One typical day in 2013, Maranda Provance walked into the Mostly Serious office for the first time, hired as a developer with a focus on back-end operations. Little did we know, this was the start of an extraordinary journey that would span a decade and counting.
10 Years of Technical Evolution
Maranda's early days at Mostly Serious were marked by her work on the APIs for various internal products, including an innovative mobile game app that utilized location-based check-ins—think Pokémon Go, but a couple of years ahead of its time. Back then, Python was our language of choice, and we built client websites on CMS platforms in the Django/Python ecosystem. But just as Maranda grew and evolved, so did Mostly Serious.
A turning point came when a freelance developer introduced Maranda and the rest of Mostly Serious to Craft CMS. We were immediately won over by the seamless blend of a great authoring experience and a robust developer experience. This was a defining moment for our team, and, led by Maranda, we enthusiastically dove into the world of Craft CMS. In the same spirit of adaptation and evolution, we shifted our focus from building all types of web property—be it mobile apps, web apps, or websites—to honing our expertise in CMS-backed websites. The projects we took on grew in scale and complexity, mirroring the growth we were experiencing as a company.
10 Years of Laughter and Growth
As Maranda continued to shape her career, Mostly Serious also went through significant changes. She saw us maturing from a flat (and frankly somewhat ineffective) structure to a model that combined stability, grounded hierarchy, and effective empowerment. This transformation allowed every team member to make a meaningful impact—exactly what we had aimed for.
Throughout her tenure, Maranda has been part of many memorable moments, but a couple stand out in her mind. One such instance was when the team tried to recreate a viral video of people popping balloons with their butts on chairs. The spectacle had Maranda in stitches, with laughter turning to tears. Then there was the time a tiny baby snake fell onto Spencer's desk, leading to hilarious chaos and a heroic rescue by our office mom, Chelsea.
So, why has Maranda stayed at Mostly Serious for all these years? It's simple, really. She aligns very deeply with the core values and principles that drive Mostly Serious. She loves the beautiful work we create as a team and is constantly amazed by the talent of her coworkers. And she’s had a lot of fun helping to shape the company over the last 10 years.
Looking forward, Maranda is buzzing with anticipation for the opportunity to represent Mostly Serious at Craft CMS's Dot All conference in Barcelona, Spain, this October. The post-pandemic era has seen her rediscover the joy of sharing ideas with people, and she’s excited for the opportunity to do that on such a large stage—and it certainly doesn’t hurt that she gets to go to Spain to do it!
But wait, there’s more! To celebrate Maranda's 10-year anniversary, she is taking full advantage of our Anniversary Awards Program. This program is our way of recognizing team members who have been working, growing, and thriving at Mostly Serious for more than 3 years. For her tenacity and commitment over the past decade, Maranda will be treated to a two-week, all-expenses-paid vacation valued at $5,000. And where is she heading, you ask? Vegas, baby!
