Ričards Mežulis – from developer to team lead at inGain
Meet Ričards Mežulis - Team Lead at inGain
Meet Ričards — a developer who naturally grew into a leadership role thanks to his initiative, reliability and strong sense of ownership. He first joined inGain as a mid-level developer, but it didn’t take long for the team to start trusting him with bigger challenges. That trust, combined with his hands-on approach and collaborative mindset, helped him grow into a Team Lead role. His teammates clearly value what he brings — he’s been awarded our peer-nominated WOW Award several times. Outside of work, Ričards enjoys traveling and relaxing with a good glass of champagne.
What motivated you to join inGain, and how has your role evolved over time?
I needed a job. Someone I had worked with at my previous company was already working at inGain and recommended me. Then inGain got in touch. It also aligned with the industry I had experience in.
I joined as a mid-level developer, and somewhat unintentionally took on a lot of responsibilities, eventually growing into a Team Lead role. It’s been cool, exciting, sometimes stressful—but fun. There are lots of interesting tasks and communication with all kinds of stakeholders.
In the beginning, talking to clients was stressful because I was afraid of saying the wrong thing, but over time I got used to it. Before, I was more of a “background” person, but at inGain I’ve had to speak up, share product updates, and take on responsibility. That was a big step forward in my career.
You started as a software engineer and moved into a team lead role. What was that transition like for you? How has inGain supported your professional growth and leadership development?
It kind of just happened, and at some point, it was made official. One particular project was handed to me by our CTO, who said I’d be the responsible person for it.
Margo (Director of IT Operations) has been incredibly supportive. Most people at inGain are. If you have a question, you’ll always get an answer—maybe not instantly, but you’ll get it.
As a Team Lead, what does a typical workday look like for you? What do you find most rewarding about your role at inGain?
Like most people here, I start the day with a daily stand-up. After that, Margo and I stay on the call to discuss open questions related to onboarding projects. I go through the tickets that came in from clients, assign some to others, update their statuses and discuss the rest with Margo.
Every day is different. I almost never do exactly what I planned in the morning. I try to find time for coding during the day, but much of my time is spent supporting the team, answering questions and communicating with clients.
Also—I take coffee breaks (5–6 cups a day!).
What I enjoy most is the communication—with both clients and the team. I really like leading people. It gives me a sense of empowerment and confidence that I’m in the right field. I don’t need to try too hard to come up with answers—it feels natural because I’m where I’m supposed to be.
What are some of the most interesting projects you’ve worked on at inGain?
The first project I worked on individually was the most interesting—on the development side, the team was just me. It was a cool experience because it gave me a first taste of being trusted and valued by the company. That trust made me even more motivated to deliver great results. It involved an API adjustment and building the front end from scratch.
Another interesting one was the Spanish project, which involved integrating various third-party APIs. There was lots of communication with the client, and the whole project was both challenging and rewarding.
What do you think makes inGain a great place to work?
- A friendly and approachable team
- Transparent leadership—everyone knows what’s happening in the company
- We don’t hold back when it comes to team events, and they’re always diverse
- Flexible working hours—you can always adjust things if needed
- A hybrid work model
What excites you about the future of inGain and its technology solutions?
How fast we’re growing is really cool. There’s constant progress—we keep up with the latest trends in programming and continue evolving. Our CTO is always exploring new ways of doing things, which keeps the work fun. I’m genuinely excited about the idea of aiming for unicorn status.