Google Search processes 16 billion searches per day1—and Joshua Lyman’s job is to ensure that no harmful or misleading ads slip through to search results pages. But before landing his role as a software engineer for Google, Lyman developed a skillset in the information systems (IS) program at the BYU Marriott School of Business that has since propelled him through diverse career opportunities.
Lyman originally planned on studying communications or graphic design at BYU—but a prompting urged him to enroll in IS classes. Surprised but certain of the inspiration, he started learning about the many directions he could go with an IS degree and applied to the program.
During one of Lyman’s first classes after being accepted into the program, a guest lecturer talked about their job in consulting and their quick cadence from project to project. “That description really appealed to me,” Lyman recalls.
Lyman set out to gain firsthand experience and accepted an internship with Pariveda Solutions. “The job provided exactly what I was looking for: exposure to a lot of different industries, different practices, and different technologies,” he explains. At the end of his internship, the company offered Lyman a full-time role, which he began after graduating with his MISM in 2012.
At Pariveda Solutions, Lyman worked with clients to build software solutions that addressed customers’ varying business needs, like predicting gas pipeline forecasts or integrating financial programs into manufacturing processes. “I was there with customers, and I was helping build their companies—I wasn’t just always behind a screen,” he explains.
Lyman spent three years working as a technology consultant and software engineer when he had what he describes as an epiphany: “I could do this on my own,” he remembers thinking, “and I’d really like to try some things out that I’m not going to have the chance to do if I continue working for somebody else.”
That idea became Lyman’s focus for several years afterward. He left the consulting agency and started his own practice, often working individually with associates, subcontractors, and startups. “I grew in skill at an even more rapid pace than what I was expecting,” he recalls, saying he learned to lead, execute, and expand his own consulting work.
But even after developing new skills as an independent consultant, he concluded he still wasn’t meeting his full potential. “I like to grow, and I like to continue building,” he says. “I’ve faced a couple different points throughout my career where I’ve had to say, ‘Alright, I’ve plateaued here. What am I going to do next so I can continue to grow and do new things?”’
His next step was partnering with a friend to found a startup, Perspexi Labs, and create a software product to help healthcare providers gather more data about the patient experience. The idea had applications in general business, too. Lyman created software to help growing businesses get real-time feedback from employees and customers.
After establishing and growing Perspexi Labs, Lyman and his partner decided to sell the company and seek continued growth in new positions. Pushing past each plateau had led him to great opportunities thus far, Lyman explains, so he knew he had to continue challenging himself.
Lyman found increased impact and scope when he joined an energy software company, Ikon Science, where he helped start and run the company’s web division. Later, he started looking into positions at big tech companies. That’s how he landed at Google.
His current position as a senior software engineer for Google allows him the opportunity to expand upon the skills he gained at BYU Marriott. “One of the deepest lessons I learned from my information systems major was that there are no technical problems—there are only people problems,” he explains. “As in, the problems most worth solving are the ones that somehow affect a person negatively.”
That mindset directs him in his role, he says, especially when users report issues with products. “It’s easy to say, ‘No, I’m pretty sure it’s working.’ But you have to go back, sit down, and say, ‘What’s your understanding? How do we make this work for you?” he says. “Looking through that lens has helped me to overcome a lot of difficulties.”
Lyman is proud of the opportunities he’s pursued, the plateaus he’s pushed past, and the growth he’s found at Google. “It’s easy to get comfortable. It’s hard to keep striving,” he acknowledges. “I’m grateful to God for giving me the chances and the opportunities that I’ve had, because I sure didn’t come across them on my own.”
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Written by Nicholas Day
Notes
1“How Many Google Searches Are There Per Day,” Exploding Topics, SEMrush, updated June 5, 2025, https://explodingtopics.com/blog/google-searches-per-day.
