How did you and eMan meet?

I’ve been friends with eMan since 2014. But the whole story started in 2012 on a different note, I had just returned from abroad and was planning on getting some bartender experience and certification. I had a plan to lead a bohemian lifestyle as a bartender with a surfboard in my hand somewhere far east, mainly to get better at the job and improve my English. Those were my reasons for moving to Prague.

I met Martin, now a very good friend of mine, not long after and his description of his Scrum Master role had lead me to get involved in IT once again. This unique speaker lifted my self-consciousness and gave me the will to start my own project as an Android Developer.

So you joined eMan to fill the Android Developer role?

Not really. Back then, eMan was looking for a more experienced Android Developer. But we both felt like it could work and so we agreed on me filling a tester position. The long-term plan was to continue the Android development and gradually move to the developer role.

You are a Project Manager today, so what happened?

Back then, eMan consisted of about 25 people, everything worked based on very tight team cooperation and a high working efficiency was very important. Thus, I soon started communicating with our clients, dealing with the support of already running projects, change management, business analysis, and coordination of the development team. The work was very dynamic; I focused more on working with people, project management and gradually added other competencies to it. I didn’t have much time and energy left for Android development and so I only helped with, for example, proof of concepts of new libraries for mobile apps.

So have you already said goodbye to development for good?

Well, I don’t know if I could match up to the young guys I am working with today. I am “only” 26 but they are the true fans of technology and have a vast technological background and a couple thousand hours of coding on me. You never know but it’s not one of my goals for the following years.

You said that you started in a team of around 25 people. Roughly 100 people work at eMan today and the number is still growing. What do you think about it?

I see my work at eMan as a relationship. We grew up together, gained important experience and learned from our mistakes. An office at Strašnická street, opening a new branch in Plzeň and Hradec Králové and today the expansion to the United States, recommendations and bigger and bigger projects… Being part of a company that develops at such a rate is a good feeling.

But it’s not an easy job for the company management to keep the spirit of a smaller company with an awesome company culture while having so many employees. Setting “barriers” as the fundamental processes is essential for the company in order for everything not to end up in uncontrolled chaos. On the other hand you have to give some space to people so they can be creative, as they are the company and they move it forward. Finding the right balance is necessary if a company is to maintain healthy growth, and I think that eMan is successful at finding it.

We have five basic values at eMan. Which one do you consider to be the most influential?

Openness. I was influenced by this one even in my personal life. To tackle issues head on, speak bluntly, admit one’s mistakes, take responsibility, to point out the weaknesses and come up with solutions and improvements… Constructive feedback, be it on a team, individual or project level, is very important and it just doesn’t work without it. Ask my girlfriend how she’s enjoying our weekly home retrospective. During these meetings, we often learn how to keep the feedback constructive instead of destructive. 😀

You attended various conferences and meetups as an eMan representative. What about eMan did you praise to your possible colleagues-to-be?

Our awesome team. Technology enthusiasts, innovators, and pioneers make up a great team here and I’m happy to be a part of this team even after work. Squash games on Mondays, Tuesday yoga, fitness on Wednesdays, beach volleyball on Thursdays, Friday floorball and motocross madness on weekends with your colleagues that are also your friends is priceless. Or cracking open a Pilsner, turning the music up and just contemplating in the office during an evening when you don’t have to rush home, also a very good feeling.

The second thing I love is the almost unlimited possibility of self-realization. There is always someone more senior in your role, to help and guide you in the direction you want to develop. eMan’s project portfolio is extensive and diverse. So you have the possibility to see various business cases, architectures and technologies. You don’t work in a huge team on one single app that has been in operation for ten years. You face numerous new challenges that you can always learn from. Everyone can find their own balance between developing an app that they know and taking on another challenge.

You’re saying goodbye to eMan. You’ve been happy here so why are you leaving?

Humans develop, and in every stage of life your priorities, opinions and expectations change. We are influenced by people and the society we live in. eMan taught me quite a lot and presented me with a number of opportunities. It was my first experience in IT. But I feel that it’s necessary to take on other challenges, so I am able to compare and value the things I take for granted. Or maybe to discover something new, bump up my expectations and standards. First ride, first apartment, first relationship… It’s just how it goes. You have to look around before you realize what love is. 🙂

Where do your next steps lead?

Currently, the most exciting offer is from eMan and one of our clients who agreed to offer me an opportunity to continue on an ongoing project. But I’ll be managing the project from the other side, from the client’s perspective. That’s a unique opportunity I don’t want to miss.

What else do you have in store? What are your plans for the future?

In my work life, I want to get valuable experience in project management and business analysis in the upcoming years. I would enjoy being a business development manager, but that will happen when the time is right.

A proper work-life balance is very important to me, I have a lot of hobbies and interests I enjoy and I don’t mind putting my time into them. I want a job that I’ll enjoy and that will allow me to find a proper balance (who wouldn’t, right?). And I also still have the surfboard in my shopping cart, so maybe a time will come to test myself and work as a digital nomad on a half-deserted island somewhere near Sri Lanka.