Pawel Minkina: Developing a tech product remotely

Since March 2021 all the Learnifier employees work 100 % remotely until we find our cool new space in the hybrid world . Every month we check in with some of the Learnifiers, getting a glimpse into their remote work life and get their best tips for wellbeing and productivity. This time we interviewed our Polish Backend developer and cat lover - Pawel Minkina.  

Hi Pawel, what do you do at Learnifier?

- I am a Full Stack developer.

Exciting. What does it mean and what do you do on a daily basis?

- That means I am working in two fields: Frontend - things that our users see directly and interact with while using Learnifier; and backend - things that our users don’t see directly but interact with in the background, doing equally important things. With that being said, most of my responsibilities are to fix things that are not functioning properly, improve those which are already used or create new features. Everything to make our users’ journey as good as it can be.

What do your days look like now and where do you work?

- I live in Poland, and I am the first one of the Learnifiers that lives and works outside Sweden. I work from my home most of the time but occasionally I go to Stockholm to meet up with my Swedish colleagues for workshops or conferences which is great.

How did you end up doing what you do and working here at Learnifier?

- I have been working commercially in IT since I was 20 years old, for example within banking. However, my history with computers dates back to my childhood. For a while I was trying to get into the gaming industry but in Poland there are not many companies involved in that. So I ventured into web development.
I am now working for a company in Poland that connects companies with developers. They found Learnifier and thought we would be a good match. 

What is your main superpower that helps you in today's work situation?

- I think it is my geeky curiosity. There are a lot of things that will catch my attention and interest, even if those are far away from my technical field. I have always been eager to listen to and learn new things about science, technology or even craftsmanship in general. Most of those interesting topics I want to try and experience by myself. However, if I don’t feel like diving into the DIY world. I love to read books and/or play some games. 

Which are some of the big work challenges you have faced working fully remote?

- It hasn’t been so bad. Working in an office is not so important to me.

What good aspects have you found working remotely?

- Time, having a lot more of it during the day. I don’t spend any of it getting to the office - I basically live in one nowadays. Solely that gives me an additional hour or two which I can use on anything I want, starting with developing myself, and ending procrastination behaviors.

Also more time with my cat :)

What have you learned from working remotely? Advice for others?

- The day is still too short, and probably will always be. There is no reason to try to make it longer but to make it more efficient. Set the aim of  making each one of those days as exciting as you want them to be. Resting also counts and is very important to re-charge.

How will your dream work situation be in a few months?

- I will most likely keep working remotely. Maybe working 1-2 days in an office here in Poland. Maybe go over to Sweden and work at the new office for a while. That would be fun.

Interview by: Rebecca Cannerfelt

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About Learnifier

Learnifier is the leading Learning Platform in the Nordics. 
Since 2012 companies and organizations of all sizes use our platform to quickly and easily share knowledge with employees, customers, partners, members and other groups they want to engage with.
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