5 Months to Run Code Locally

Nathan Spencer recounts his experience during an internship at a financial institution, where he aimed to automate a weekly process that was time-consuming for employees. Despite identifying an open-source solution that worked on his personal machine, he faced significant hurdles due to strict security protocols that prevented him from running unapproved code on company computers. His attempts to gain security approval for the software were met with repeated rejections, citing concerns over the software's update frequency and demand. After gathering support from colleagues through a Slack poll, he managed to provoke a security review, which ultimately deemed the software a "medium security risk" due to the lack of code signing. This led him on a convoluted journey through various departments, including a frustrating detour with the Certificate Management team, which was ill-equipped to handle internal applications. After months of persistence and a chance conversation with a higher-up, the software was finally approved and made available on the internal app store. Spencer reflects on the challenges posed by excessive security measures in financial institutions, which can hinder productivity and innovation, and emphasizes the importance of having connections within the organization to navigate bureaucratic obstacles.

- Nathan Spencer automated a time-consuming process during his internship at a financial institution.

- He faced significant challenges due to strict security protocols preventing code execution on company machines.

- His initial requests for security approval were rejected multiple times, citing various concerns.

- After gathering support from colleagues, he managed to provoke a security review, which ultimately led to approval.

- Spencer highlights the detrimental effects of excessive security measures on productivity and the value of internal connections.