Employee Stories – Kai, Principal Architect
What's in your shopping basket?
Diet coke. A lot of it. The fact that I have any teeth left should make for an interesting case study.
When and how did you end up joining Analyse²?
I joined Analyse² in the fall of 2012. I wasn't actively looking for a job, but a posting for developer position on Helsinki CS student mailing list caught my eye. It checked a lot of marks for me on things I value in a job, and a company, so I decided to apply. Both parties found the match to be mutually beneficial, and here we are!
“Having a culture of incremental betterment, focusing on outcomes and the ability and competence to solve one's own problems are powerful qualities in a company.”
Best aspect of your work?
I know this will sound like such a cliché, but this time it's true: being able to make an impact. Both inside the company, how we build our products, and out, on the lives of our customers. Having a culture of incremental betterment, focusing on outcomes and the ability and competence to solve one's own problems are powerful qualities in a company. Top it off with being surrounded by absolutely superb colleagues.
Who do you admire?
The patience of my parents, dragging us four kids on holidays, time after time.
In three words, what's it like to work for Analyse²?
Challenging but fun.
“My all-time favourite TV-show is Gilmore Girls!”
If you were a superhero who would you be? Why?
Obviously The Riddler. The code I wrote last night feels like a bizarre puzzle the next morning.
What's your workday like?
Well, today I'm writing this career story thing... Jokes aside, my job is to make sure our mid to long term technological vision, ability and goals align with those of the company as a whole. That doesn't mean my days are filled with drawing boxes and hand waving, though. I do a lot of technical spiking (in XP/Scrum terms) and work across products and teams, for example, by bringing and spreading the needed cloud and automation expertise.
Tell us something not everyone you work with knows about you.
My all-time favourite TV-show is Gilmore Girls!
Any hobbies?
Gaming, whether digital or cardboard, has always been part of my life. A while back I also picked up playing guitar and got invited to play in the office band, which has been awesome! Competitive sports used to be a thing for me back in the day, but now it's more about relaxation and feeling good - no need to go for a run if it rains. I like to travel as well. Current favourite destination: Tokyo.