Lago, an open-source usage-based billing platform, is seeking Senior Ruby on Rails Engineers based in Latin America. They are building a developer-centric product to help SaaS companies manage complex billing models. Ideal candidates possess strong Ruby and Rails experience, enjoy collaborating with product teams, and are passionate about open-source software. This is a fully remote, LATAM-based position offering competitive compensation and benefits.
Lago, an open-source company specializing in usage-based billing solutions, is actively seeking experienced Senior Ruby on Rails Engineers residing in Latin America to join their growing team. This full-time, remote position offers the opportunity to contribute significantly to the development and maintenance of Lago's core application, which empowers SaaS companies to implement sophisticated and flexible billing models based on their customers' actual product usage.
The ideal candidate possesses a strong command of Ruby on Rails and related technologies, along with a proven track record of building and scaling robust web applications. They should be comfortable working within a distributed team environment and demonstrate excellent communication skills. Specific responsibilities encompass designing, developing, and testing new features and functionalities, optimizing existing code for performance and scalability, and contributing to the overall architecture and stability of the Lago platform. Furthermore, the successful candidate will be expected to actively participate in code reviews, uphold high coding standards, and collaborate closely with product and design teams to translate user requirements into effective technical solutions.
Lago emphasizes a culture of open-source contribution, and this role presents the opportunity to work on a publicly accessible codebase, impacting a wide range of businesses leveraging usage-based billing. The company champions a collaborative and supportive work environment, encouraging continuous learning and professional growth. While specific salary details are not explicitly mentioned, Lago promises a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience and the prevailing market rates in Latin America. In addition to the financial rewards, the position offers the flexibility and autonomy of remote work, allowing individuals to contribute from anywhere within the Latin American region. The company's mission is to revolutionize the billing landscape for SaaS businesses, and this role presents a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of that innovation.
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https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43378329
Several Hacker News commenters express skepticism about Lago's open-source nature, pointing out that the core billing engine is not open source, only the APIs and customer portal. This sparked a discussion about the definition of "open source" and whether Lago's approach qualifies. Some users defend Lago, arguing that open-sourcing customer-facing components is still valuable. Others raise concerns about the potential for vendor lock-in if the core billing logic remains proprietary. The remote work aspect and Latam hiring focus also drew positive comments, with some users appreciating Lago's transparency about salary ranges. There's also a brief thread discussing alternative billing solutions.
The Hacker News post discussing Lago's hiring of Senior Ruby Engineers in Latin America generated several comments, mostly focusing on the open-source nature of Lago's billing platform and its implications for the business model.
One commenter questioned how Lago plans to monetize their open-source offering, expressing skepticism about the viability of simply offering hosting and support. They suggested the real revenue generation might come from enterprise features or consulting, drawing parallels with other open-source companies that adopt similar strategies. This sparked a discussion about the different open-source business models, with others chiming in about the potential for a successful open-core model where the core product is open-source but advanced features require a commercial license.
Another commenter, seemingly familiar with Lago, pointed out the potential for integration with other billing systems like Stripe, speculating that Lago might focus on providing a more flexible and customizable layer on top of existing payment gateways. They suggested this could be particularly attractive to businesses with complex billing needs that go beyond the standard subscription model.
Further discussion revolved around the choice of Ruby on Rails for the platform. One commenter expressed surprise at the continued use of Ruby in a performance-sensitive application like billing, prompting a response highlighting the maturity and stability of the Ruby ecosystem, along with its suitability for rapid development. This sparked a brief debate about the perceived performance limitations of Ruby compared to other languages, with proponents of Ruby arguing that its performance is often adequate for real-world applications and that developer productivity can be a more important factor.
The location of the hiring (Latam) also drew some comments, with users discussing the potential benefits and challenges of hiring remote teams in Latin America, including considerations around time zones, cultural differences, and the competitive landscape for talent in the region.
Finally, some comments focused on the specific requirements listed in the job posting, such as the emphasis on experience with high-volume transactional systems. These comments reflected a general interest in the technical challenges involved in building a robust and scalable billing platform.