What exactly is loudness?

      The team that brings AI Audio technology to users   Turning technology into a service, and delivering it to users—today, we’re sharing the story of two developers from Gaudio Lab’s SNA (Service and Apps) squad, Paul and Johnny. Having worked closely together for years, they continue to write a new chapter at Gaudio Lab, building meaningful services powered by AI audio technology. You might not see them on the surface, but these two are the hands behind the service—where the listening experience truly begins. This is the story of two developers quietly building behind the scenes.   Q: Hi! Could you briefly introduce yourselves and tell us about your roles on the SNA squad?   Paul: Hi, I’m Paul, a backend engineer on the SNA squad. I work on building web-based services that deliver Gaudio Lab’s AI audio technology to end users. Right now, I’m developing a product called Gaudio Developers, which is a different version of Gaudio Studio. It allows customers to explore and apply our latest audio technology through OpenAPI.   Paul and his kids at Hey MA&PA Event       Johnny: I’m a DevOps and platform engineer. Simply put, I make sure the programs built by developers are delivered to users smoothly by automating the middle layers and improving efficiency. I also work on improving our internal development environment and culture so our team can work more effectively. These days, I’m working with Paul on Gaudio Developers, and I also help operate Gaudio Sing.         What makes working at Gaudio Lab special   Q: What was your first impression of Gaudio Lab? Compared to your previous workplaces, how is the team culture or way of working different?   Paul: The biggest difference is that we’re empowered to take ownership of our work. Within the resources we’re given, we have the flexibility to manage our schedules and participate directly in everything from system design to decision-making. Because of that, I feel more attached to the projects I work on and more driven to see them through to the end.   Johnny: In my previous companies, failure just wasn’t an option. The focus was so heavily on results that people became more conservative when choosing technologies or building new features. It was often like, “This method worked before—why change it? Let’s just do it the usual way.” But at Gaudio Lab, it’s different. If you have a solid reason, people are open to new ideas. Even if something fails, our leader will say, “That’s OK. The decision was mine—that’s not on you.” Instead of blaming, we reflect and learn together, and that opens the door to better results.     Q: SNA seems like one of the most communicative teams. How do you usually work through problems and collaborate?   Johnny: Communication is absolutely critical. If we misunderstand directions or lack clarity on goals, the entire development can veer off course. And once something goes live, fixing it takes even more time and effort. To avoid that, we actively ask questions and discuss openly—until we’re all sure we’re heading in the same direction. We often say things like, “I’m not sure this is the right direction.” “Can I ask why you think this approach works?” “Is there another way we could look at this?” These kinds of conversations help us share diverse perspectives and avoid being stuck in a single mindset.   Paul: When a problem arises, the person responsible will first take the lead in solving it. But if things get tricky, the whole team jumps in to help. Our team lead, Min, is always there to guide and support us when needed—which is really reassuring. We mostly use Slack for async communication, and we have short daily standups to share progress. It’s a very open environment where anyone can ask for help or suggest a new idea anytime. That mutual trust really allows us to work independently, yet stay connected as a team.     Q: With such smooth collaboration, it sounds like you have a lot of respect for your teammates. What are they like?   Johnny: Min is a fantastic team lead. He gives clear direction and removes obstacles so we can focus on building. Paul is someone I trust completely. He’s always approachable and reliable—someone I can count on without hesitation. 😎 And our juniors, Handy and Hazel, are growing incredibly fast. I’m genuinely excited for what’s ahead for them. Paul: I totally agree with Johnny. Every person on our team carries a strong sense of ownership—like, “if I don’t do this, no one else will.” That level of commitment is what makes the team work. Gaudins often say "The best part of working here is the people."—and I think our team is a perfect example of that.       Grow without limits   Q: You’ve both been with Gaudio Lab for 4–5 years now. What’s one project that stands out most during your time here?     Paul: The most memorable for me is the GTS (AI Text Sync) project I worked on right after joining. Back then, we didn’t have any web-based services, and I was the only developer on it—so I had to build everything from scratch. I designed and implemented the entire system architecture based on Docker, including OpenAPI, licensing, and the admin web service. At my previous jobs, roles were more segmented, so I’d only contribute to one part. But here, I handled everything from planning and development to deployment and customer support. There was a lot I didn’t know, so I dove deep—watching tutorials, reading books, and just immersing myself. It was tough, but a deeply meaningful experience for me.   Johnny: For me, it’s Gaudio Studio. Before this, I mostly worked on B2B products targeting enterprise clients. Gaudio Studio was the first time I worked on a service designed for direct consumers. Consumer audiences are much more diverse—not just in scale but in behavior, expectations, and how they give feedback. That meant their needs were more varied, too. So I found myself thinking things like, “Would this make the user happier?” and taking a more proactive role in shaping the direction of the service. I really enjoyed that process—it challenged me and made the work exciting. 😊     Q: Those periods of deep focus clearly shaped your growth. Where do you see yourself heading as a developer?   Paul: Lately, I’ve been actively using AI tools to boost my productivity. I’ve automated repetitive tasks and found faster, more effective ways to troubleshoot issues. That’s helped me grow not just technically, but also in how I approach work overall. Looking ahead, I want to combine AI tools with backend systems to create more efficient architectures—ones that deliver maximum impact with minimal resources. Ultimately, I want to build systems that are not only technically solid, but also deliver great user experiences. Johnny: I want to be what I call a “borderless engineer.” Instead of thinking, “I’m a developer, so I only write code,” I want to cross boundaries when it makes the product better. Whether it’s ops or planning, I want to be part of the problem-solving process—wherever development and real-world needs intersect. That’s how I want to grow: by contributing beyond my job title.         We value passion and collaboration   Q: Lastly, any words for future Gaudins?   Paul: If you’ve ever wanted to turn an idea or technology into a real service, this is the place to do it. At Gaudio Lab, you get to experience the full cycle—from concept to execution. If you’re looking to grow in a tight-knit, high-trust team, there’s a lot to gain here. I hope we get the chance to work together and create meaningful value through audio technology. If you’re someone who takes initiative and learns through action—you’ll be more than welcome here. And yes—it's totally okay to fail! 🙌🏻   Johnny: For us, what really matters is sincerity. We actually read every blog post on your resume. We review the code. We care. Having lots of experience is great, but what’s more important is whether you put your heart into that experience. If you’re ready to grow together and care deeply about what you build, we’d love to have you on this journey with us.       If you found the story of the GDK development team intriguing, Explore Life at Gaudio Lab:)