Let's Talk Again - Steffen Petri

How long have you been working for alugha?

Today, I celebrate my one thousand nine hundred and fiftieth day at alugha (1,950 days, for everyone not liking number words). The position has formally changed from working student to software developer and it has probably filled one or the other knowledge gap. Apart form that, everything is the same, I hack into my keyboard until something useful comes out the back, which (hopefully) my in-house testing team can be happy about. Now that I'm looking at it, 5 years is already a good time to grow into a company and I'm a little bit proud of it.

What's the first thing you do in the office?

Walk around. It's that easy. I throw my backpack under my table, turn on my computer and then I go around greeting my colleagues. I finally tortured myself out of the house again early in the morning and everyone should know that! I also learn a lot of interesting things on my tour. Afterwards, I usually know who has a lot to do that day and who is better left alone. I also get the latest problems with encoding or video publishing from the various dubbr users in the house. Depending on its importance, I'll get right to it making the dubbr the best tool humanity has seen.

What part of your job do you enjoy most?

My chats with colleagues are sacred to me. I like everyone here and hope that I don't get on anybody's nerves when I ask for the latest gossip, we get upset about something together, or I just flip a somersault in the room (everything has happened, you can ask anyone). There are a lot of great people here, without whom the way to work would cost a bit more motivation.

Which project / task / experience did you enjoy most in the last year?

I'd say the alugha team event in November, where we talked about our work at alugha across all departments. I like the spotlight and a whole room full of people who can (or have to?) listen to my technical achievements of the year is exactly my thing. Besides, I like everyone here and can just talk to them a lot better if they don't all have to do something else. I found the whole event successful, had a lot of fun and a lot of great conversations with the best team in the world.

What has made you laugh today?

Thanks to the dear organizer of this interview, I had the opportunity to examine the image of myself hovering above this article. You've seen it now and I'm sure you couldn't help smiling. The pink gold-chain frisbee god with the will and ability to throw the disc to infinity is my personal highlight of the day and I hope it is also a nice change in the otherwise so grey everyday world of some readers.

No workplace is perfect. What would you like to change at alugha?

Microclimate for every workplace. So much time would be saved, so many colds prevented, so many discussions unheard.

Have you discovered a new side to yourself?

My producer page: https://alugha.com/producer/303b4f80-3432-11e4-aa74-40618694ed11

Supposed to be funny... Apart from my somewhat childish side, I have discovered my ability to deal with every threatening situation with an unprecedented cynical attitude and thus take away its horror. Sounds like there's only problems to solve here, but the other things I need for my job (team spirit, a little bit of brains, reliability and git knowledge), I had them all before and can't sell them as new.

To what extent did the international team influence you?

My international colleagues, coupled with my somewhat crazy mind, led me to combine really stupid jokes with really bad GIMP skills. An example: What Greek greeting phrase is hidden in this little picture puzzle:

 

Crazy joke, right?

 

What challenge did you have to face?

The biggest challenge to my big heart is to tell someone that something isn't going well. When I'm asked for something, it's my greatest desire to do it and bring a little more joy to the world. From time to time, however, there needs to be a line drawn between what's important and what isn't. I was able to notice that my colleagues understood me more than I thought when I had to attend a more important matter like finishing programming an important feature and they therefore had to wait. Thanks guys, for your patience.

What's your personal big dream?

A world tour with my band and that in every stadium all people can sing the lyrics of our songs by heart.

What's your advice to a new alughan?

1. Find out what the "Auslass" is.
2. Never touch it!
3. If you don't refill the fridge, you die.
4. I'm no better with computers than you are, I'm simply better in talking to search engines.
5. The solution of the picture puzzle: καλή μέρα (kalí méra) is Greek and means "Good day". (Karl in the ocean - which in German is "Meer", you understand? no… well, only works in German)

 

#alugha

#doitmultilingual

#everyoneslanguage