Hey everyone! 
Let’s get to know @nik.baleca, a dedicated community engineer who helps you get the most out of your Auth0 experience! In our Community Engineers Spotlight series, we’re highlighting the passionate individuals who unleash their expertise to support, guide, and empower fellow developers. These community-driven experts are solving problems, sharing knowledge, and building solutions to help make your journey with Auth0 easier. 
Can you share a bit about yourself? What does a typical day look like for you?
Hello, I’m Nikita Baleca, people usually call me Nik hence the username on the Auth0 Community. My typical day consists of tackling problems that users might be experiencing with Auth0, providing my insight on the platform to ease their experience with the platform. Most of my day revolves around roaming through documentation, reproducing problems (which I would say is my favourite part of the job), and always learning new things about the platform and the different ways one can approach it in their implementation. Whenever I have difficulties in tackling a problem, there is always my team to rely on.
What sparked your interest in this field, and how did you find yourself working in the Auth0 Community?
Okta is a well known project worldwide and also part of the company that I have been working for several years. The moment I saw they had an opening for Auth0 I immediately took the chance to apply and use the skills I obtained in university studying computer science. Due to my open personality and inclination towards helping others, having the chance to be part of the Auth0 Community to assist others with the issues they are facing sparked my interest. I am happy to assist others with the difficulties they are facing and contribute as much as possible with my expertise.
Can you share a project or initiative you’re proud of within the Auth0 community?
I have known about Okta for several years and was always inspired and amazed by the things it can help developers accomplish. One of the best moments here at Auth0 is when I get to tackle issues with React, JS, or NextJS applications. The thrill of reproducing the problem of the member feels just like an adventure game where you do not know where to go exactly. The moment you manage to reproduce the problem feels like you finally figured out where to go in the game or how to complete a puzzle that does not provide you with any hints. A good example of such a problem was when one of my colleagues asked me to take a look at a NextJS application, I played around for hours and could not figure out the issue. The moment he was provided the code by the member in order to take a look so that we could dive deeper into the issue felt like a Christmas present which started the thrill of the hunt for the problem.
Outside of your role as a community engineer, what’s something about you that people might be surprised to learn?
- I am a fanatic when it comes to heavy metal music. One of my favorite things to do is to collect merchandise from the bands I enjoy the most, having a vast collection of CDs, vinyl, cassette tapes, and outwear.
- I am quite a competitive person. Since I was young, I enjoyed sports and competitive video games, which helped me improve my skills greatly, one of my biggest achievements being part of the university’s basketball team and reaching top 1% of players several times in a video game called Counter Strike.
“Remember people, no storm can bring you down!”
If you could give one piece of advice to someone new to the Auth0 Community, what would it be?
Never be overwhelmed by what Auth0 throws at you. There is always time to learn about it and how to use it as an effective tool for your projects. You will always find a piece of documentation or article around here that will teach you a lot about the platform. Even when you run into difficulties with your implementation, you can always rely on the community to help you tackle them.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?
Aside from coding in my free time, being an extrovert person has always helped me to take up amazing hobbies since I mostly enjoy social gatherings or going out with friends. A couple of things that I enjoy the most would be:
- Playing Basketball
- Going snowboarding
- Attending heavy metal concerts
- Boardgame nights and events
- Trivia night in one of the local pubs
- Going hiking
Thank you, Nik, for sharing your story with us. Stay tuned to get to know the faces behind the support- because they’re here to help you succeed! 