We count your seniority in dog years

So, how long have you been working here? “Well, I have been here since November 2016. This year it will 7 years, but we often joke about that being recalculated in ‘DW years’ meaning multiplying it by 7. That would mean me being here for 49 years”, Steffen explains with his usual informal yet professional attitude. Although it is said as a joke, there is a level of truth to it. Most developers are quickly so caught up with their work that the clock seems to have stopped.

Working in the IT industry and especially with eCommerce requires a certain flexibility and adaptability as a developer. The internet has been one of the fastest growing phenomena and having been in the industry for more than 20 years, it is no surprise that working with the tools to create CMS and eCommerce platforms makes us part of one of the fastest-moving industries.

“Time just flies by, I cannot believe it has already been 6,5 years for me in DW. Looking back I do realize that I have been influencing quite a few features and given life to new ideas on our platform”, Steffen says.

Time being a fluid parameter is one of the classical traits of the developer community.

“Our workload is split up into sprints meaning that we scope a project that we develop and deliver new features on an ongoing basis,” Steffen says.

“Typically, we end up working a little longer the closer we get to the delivery date, and when we once every 6 months have a major release on our software, we tend to stay in the office to finish throughout the evening.”

"We are completely relaxed in each other's company, and I think we can assign a great deal to how we work. We stay focused when it really counts but also leave space for fun and seeing each other outside 'normal' work hours", Steffen explains. 

This flexibility can only be expected if it goes both ways, hence the late mornings for those who like to sleep in.

“I feel completely free to schedule my workday, although I try to get in during our regular hours to be with my colleagues and also I think I prefer the routine”, Steffen confesses.

“What matters most to me in my work is seeing progress. I am ultimately driven by seeing some sort of movement and progress of things.”

Steffen started back in the day as a backend development, but early on revealed to his manager, that he eventually had ambitions for himself.

“I have been open about my thoughts on challenging myself from the start, and I pushed to become a team lead, growing with more and more responsibility”.

Today, Steffen is involved with both planning the roadmap, managing a team of developers and as he explains “try to clear the way for us to get a product delivered in time”.

“One of the more challenging aspects of my job is balancing our passionate discussions when brainstorming new features and looking ahead to evaluate the timelines for implementations. I am not sure I will ever get tired of being in the middle of this quandary, “ he smiles.

"Now that I think about it, I realize that my work has taken many turns but it has felt like a natural turnout of events", he finish.