Jobs: Lisp and Python programmers wanted in the LA area

[Tech HR]

http://www.smartcharter.com/jobs.html

Smart Charter Inc. is a dynamic new startup company aiming to
revolutionize the purchase and sale of private aviation services. If you
are ready for a challenging ground-floor opportunity with significant
upside potential you've come to the right place. We are not your typical
dotcom. We have a razor-sharp focus on an existing multi-billion-dollar
market. We are well funded, and have the connections and the technical
expertise we need to revolutionize an industry.

We are looking for people who are highly motivated and passionate about
their work, and able to produce high quality code within a fast paced
development environment.

We are hiring for the following positions:

€ Senior software engineer -- Ideal candidate would have significant
development experience, possibly an advanced degree in computer science
or related field, experience developing planning & scheduling or
operations software using linear programming and heuristic search
methods. Proficiency in multiple languages including (but not limited
to) C++, Python and Common Lisp would also be desirable.

€ Windows software engineer -- This person will be responsible for
integrating elements of our products into multiple existing Windows
applications. An ideal candidate would have experience in development
for the PC platform, in multiple tool suites, including Visual
Studio.net Useful skills include the ability to work within existing
interfaces, protocols, and code structures and to work with extensively
with database applications.

€ Web developer, senior web developer, system administrator -- Our
website is currently a LAMP appication with P=Python. We are looking for
bright motivated people who know or are willing to learn Python and/or
Linux, Apache and MySQL system administration skills. (And if you want
to convince us that we should switch over to Postgres, we're willing to
listen.)

We are more interested in smarts, passion, and a willingness to learn
new things than specific credentials. If you are interested in joining
us drop us a line at: tech-hr at smartcharter.com

 

[dixkey]

Our
website is currently a LAMP appication with P=Python. We are looking for
bright motivated people who know or are willing to learn Python and/or
Linux, Apache and MySQL system administration skills. (And if you want
to convince us that we should switch over to Postgres, we're willing to
listen.)

This is more out of curiosity, but does it mean that you wouldn't be
willing
to listen about a switch from Python to Lisp?

 

[Tech HR]

This is more out of curiosity, but does it mean that you wouldn't be
willing to listen about a switch from Python to Lisp?

No, it doesn't mean that. In fact, there is a significant faction in
the technical staff (including the CTO) who would like nothing better
than to be able to use Lisp instead of Python. But we have some pretty
compelling reasons to stick with Python, not least of which is that it
is turning out to be very hard to find Lisp programmers. (Actually,
it's turning out to be hard to find Python programmers too, but it's
easier to train a Java programmer or a Perler on Python than Lisp. We
also have fair bit of infrastructure built up in Python at this point.)

But we're a very young company (barely six months old at this point) so
we're willing to listen to most anything at this point. (We're using
Darcs for revision control. Haskell, anyone?)

 

[John Nagle]

No, it doesn't mean that. In fact, there is a significant faction in
the technical staff (including the CTO) who would like nothing better
than to be able to use Lisp instead of Python. But we have some pretty
compelling reasons to stick with Python, not least of which is that it
is turning out to be very hard to find Lisp programmers.

As someone who knows both languages, I'd stay with Python, although
trying to do heavy number crunching in a naive interpreter may be a problem.

That's a tough scheduling problem. It took about a year for the
NetJets people to develop their application for it.

John Nagle

 

[Bruce Lewis]

(Actually,
it's turning out to be hard to find Python programmers too, but it's
easier to train a Java programmer or a Perler on Python than Lisp.

Is this speculation or experience? If it was experience, what Lisp were
you trying to train Java programmers in, and what problems did you
encounter?

 

[Ray Dillinger]

But we're a very young company (barely six months old at this point) so
we're willing to listen to most anything at this point. (We're using
Darcs for revision control. Haskell, anyone?)

Tell us, where you would expect an applicant for one or more of these
jobs to live if they accepted a job with your firm? It's not at all
apparent from your website or job descriptions where the worksite is
physically located.

Bear

 

[Ken Tilton]

No, it doesn't mean that. In fact, there is a significant faction in
the technical staff (including the CTO) who would like nothing better
than to be able to use Lisp instead of Python.

Ah, you must lack courage in your convictions. Unless you plan on being
out of business in six months, Do the Right Thing. Use the best
language. Then worry about little things like libraries and filling seats.

There is a great saying, "Think you can or think you cannot, either way
you will be right." Something like that.

But we have some pretty
compelling reasons to stick with Python, not least of which is that it
is turning out to be very hard to find Lisp programmers. (Actually,
it's turning out to be hard to find Python programmers too, but it's
easier to train a Java programmer or a Perler on Python than Lisp.

Place two ads, both for "Java/Perl/C programmers". One looking for folks
willing to learn Python, one for those willing to learn Lisp. I
guarantee you respondents to the second group will be more fun to go
bar-hopping with. Oh, and twice as good at programming as the first group.

