Victoria's Secret, JavaScript, and the Mentor Who Changed Everything
Working on Victoria's Secret wasn't on my bingo card a few years back. But fixing an integration bug for their store became one of the defining moments of my career - and it never would have happened without Eugene Mutai.
Carol Kariuki
Executive Operations Specialist · Meta Alumni
"I Don't Code in JS"
When Eugene Mutai reached out about a role at VituMob, I was comfortable. I was an Android developer. I lived in Java. My world was mobile apps, clean architecture, and the structure I knew.
Eugene was talking about something completely different: JavaScript. Chrome extensions. Web scraping. Building a system that helped customers in Kenya shop from US giants like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Victoria's Secret - and get their items delivered right to their doorsteps.
My first reaction? "I don't code in JS."
It was a polite way of saying: "This sounds terrifying, and I have no idea how to do what you're asking."
Looking back, that moment of honesty was one of the best things I could have done. I didn't pretend. I didn't fake competence. I just told Eugene the truth: I didn't know how to do this.
The Mentor Who Didn't Care That I "Couldn't"
Here's what separated Eugene from every other tech lead I'd worked with: he didn't care that I couldn't do it yet.
He saw something I didn't see in myself. Where I saw a language barrier, he saw potential. Where I saw risk, he saw an opportunity for growth.
Eugene didn't coddle me. He didn't say "It's okay, take your time." Instead, he sat me down for a few sessions and walked me through the architecture he'd built from scratch. He showed me how the Chrome extension worked. How it scraped product data from retailer sites. How it integrated with VituMob's backend to process orders and coordinate shipping from US warehouses to Kenya.
"Eugene gave me the roadmap, but he let me drive. He trusted me with his 'baby' before I even trusted myself."
Then he threw me into the deep end.
Meeting the Founder (Now the Governor of Delaware)
That deep end was an interview with Matt Meyer - the founder of VituMob.
Matt wasn't just any founder. He was a teacher and attorney who had served as a diplomat, fluent in Kiswahili, deeply committed to equality under the law and innovation for all. Before VituMob, he'd founded Ecosandals, bringing innovative sandal technology from Eastlands Nairobi to customers in 17 countries. He was building something ambitious at VituMob: connecting Kenyan consumers to global commerce in a way that had never been done before.
And today? He's the Governor of Delaware.
But back then, he was the guy who gave me my first real test as a web developer.
The Challenge
Victoria's Secret was one of the most popular stores among VituMob customers. But there was a stubborn integration bug that was disrupting the shopping experience and blocking orders.
Matt's challenge was simple: fix the integration, and get paid.
No hand-holding. No "let's ease you in." Just: here's the problem, here's what's at stake, go solve it.
Living and Breathing That Code
I dove in. I lived and breathed that code for days.
This wasn't a simple UI fix. This was an integration problem between VituMob's Chrome extension and Victoria's Secret's e-commerce platform. I had to understand how their site structured product data, how our scraper was pulling that data, where the disconnect was happening, and how to bridge the two systems seamlessly.
Eugene had taught me the architecture. Now I had to apply it. Debug it. Fix it. Make it work.
And I did. In record time.
When Matt asked if I'd come on full-time, I didn't hesitate.
Are you kidding me?
Getting to work with global brands like Amazon, Walmart, Apple, eBay, and Victoria's Secret - while building a system that brought smiles to people's faces in Kenya by making global commerce accessible? I was all in.
Taking Over the System Eugene Built
The VituMob Team That Made It Happen
It was an honour to work with such brilliant engineers and a visionary founder. But the bridge we built reached far beyond code - it was completed by the logistics and operations teams whose hard work turned our engineering into a reality for customers across Kenya.
Over time, I didn't just maintain what Eugene had built. I took ownership of it.
I integrated dozens of new stores. I moved into the backend, working with Douglas Atati - VituMob's lead developer who brought serious technical depth from the University of Pennsylvania and a quiet brilliance to every problem we tackled - to rebuild the shipping side using PHP and Laravel. We weren't just shipping code. We were shipping packages and smiles across continents.
