An Interview with Nelson Schoenbrot

In civilian words, how would you describe your job?

I write code to retrieve and/or delete users’ personal data when users make such a request.

Sounds fun! When and how did you get into coding?

In high school, there was a Visual Basic programming class that I signed up for. (Visual Basic is the name of a programming language.) And in college, I studied computer science.

Is that something you thought you’d be when you grew up?

As a kid, I don’t think I was aware of software development. But as a teenager, I started to see myself in tech.

Who in tech did you idolize when you were growing up?

Probably the standard people such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates.

Big names indeed! Speaking of which, who would you want to have a 30-minute Zoom meeting with? It could be anyone in the world

If Zoom could time travel and do real-time translation, then the Roman philosopher Seneca, because I am currently reading his letters. If not, maybe someone like Elon Musk, because he seems to have an interesting personality and is playing a large role in shaping the future of tech.

Now, what’s the first concert you saw, and your favorite band or musician today?

I think the first major concert I went to was Rise Against. I am not sure who I would call my favorite today. Maybe Corey Taylor… I listen to a lot of his music, between his two bands and solo album, and occasional features on songs with other musicians.

And lastly, what is one thing that always makes you happy?

A long meditation after a stressful day.