took me to Starkey Hearing Technologies, where my experience also led to an introduction to firmware development. Through implementing proprietary wireless communication and designing solutions for a resource constrained system, I found that I loved the hands-on challenges of code development and the seemingly endless amount of knowledge to explore in the domain. Ever since, I’ve thrived with a mix of direct code development and system level design and debugging.

What is your favorite thing about Punch Through culture?

I love the authenticity that I see from top to bottom. There’s a real focus on not just envisioning what a great team looks like, but also in taking the concrete steps to bring us closer to that vision. Everyone has a responsibility in creating that reality.

Tell me a story about your most memorable moment while working at Punch Through

I started working at Punch Through just after the team shifted to remote work in response to COVID-19. As a result, I’ve yet to work in the office and have only met a handful of people in person. Punch Through has a history of welcoming new people, and the team’s determination to do the same for me despite the shifting world was great—my first day included a welcome Zoom meeting with most of the team, and people made the time to have remote lunches together. While it was daunting to meet so many people at once on a video chat, it felt great to have the team jump right in to make me feel welcome.

What cool or rewarding things do you get to do on a regular basis?

I enjoy the chance to connect with people in the team regularly. Whether it’s a knowledge sharing session or discussion over morning coffee, I find that the personal connections are a great boost to the quality of a remote work environment.

What is the most valuable part of your work to you on a personal level?

I find a lot of value in work that solves real problems while also demanding that I learn along the way. A lot of my sense of satisfaction comes from both having the responsibility to deliver something valuable and in developing the capabilities to carry out that responsibility. Punch Through is a great place to realize this—we’re regularly presented with great challenges to work on and our team is dedicated to learning and sharing knowledge together.

What is different about Punch Through versus other places you have worked?

I’m excited for the chance to learn from a variety of projects. In both of my previous roles, I worked in teams focused on single larger systems with long development lifetimes. With Punch Through’s involvement in a variety of systems, products, and technologies, I’m looking forward to learning from the team’s varied experiences.