Combating ‘information overload’ one Axios app at a time

Axios’ core mission is to get consumers smarter, faster news on the topics that matter.

That approach is what made Josh Buchea realize he wanted to contribute more to the Arlington-based media company. As a person with ADHD, Buchea said he instantly recognized the importance of Axios’ ability to help consumers manage “the sea of information” they’re wading through.

“People today are generally feeling a bit overwhelmed since there’s an information overload,” said Buchea. “The way that Axios distills information down into what’s important is something that really, really spoke to me.”

Impassioned by the company’s mission, Buchea was excited to join the Axios team in September 2019. As a senior front-end engineer, he focuses on the Axios mobile app, which is built with React Native.

Before Axios, Buchea had been working as a contractor at multiple different companies. Axios’s strong workplace culture drew him to the company, since he said it was clear Axios prioritized collaboration and diversity.

In the following Q&A, Buchea shares more details about what his day-to-day is like at the rapidly growing tech and media firm.

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How do you stay in touch with your team? 

My team has five engineers and we work closely with our product team. What’s nice about Axios is that there’s a strong company culture, but each team has its own form of communication and ways to connect with each other. We spend a lot of time pairing, and folks are available anytime if anyone needs help or something clarified. Outside of work, we organize virtual hangouts. Recently, we spent a night working on an online puzzle together.

Axios also encourages us to use Donut on Slack to get connected with a team member you don’t know yet.

What’s the biggest difference between your prior work as a contractor and working at Axios full-time?

Unlike some of the smaller companies I worked at previously, it was really refreshing to see that there are fewer decisions made by one individual. At Axios, it feels like just about anything is open for discussion. We often do come to a consensus before we make a decision that would impact an entire team or the entire company.

What have you learned during your time at Axios? 

I feel like a lot of what I’ve learned has been people skills. There’s an increased level of collaboration internally between different squads. That’s something new for me.

What do you hope for moving forward with Axios?

I feel like there’s a ton of opportunity and room for growth in the company. I feel like we’re doing something that’s needed. I really only see growth in the future of the company, and it feels really good to be working on something where I feel like I’m making a positive impact at the end of the day.

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