Interview with Pavle

Tell us something about yourself, education, experience?

I’m 27, born in Nis, central Serbia, just about to graduate from the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Electronic Engineering Nis. I’ve been working in the IT industry since 2005, at Troxo since September 2006. As a student I worked in Germany for four months. I do my best to grow as a developer every day.

Since childhood I’ve been into computers and have been trying to ’hide’ the fact from my neighbors and relatives ever since…but without any success. I’m addicted to music, football…

What inspires you?

With my work, I affect a lot of people I have never met. I am thrilled with problems whose solutions nobody sees. Those solutions are, for sure, the key to the success of a major project I’m working on. Clear attitudes and principles leading to the fulfillment of a goal inspire me. Indifference, passivity and passing the buck are things that put me off. Energy and the sound of the crowd start me up.

Why Troxo?

People at Troxo will never reinvent the wheel regardless of how common this is for programmers.
I try to leave my wheel at the door every morning.

What makes your job interesting?

Programming is a game. With a limited set of elements, you come up with the unlimited number of solutions. A good developer can move from an idea to realization without anyone’s help.
I love to play games and I love the fact it’s my job too.

The best about Troxo?

Very different people joined together by shared aims. I love the pace of work which does not stifle creativity but stimulates learning and enhances productivity. There’s no typical day at work. New things happen all the time. Intimate, friendly atmosphere.

What are you proud of?

I don’t let circumstances get on the way. I’m proud because I’m useful to my colleagues as much as they are to me. I always say what I feel. I’m neither too afraid to say that I don’t know something nor too modest to say I do. I’m proud because I’m an optimist and have a healthy sense of humor.

Your advice to the developers of the world?

Work on a general solution to every problem. The more assumptions you make, the more likely some of them will turn wrong. A good developer won’t blame it on their manager. Never ’spread roots’ in one technology you know best. The next one you learn you’ll know even better. Take on responsibility if you are behind deadline, try to identify what went wrong and work on fixing it, just like you’re fixing a bug in your code.

If I weren’t a developer I would be?

In the US – a black blues musician in the Mississippi delta, an opponent of globalization and new world order.
In the UK – a passionate Arsenal supporter.
In Germany – an engineer of the Mercedes-Benz Formula One development team.
In Serbia – just what I am know…

Hobby?

Music – I used to play the guitar in a local underground band, with a lot of performances and one album released. Now I’m a regular visitor to most of music happenings in town. I own a decent collection of albums and videos of varies genres.
Economy – a small investor on the Belgrade Stock Exchange; I’m into economic developments in Serbia and beyond.

Goal?

To take part in a project that becomes recognizable by everyone in the world rather than becoming famous myself. To never regret things I haven’t done and be proud of things I have.