Nice to meet you 🥳
Let me quickly tell you my story.
I've been an engineer at heart since I started tinkering with my first computer—a Commodore 16—for the first time at age six.
In 1997, I discovered the World Wide Web, a phenomenon that instantly hooked me. Pretty soon after setting up my first modem, I started building HTML-based websites in Netscape (later Firefox).
🪐 Academic background
After a decade behind the screen, I turned my biggest hobby into a profession and started an online degree in Media Informatics at the Polytechnic University of Emden.
Unlike traditional Computer Science degrees, it covered additional topics from the field of digital media, such as marketing and design. The experience of advancing my programming skills combined with more human-centred subjects was very satisfying and served as the cornerstone of my T-shaped nature.
In 2007, I switched from studying online to an on-campus degree at the Polytechnic University of Düsseldorf, where I completed my studies. As part of an exchange program, I planned to go abroad for half a year to study in Valencia but ended up moving there for good.
👨💻 Career
During my studies, I worked mainly as a freelancer, building websites and rich web applications in various engineering roles for startups and agencies across Germany, Spain, and the UK.
Much of my career has centred around front end development, driven by my obsession with making user experiences in the browser usable, accessible, and intuitive.
My focus on users led to my interest in Product, inspiring me to think beyond code and understand what makes great user experiences. I have worked hand in hand with UX/UI designers, product strategists, and business leaders, allowing me to expand my knowledge as a member of cross-functional teams.
As a more experienced engineer, I took on product owner roles and managed small engineering teams, further enriching my strategy, business, and leadership know-how.
🤖 Technology
In addition to my passion for web and mobile development, I have an insatiable curiosity for the broader technology landscape and developed foundational knowledge in areas like DevSecOps, Cloud Computing, Blockchain and ML/AI.
Besides JavaScript on the front end, I am comfortable with Node on the back end. But whenever I have the time to learn new skills, I tinker with new programming languages, frameworks and libraries.
I am excited about Artificial Intelligence's impact on the world and use it to enhance, speed up, and reinvent how I work. I aim to be at the forefront of this transition since people with a technical background, and the capacity to strategise and empathise with users are best positioned to use AI responsibly and purposefully.