Hey! I’m Kevin Polackal, and for the past 8 months I’ve had the chance to dive into the world of health and wearable technology as a Backend Software Engineer co-op at WHOOP. From my first PR to today, these months have marked a huge period of growth, and I’m writing this post to share why WHOOP is such a special place to work.
We Have a Bias for Action and Ownership of Our Work
At WHOOP, we like to say you need a “bias for action.” What does that actually look like? For me, it meant joining on January 6 and merging my first PR to production the very next day. Sure, it was a simple bug fix, but it set the tone for how I approach my work. From the start, it was clear that WHOOP doesn’t set limits on what you can or can’t do. You’re encouraged to chase opportunities without feeling boxed in by invisible boundaries.
A big part of success here is taking ownership. When there are roadblocks, we don’t wait for them to fix themselves. Every engineer is empowered to own their work, collaborating across software, data science, product, and design teams to find solutions instead of waiting for problems to escalate.
As a co-op, I worked on the architectural challenges presented by VO₂ Max, owned the delivery of critical flows across the Advanced Labs feature (coming soon!), and wrote design docs for backend architecture on upcoming projects. In all of these cases, I was never told to stay in my lane. Having the runway to learn and take on challenging work is exactly why I’ve grown so much as an engineer.
We Work With the Best
At WHOOP, your co-workers are your greatest asset, and we believe we’re stronger as a team. One way this shows up is through our 1:1 coffee or lunch perk. You can pick anyone in the office—regardless of role or department—and share a company-sponsored meal while you connect with them. I’ve gained so much knowledge just by sitting down with incredibly smart people. We all know the saying “never be the smartest person in the room.” At WHOOP, that’s never a problem. Every day I learn something new from the hundreds of talented people around me.
In my day-to-day work, I’ve never been turned away when I’ve asked questions about systems I was curious about, even if it meant someone spent a big part of their day helping me. Everyone here acts as a mentor, and there’s a culture of passing on knowledge and empowering each other to grow.
As a co-op, I’ve also been amazed by how much time my engineering managers dedicate to helping me reflect on my growth. They’ve been invaluable for career advice and guidance on how to reach my goals.
We’re an AI-First Company
The world is changing fast—it feels like there’s a new product or tool every day. At WHOOP, we’re encouraged to use tools that supercharge productivity, and we even have a team dedicated to improving our workflow.
Being early adopters of tools like Cursor, ChatGPT, and Replit has allowed us to design, prototype, and execute projects in weeks that might otherwise take months. Having access to these tools has shown me how much stronger of an engineer I can be. They strip away mundane tasks so I can focus on solving bigger problems.
Every week it feels like we get something new, whether it’s a tool that speeds up PR reviews or one that helps prototype a proof of concept. We’re the ones experimenting, figuring out what works, and shaping what it means to be an engineer in this AI-enabled age (check out GUSTO Coding).
Our Mission Touches the Hearts of Millions
We’re on a mission to extend the number of healthy years people can live. It’s so central to WHOOP that it’s one of the key OKRs we define when measuring success. Every employee has their own, and from personal experience I can say being a WHOOP member has changed my life. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been thanks to the technology we’re building.
Plenty of places have tough engineering problems to solve, but very few have such a direct, positive impact on people’s lives. Everyone here is committed to giving members the data and coaching they need to be their best selves. It’s an incredible feeling to step back and realize the work you’re doing could be the reason someone lives a healthier, more fulfilling life.
One of my favorite weekly moments is our company-wide Friday lunch. We always end with a testimonial from a member sharing how WHOOP has made a difference in their life. Whether it’s detecting an irregular heartbeat through an ECG or helping someone improve their Healthspan, it’s incredibly validating to see that our work is out in the world doing good.
So What Does This All Mean?
In just eight months, I’ve seen how much WHOOP has done for me. I went from being a beginner in software development to being able to:
- Understand and design infrastructure to process immense amounts of data
- Work collaboratively across countless teams to ensure delivery of my projects
- Leverage AI tools to massively increase productivity and speed
- Contribute to a mission that helps members live stronger, healthier lives
If any of this sounds interesting to you, I’d encourage you to take a look at WHOOP. What I’ve accomplished in this short time has amazed me, and I know what you can do here will amaze you too.