At smrtPhone, we don’t just build great phone systems. We build teams full of curious minds, hidden talents, and people who make work feel a lot more like fun. This month, we’re spotlighting Gabe, a support team member whose skills go beyond porting phone numbers. From motorcycles to transforming an abandoned farm into our future HQ, Gabe brings resourcefulness and heart to everything he does.
Name
Gabriel Popescu
Title/Role in the company
Right now, I’m part of the Support Team, and I focus on the porting process. That means I help clients bring their phone numbers over from other platforms to smrtPhone.
Can you walk us through what porting involves?
Sure! When a client wants to move their numbers to us, they fill out our porting web form. It includes their company info, phone numbers, and the platform they’re porting from. Once we have that, I open a ticket with our carrier, and they start the process on their side. They reach out to the losing provider and initiate the transfer. That’s basically how inbound porting works.
When did you start working at smrtPhone?
I joined on December 3, 2023. I was one of the more recent hires back then.
What’s your background?
I studied at an economics high school, focused on administration and accounting. After that, I went to the Industrial Engineering Faculty here in Brașov. I worked in a hypermarket for about three years. First as a cashier, then managing online orders during the pandemic. Clients would place their orders online, and we’d pick all the items for them, package everything, and send it out with couriers.
What’s your first job?
My first job ever was at 16. I wanted to buy my own computer without asking my parents, so I got a job as a self-checkout cashier. Back then, it was normal for minors to work. Now, it’s more complicated due to stricter labor rules.
What do you like about working for smrtPhone?
Definitely the people. Most of us are around the same age and share similar interests – music, games, movies. It doesn’t feel like a traditional job where you only see people at work and then never speak to them again. Here, we spend time together outside of work too, like trips, hangouts, things like that.
Describe smrtPhone in three words:
Different. Creative. Fun.
It’s different because of how close everyone is and the company culture overall. It’s creative because there are always new ideas. Every department brings fresh thinking. And it’s fun because we genuinely enjoy spending time with each other.
Is there a particular moment/project at smrtPhone that stands out and makes you feel proud?
I’d say helping with the new headquarters project. We’re moving into a farm just outside Brașov! It used to be abandoned for about five years. Now we’re cleaning it up, fixing the buildings, and transforming it into a workspace with nature all around, even animals, like horses. We want to grow our own food there too. If you want lunch, you go outside and pick it from the garden. It’s been amazing to be part of building something like that.
For smrtPhone projects, I was part of the team that first started taking meetings with clients from Support. In the beginning, we didn’t do meetings, but when it became necessary, I was the first one to step in. It was a challenge I took on, and I enjoyed helping clients understand the smrtPhone platform and how to set it up.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love riding my motorcycle, usually with my friend Tudor. I also like fixing things, especially mechanical stuff like cars and bikes. I’m pretty handy, and I enjoy helping others with home repairs or small projects.
I also love to travel. Sometimes I’ll see a random road and just take it to see where it leads. It’s my way of discovering new places. The most I’ve encountered on these little adventures are deer and foxes. Sometimes there are bears too, but not that often as the other two, even though we have quite a few in Romania.
Name something that is on your “bucket list.”
Skydiving! I’d also love to try snorkeling or scuba diving, but somewhere where you can actually see the water, unlike the Black Sea. And someday I want to visit the U.S. Yellowstone Park, the Grand Canyon, San Francisco, and, of course, New York.
What’s a fun fact people might not know about you?
I really enjoy surprising people, whether it’s a gift or helping them with something important. I like to make people’s dreams come true in small ways, even if they don’t realize it at first.