Every day, I was navigating the technical quirks of my favourite global brands. Learning how Amazon structured their product pages. How eBay handled checkout flows. How to make integrations reliable even when retailer sites changed without warning.
What I Learned
- →JavaScript wasn't the scary part. The scary part was admitting I didn't know it. Once I got past that, the learning was exhilarating.
- →Languages are just tools. Problem-solving is the real skill. Java, JavaScript, PHP, Laravel - they're different tools for the same fundamental work.
- →Great mentors don't baby you. Eugene trusted me with his system before I trusted myself. That trust made me rise to the challenge.
- →The deep end is where you grow. If Eugene had given me small, safe tasks, I never would have learned fast enough to take over the system.
The People You Code With Today Are the Leaders of Tomorrow
Here's the part that still gives me chills.
Eugene didn't just mentor me and move on. He became a close friend. I watched him leave VituMob to launch his own startup. I saw him visiting the US for Google I/O and taking time to help Matt campaign door-to-door for his first run as Mayor of New Castle County, Delaware.
And Matt? He went from tech founder to Mayor to Governor of Delaware.
The lesson here isn't just about learning JavaScript or fixing bugs. It's about this:
"The people you build with today - the ones who believe in you, mentor you, and challenge you - are the leaders of tomorrow. Relationships aren't transactional. They're foundational."
The Pivot That Led to Meta
That scary transition from Android to JavaScript? That willingness to say "I don't know this, but I'll learn"?
That's what opened the door to Meta.
When I joined Meta Dublin in 2020, I wasn't just bringing technical skills. I was bringing adaptability - the mindset that Eugene had instilled in me: you don't need to know everything, but you need to be willing to learn anything.
At Meta, I managed 200+ high-priority escalations monthly across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Oculus, and more. I coordinated cross-functional teams. I analysed 2 million+ data records. I built systems that scaled.
But none of that would have been possible without the foundation Eugene gave me at VituMob.
Three Lessons That Carried Me From VituMob to Meta
1. Mentorship Is About Trust, Not Hand-Holding
Eugene didn't give me easy wins. He gave me his codebase, his trust, and the expectation that I would rise to the challenge. That's what real mentorship looks like.
2. The "Deep End" Is Where You Grow
Switching from Java to JavaScript to Laravel taught me that a language is just a tool. The problem-solving mindset is what scales. Don't avoid the deep end - jump in.
3. Relationships Are the Real ROI
Eugene didn't just teach me JavaScript. He showed me what it means to invest in people. Watching him launch a startup and Matt lead as Governor reminds me that the people you code with today are the leaders of tomorrow.
Thank You, Eugene
Eugene Mutai & Carol Kariuki · 2017
To Eugene: The Mentor Who Changed Everything
You saw potential in me when I couldn't see it in myself. You didn't care that I "didn't code in JS." You cared about whether I was willing to learn.
You built an incredible system from scratch and then trusted me to take it over, expand it, and make it better. That trust changed my career. It changed my life.
You built an incredible system from scratch - a Chrome extension that connected Kenyan shoppers to global commerce in ways that had never been done before. And then you trusted me to take it over, expand it, and make it better.
I wouldn't be where I am today without you. Thank you for being the mentor who didn't care that I "couldn't" do it - and for believing I would anyway.
Final Thought: Say Yes to the Scary Stuff
When Eugene asked if I'd be interested in the role, I could have said no. "I don't code in JS" could have been the end of the conversation.
Instead, I said yes - and then admitted I didn't know how to do it yet. That honesty, combined with a willingness to learn, opened doors I never imagined.
From fixing a Victoria's Secret integration bug to managing operations at Meta, the through-line is simple: adaptability.
The world doesn't reward people who already know everything. It rewards people who are willing to learn anything.
"Grateful for the integration bug that started it all, and the mentor who didn't care that I 'couldn't' do it."
Building Teams That Learn and Adapt?
From VituMob to Meta, I've learned that the best teams aren't the ones with all the answers - they're the ones willing to figure it out together. If you're building operations, scaling teams, or navigating complex transitions, let's talk.