May 28, 2025

This piece is sponsored by MarketBeat.

Not every web developer starts out wanting to be a movie director, writer or historian, but for John Franti, those early ambitions all had one thing in common: storytelling.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but everything I wanted to do had something to do with stories,” he said. “I wanted to put things out in the world that people could engage with, things that weren’t necessarily about me.”

That focus has connected every stop in Franti’s career path. From teaching to software engineering, he always has been drawn to roles where he could share ideas, create structure and help others make sense of information.

Today, he is a web developer at MarketBeat, blending creativity and problem-solving in a role that feels like a natural next chapter, even if it wasn’t part of the original plan.

A creative path to code

After graduating from the University of Nebraska in 2011, Franti imagined a move to Los Angeles and a career in film production. But life, as it often does, took a different turn. 

Franti met his wife, Madeline, while earning his degree, and the pair moved to Des Moines, then later to Portland, Oregon, prioritizing their time together over long-shot dreams. Along the way, he worked a mix of random jobs, always adapting to what came next.

Through it all, technology was the one interest that stayed with him.

“I’ve always been into computers in my free time,” he said. 

That hobby turned serious during his time in Portland, where Franti enrolled in Epicodus, a career-focused software engineering boot camp. 

He joined with the intention of gaining professional workflow training, a structured environment to sharpen his skills and build confidence. But instead of diving straight into software work, he discovered something unexpected: teaching.

“There was something really rewarding about it,” he said. “When it came to my original goal of telling stories and getting things in front of people, teaching actually gave me that. It let me share ideas and see people engage with them.”

After graduating from Epicodus, Franti stayed on, first as a web development instructor in Portland and later as the campus director for its Seattle location.

Franti’s classroom at Epicodus’ Seattle campus

His passion for sharing ideas and helping others grow continued at Flatiron School in Seattle, where he served as a lead software engineering instructor.

For six years, teaching allowed Franti to blend his technical curiosity with his love for storytelling. But eventually, he decided it was time to return to hands-on coding. 

He transitioned into full-time development at Amazon just before the pandemic and later worked remotely for Workiva, further building his experience in software engineering. 

In 2022, he and his wife moved to Sioux Falls to be closer to family. He continued working remotely until joining MarketBeat earlier this year.

Rejoining a team in person

After five years of remote work, Franti said returning to an office setting has been a welcome shift.

“It’s just better. I’m in a better mood, and it’s easier to collaborate and understand what’s going on,” Franti said. “There’s so much more context when you’re in a shared space, surrounded by positive people who are all pulling in the same direction. I’m excited to get up in the morning and come to work.”

Franti’s dog has even joined him at the office on occasion — one more way he feels part of the team and the culture at MarketBeat.

Franti and his dog, Kesa, at the MarketBeat office

In his first few weeks in the role, he already has contributed to updating API integrations and started exploring his interest in metrics and data analysis in search of ways to support the team’s goals.

“There’s a story in the data,” he said. “To find it, you first have to find the data. I’ve always been interested in taking the information you already have and discovering something you didn’t know existed. What’s the story, and what is it telling us?”

Franti’s presence is already being felt across the team.

“John has worked in education and as a developer, so he came willing to learn and ready to help out wherever he can,” said Rebecca McKeever, vice president of product. “He’s already had a chance to run code to import data and participate in a company volunteer activity. We’re happy to have him on our team.”

Franti volunteering at Shift Garage

Finding home and building it

Now that Franti is back in the Midwest, he is focused on the things that matter most: building meaningful work, being close to family and making the most of life in Sioux Falls with his wife and their two young boys.

Franti with his family

“There’s just so much to do here,” he said. “It’s a safe, active place to raise kids. Downtown Sioux Falls in particular has changed so much. It’s really reinvented itself. You can do things at the drop of a hat.”

Outside of work, Franti finds balance and inspiration through hobbies that keep him active and curious. He enjoys reading, playing guitar and staying engaged in sports like soccer, golf, hockey and sailing. 

Franti sailing with his son

For Franti, this chapter in Sioux Falls is about feeling connected and present, whether it is with his family, in the community or at work.

“Success for me isn’t about titles,” he said. “It’s about being part of something, whether that’s at work or with my family. I want to look back and know I contributed to something meaningful.”

That perspective is part of what excites him most about his future at MarketBeat — the blend of community involvement, collaborative culture and opportunities to keep building something with purpose.

“This place has already helped me feel more connected,” he said. “Not just to my team, but to Sioux Falls as a community.”