You are solving the wrong problem. "lisp is the best language and we
cannot find Lisp programmers." The problem is not the choice of Lisp,
the problem is finding people to program Lisp. They do not have to be
Lisp programmers with certified scorched areas from being flamed by me
on c.l.l. They just need to be great programmers, in any language.

Choosing Lisp will make all of you twenty to one hundred percent happier
to go to work each day and stay a little longer each night to grind out
CFFI bindings for the libs you need. Hiring a good programmer to learn
Lisp will have them putting in about a hundred hours a week and loving
it. Tap into the energy, man.

We
also have fair bit of infrastructure built up in Python at this point.)

Do I tell you my problems?



kt

--
Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and
I'm happy to state I finally won out over it.
-- Elwood P. Dowd

In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.
-- Elwood's Mom

 

[bearophileHUGS]

Tech HR:

In fact, there is a significant faction in
the technical staff (including the CTO) who would like nothing better
than to be able to use Lisp instead of Python.

I think CLisp and Python have different enough application areas, so
often where one is fit the other can't be much fit. Doing number
crunching or heavy processing, or lot of symbolic/pattern processing
with Python isn't positive (using Pyrex, Psyco, and numpy may help
solve a small part of such problems). If you want to do some kind of
html, text processing, and various other things Python may be a better
choice.

Bye,
bearophile

 

[Paul Rubin]

No, it doesn't mean that. In fact, there is a significant faction in
the technical staff (including the CTO) who would like nothing better
than to be able to use Lisp instead of Python. But we have some pretty
compelling reasons to stick with Python, not least of which is that it
is turning out to be very hard to find Lisp programmers. (Actually,
it's turning out to be hard to find Python programmers too, but it's
easier to train a Java programmer or a Perler on Python than Lisp. We
also have fair bit of infrastructure built up in Python at this point.)

There's a lot of Python users around these days, and moving from Lisp
to Python is very easy. The other way around is maybe a little harder
but shouldn't be too bad.

You know about http://lispjobs.wordpress.com I presume.

Also:
http://lemonodor.com and lambda-the-ultimate.org may
have more pointers to such things.

But we're a very young company (barely six months old at this point) so
we're willing to listen to most anything at this point. (We're using
Darcs for revision control. Haskell, anyone?)

Haskell is really a lot different and I think the implementations
aren't as mature as Lisp or Python implementations. Maybe you want to
think about SML or OCaml.

 

[Dan Bensen]

easier to train a Java programmer or a Perler on Python than Lisp.

Are your technical problems simple enough to be solved by Python trainees?

 

[Aahz]

Are your technical problems simple enough to be solved by Python trainees?

If they're already good programmers, yes.

 

[Dan Bensen]

> easier to train a Java programmer or a Perler on Python than Lisp.

> Are your technical problems simple enough to be solved by Python
> trainees?

If they're already good programmers, yes.

Sure, but who are these good programmers (coming from Java or Perl)?
Do you have a list of them? The employer needs to know how many
not-so-good programmers they have to interview before they find one
who's good enough. It depends on how hard the programming is.

 

[Tech HR]

Tell us, where you would expect an applicant for one or more of these
jobs to live if they accepted a job with your firm? It's not at all
apparent from your website or job descriptions where the worksite is
physically located.

We are in the Los Angeles area. (We've added a note at the bottom of
the jobs page on our web site.) I can't be more specific at this time
because we are in the process of finding permanent office space. Our
temporary offices are in Santa Monica. We're hoping to find space near
the Van Nuys airport, but the commercial real estate market here is very
tight right now.

 

[Tech HR]

Are your technical problems simple enough to be solved by Python trainees?

Some are. Some aren't. That's why we're using Lisp too

 

[Tech HR]

You know about http://lispjobs.wordpress.com I presume.

I did not. Thanks for the pointer.

 

[Tech HR]

Is this speculation or experience?

A little of both. We're a pretty young company

 

[Tech HR]

We are in the Los Angeles area. (We've added a note at the bottom of
the jobs page on our web site.) I can't be more specific at this time
because we are in the process of finding permanent office space. Our
temporary offices are in Santa Monica. We're hoping to find space near
the Van Nuys airport, but the commercial real estate market here is very
tight right now.

Actually, it just occurred to me that the company location was also in
the subject line of this thread ;-)

 

[Michele Simionato]

Sure, but who are these good programmers (coming from Java or Perl)?
Do you have a list of them? The employer needs to know how many
not-so-good programmers they have to interview before they find one
who's good enough. It depends on how hard the programming is.

Right, so they should hire Python programmers who know Lisp too. This
is not
so uncommon, we have at least three people here where I work.

Michele Simionato

 

[Wade Humeniuk]

No, it doesn't mean that. In fact, there is a significant faction in
the technical staff (including the CTO) who would like nothing better
than to be able to use Lisp instead of Python.

Who is the CTO?

Wade

 

[dixkey]

Who is the CTO?

Wade

Don't you people have Google in your villag^W universe?