This edition of "Meet the Db2 for z/OS Team" focuses on an up-and-coming leader in the Db2 for z/OS development organization, Jeremy Jones. Jeremy represents the new generation of technical leaders who are bringing their fresh insights and innovations to the Db2 for z/OS development team.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, Jeremy. I was born in Southern California and spent my entire childhood there. My family and I moved up to the Bay Area when I was a teenager just before I started high school. As a kid, I played a lot of soccer, and I also started surfing with my dad when I was a teenager. I graduated from San Jose State University in December of 2015 with a degree in Computer Science.  I got married in 2018 and I have two children.

What's your current role on the Db2 team?

I’m a software developer on the Data Manager component, which is the component that’s responsible for storing data in Db2 for z/OS databases. That’s been my official role since I joined IBM. I’m also involved in a project called the z/OS Developer Experience, which originally started out as the PL/X Developer Experience.  Essentially, it’s an internal cross-product effort to help us better understand the products that use PL/X as the language, to identify the development tools that are involved, and to identify and understand any pain points. You can think of it as an open-source community within IBM for PL/X stuff.

What was it like to start your career working on a mainframe product?

I can’t really tell if it would be much different than if I was on a more common environment such as Linux. I’m sure any company or product I would have started out on would have a plethora of new tools and procedures that I would have to learn. Although the mainframe environment was very different than what I was used to, the underlying principles are the same. It’s just like learning a new programming language. It mostly comes down to understanding the syntax and paradigms.

Give us a rundown of the projects that you’ve been involved in.

While working in Data Manager, I’ve been involved in quite a few projects related to the core engine of Db2, such as data versioning and performance optimization. But what I’ve spent most of my time on is data compression. My favorite contribution so far has been the epic to deliver Huffman compression in Db2 12. This epic was particularly rewarding, especially the research and development stage, and it resulted in my first patent for IBM. As more compression-related projects were added, I really got to sink my teeth into this area.

I’ve also been constantly pushing to improve my own productivity and as part of that goal I saw an opportunity to develop a new build tool for developers to compile Db2 code. The motivation around this was driven by infrastructure modernization efforts that were going on at the time, and I wanted to create a tool that supported those efforts.  What started out as my side project became popular with my fellow Db2 developers, and it ended up evolving into a critical infrastructure tool that was adopted across the development organization. I transferred ownership of the tool to the infrastructure team about a year ago.

What's the most rewarding thing to you about working on Db2 for z/OS and why?

Working on the Data Manager component of Db2 is probably more like working on an operating system. Not everyone is going to enjoy a project like this, but I find it to be very rewarding and enjoyable. I’m always working on something challenging and interesting from a computer science perspective, and I’m always working with smart and talented colleagues on complex solutions that will drive increased value to our customers. I also really enjoy the feedback loop between research, design, implementation, and customer engagement through our sponsor user program. Being able to hear directly from our customers has really helped me to understand how they use Db2 in the real world.

What advice would you give to somebody who is just starting out at IBM?

Be curious. Even If you have your own way of doing something, be open to see how others accomplish similar tasks, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about why we do things a certain way. Make connections with multiple mentors and really try to seek out different personalities. I personally found three very important mentors early in my career who are all very different from each other. They each had their own perspective and philosophy when it came to problem solving, and their different points of view helped me be more open to other ideas and perspectives.

Can you share one thing about yourself that your colleagues might not know about you? In elementary school I played Puck in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was quite good, the next Daniel Day Lewis some said at the time. Unfortunately, the VHS tape can no longer be found and with it evidence of my potential greatness, so you’ll just have to take my word on it.

How do you spend your time away from work?

I enjoy spending time with my wife, Biviana, and two kids, a 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son, Scarlett and Westley. As I mentioned, I’m an avid surfer. I’ve been surfing with my dad since I was a kid. These days, it’s mostly long board, which is a more relaxing vibe than riding a short board. My favorite spots are East Santa Cruz and Capitola. Growing up, I played a lot of soccer. As a kid in Redlands, I was actually on a team with Landon Donovan, who represented the US in the Olympics and in several World Cups. I still enjoy playing soccer recreationally, but at the moment I’m rehabbing some (soccer-related) ankle injuries.

What's the next big step in your career?

I hope to be a part of the next big innovation that Db2 will surely introduce to the world of database design. Working on a product that so many businesses and governments rely on is one of the most exciting aspects of being a developer on Db2. We’re constantly innovating to deliver the capabilities that our customers need, and that’s very rewarding to me.