Dream it - Do it
I don’t think enough people dare to be different. So when I was growing up in Serbia, instead of wanting to fit in, I did all I could to dance to the beat of my own drum. While the other kids were out playing soccer or partying, I was off trying motocross, rollerblading, and even breakdancing. It was never to be the best or to show off; I guess I just wanted to experience life in a different, more unique way. Without a doubt, this mindset has followed me into adulthood.
I have been on the move since I was 18 years old. First, I moved to a different part of Serbia for my bachelor’s. During this time, I did half a year in the United States. Then I went off to Germany for my masters. When the program ended, I took my first programming job back home in Serbia before taking up a position within mechatronics in Slovenia. Finally, moved to Norway, and made the switch back to programming. Since Covid hit, I have continued to move between countries, be that Greece, Cyprus, or Serbia. The funny thing is that I never crave a “home base,” nor do I get nostalgic for places or people. I was imprinted early on by my dad, who traveled a lot for work and often took me with him. Life on the road is exciting, and it allows me to progress as a professional uniquely.
My love of programming was a big surprise and directly resulted from my master’s project - building a webpage application for mobile robot navigation based on 3d object recognition.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study until one day, a family friend told me that I better not choose “mechatronics” because it was too challenging, and the job market was too demanding. Me being me, I decided that if the field was as niche as they said, then I wanted to be a part of it. It also tied into what I always wanted to be as a kid: an astronaut. Getting to work at an international space agency building rovers for Mars seemed like a solid second choice. Although that didn’t happen, I feel the world of IoT, data sharing, and cloud computing is more than enough to keep me entertained.
My first job was with a start-up, and I owe them a huge thank you for all the opportunities they gave me. They showed me the power of trust by assigning me, a recent grad with no experience, a project to handle alone. It was scary, but it’s where I learned to step up, problem solve and grow. Working 16-hour days, I had to learn about programming while programming for clients. It was challenging, but it’s where I proved to myself that I could make it. This ability to adapt and grow, no matter the context, is my strength.
At Snowball, everything feels like a fun personal project. Each day is varied and challenging and allows me to explore new technology, exchange ideas, share my passions, and grow.
For the past five years, I’ve been having a lot of fun playing with the stock market and cryptocurrencies. In general, I love all things technology-related. I believe that one day all devices will be connected, and all information will be shared. But this is where things get tricky: while technology will continue to make our lives easier, it will also allow companies to gather an incomprehensible amount of data about us all in the name of profit. Hopefully, we can collectively find the right balance and soon. But, if it doesn’t work out, my backup plan is to retire early, buy a sailboat, and spend the rest of my days floating around the Mediterranean.
