Handbook of working with me

There is a lot of factors going into whether someone is compatible with a prospective workplace - and purely technological skill is only a small one of them. This page serves to give you an insight into what it would be like working with me - regard it as a handbook to having me as a colleague.

Conditions I thrive in

  • Vibrant environments

    I soak up energy from others. If I don't work from somewhere on the road, I will most likely have someone on a call to co-work with.

  • Nature and fresh air

    Don't be surprised if you call me and I am sitting somewhere under a tree, or take breaks to take a short hike to refresh my mind.

  • Mornings as focus time

    I have a strong preference to schedule my creative time for the mornings and like to keep them free of meetings so I can have my focus time when I concentrate the best.

    • Ways I like to receive feedback

  • Challenge me directly

    I love direct, constructive feedback. If you see any room I could improve my work or communication, please let me know! Sometimes, things are just impossible to see by myself, so the feedback is much appreciated to help me grow.

  • Ask uncomfortable questions

    Comfortable questions often aren't really answering the important questions. Even though it might be uncomfortable for both of us, please ask whatever needs to be asked to bring us forward.

    • Things I need

  • Personally caring about each other

    Whoever is on the team, we are all human. Being on a team means mixing all kinds of personalities together, and all of us come with our own struggles. Nothing is more important than acknowledging them and caring.

  • Transparency

    Nobody likes making difficult decisions, but being transparent about the thought process and involving the team makes them so much easier to understand.

  • Accountability

    We all make mistakes, hurt people and break things. None of these are a big deal, as long as we hold ourselves accountable and talk about it. Pushing responsibility back and forth is destructive to the environment.

  • Time to focus on myself and recharge

    We all have deadlines and new projects in the pipeline that are waiting to get started. What's more important to me than output, though, is my own well-being and taking the time to care for myself.

  • Maintenance and refactoring of existing projects

    Working on new stuff is fun and exciting, but at the same time it is heart-breaking to watch an old service die a painful death because it is not getting any attention. I think that operational excellence requires us to focus time on existing codebases, even if it does not immediately provide shareholder value.

    • Things I dislike

  • Projects without clear intention

    Vague discussions about doing something without having a clear goal and path forward are a soul-sucking waste of time.

  • Projects that are too rigid

    On the other hand, having projects planned too far in advance are too rigid and do not provide enough space for responsiveness and creativity. I do not like just mindlessly writing code according to a project plan.

  • Bureaucracy

    Intuitive processes are preferrable over having pre-defined sets of rules.

  • Changes that don't benefit the user

    Whenever I am working on a new feature or change to an existing one, I like to ask myself whether I would enjoy it as a consumer of the product. If the answer is not a clear yes, I will challenge it. Ethically questionable projects are a no-go.