Jul 28, 2025

Two senior software engineers share what it’s like to work on a team where you’ll ‘feel the tangible weight of your contribution.’ Written byTaylor Rose Credit: Metropolis Summary: Engineers at Metropolis take end-to-end ownership of projects that directly impact the customer experience, from airport launches to valet app rollouts. The team’s fast pace is grounded in structured processes and collaborative input across product and engineering. Engineers are expected to contribute both technically and strategically. more Engineers at Metropolis take end-to-end ownership of projects that directly impact the customer experience, from airport launches to valet app rollouts. The team’s fast pace is grounded in structured processes and collaborative input across product and engineering. Engineers are expected to contribute both technically and strategically. Metropolis Technologies may be in the business of making life easier for customers, but it’s the team’s software engineers who are truly behind the wheel. Just ask Neesha Sinha, a senior software engineer on the revenue platform team. “You’ll feel the tangible weight of your contribution,” Sinha said. “Every feature we build, every problem we solve, directly contributes to making Metropolis move and function more efficiently.” Working at the artificial intelligence company, which creates a computer vision platform for checkout-free payments from parking garages and lots, means getting real ownership over your work, Sinha said. If someone has a good idea, it can actually come to life. Sinha joined Metropolis in July 2024, but she’s already witnessed this culture of ownership firsthand. “My experience so far has been defined by rapid learning and contribution,” Sinha shared. “I’ve gained a deep understanding of the parking business in a short amount of time, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to immediately apply that knowledge by helping launch a few high-impact projects for the company.” A Sense of Ownership, in Action Just four months into her new job, Sinha had her foot on the gas. In this instance, she was helping ensure that the Metropolis parking reservation system was up and running for its big debut at the San Antonio Airport. “This wasn’t just any launch; it marked a groundbreaking moment as it became the first airport in North America to integrate with Metropolis technologies,” she said. “For us, it was incredibly important because it validated our ability to expand beyond city centers and into a whole new, complex vertical within the parking industry.” With support from her team, Sinha played a key role in facilitating the parking reservations system, ensuring a smooth and reliable experience for travelers right from day one. Sinha’s experience is not uncommon, even for rookie employees. Ian Tabolt, a senior software engineer on the visit experience and visit enablement teams, described the team culture at Metropolis as one defined by trust and ownership. “We trust the product team to set the roadmap and priority of upcoming projects, and as engineers, we view technical initiatives through a customer-focused lens,” Tabolt said. “On the flip side, engineers weigh in on the product roadmap and offer early input in the design phase of new product features.” Tabolt joined Metropolis in July 2021, and since then, he’s watched his employer hit a number of major milestones, expanding to thousands of new locations and adding millions of new members — and he knows he’s played a critical role in helping Metropolis achieve each one. Tabolt shared a recent example where he and his team redesigned the valet experience for consumers and operators. This meant rebuilding the internal Valet iOS app and expanding into new markets. One of the challenges Tabolt noted was in New York City valet locations — where space is often constrained — parking managers requested an “oversize vehicle surcharge” feature. “We met the product need by modeling a generalized ‘visit add-on’ which could be reused for electric vehicle charging, premium parking or any other niche use case,” he explained. “From this experience, I learned that even urgent product needs should be solved with the product roadmap in mind to find the designs that scale and pay dividends in the future.” Tabolt described the immediate impact the app had on users. “The biggest win for both the team and myself was seeing the launch of the new Valet app to hundreds of locations within a couple of months, and hearing the feedback from our operations teams of how the app has made their jobs easier,” Tabolt said. Today, Tabolt spends his time managing all aspects of consumer interactions and operational tooling for Metropolis locations. As the tech lead for the visit enablement team, he is responsible for the technical strategy and architectural direction. “Our team values a strong sense of ownership,” Tabolt said. “As a smaller team, each engineer often leads the full software development lifecycle of their work. And as a team we embrace ownership of not only the latest and greatest things we built, but also long-running systems that are critical to the core Metropolis platform.”  “Our team values a strong sense of ownership.” Inside the Engineering Team Culture What the Metropolis engineering team has is unique, and Sinha is the first to say so. “What truly defines our team culture at Metropolis is striking a remarkable balance,” Sinha said. “We’re in an incredibly fast-paced environment, always pushing to get innovative features out the door, which naturally fosters a rich culture of continuous learning and rapid skill development.” However, unlike many other teams or companies she has observed in the industry, their speed never comes at the expense of quality or structure. “We are exceptionally well-organized, with clear processes and a collective commitment to doing things right from the ground up,” she said. “This unique blend of agile delivery and meticulous execution — where we move quickly while also ensuring robustness and sustainability — is what truly sets our team apart.” “We move quickly while also ensuring robustness and sustainability.” Both Sinha and Tabolt were quick to point out that an attractive team culture like theirs is built by everyone, not just managers. For anyone wishing to shape or improve theirs, they recommend being proactive — offering help, sharing knowledge, and taking initiative. “Great teams lift each other up,” Sinha said. “A culture where everyone helps each other succeed is inherently strong, appealing, and ultimately, more effective.” If there’s one thing she wants prospective candidates to grasp about working at Metropolis, it’s the profound sense of meaningful impact combined with a culture of thoughtful, collaborative engineering. “On our team, you’re not just writing code; you’re an essential architect of the systems that genuinely improve real-world urban experiences,” Sinha said.