Today is my day 100 at diselva – that’s how the idea of a blog article came up. But why exactly did it hit me? We’ll get to that later… In any case, there is a lot to tell. So much, in fact, that I didn’t even know where to start. That’s why drum rolls… HUNDRED! (hint hint, look at the headings)
Hello diselva!
July 2024 – over a few corners I hear about diselva for the first time. Perfect timing – with my university graduation coming soon, I was looking for a job. Or let’s say in the “discovery phase”. With some experience in sales and marketing, a role in sales was obvious. The more time passed, the more I realized that I like to deal with people, but somehow I was missing that certain something in sales. To delve into a technical topic and completely exaggerate, to acquire new hard skills and to gain an in-depth insight into different companies was what I actually wanted.
August 2024 and my meeting with Jan came just in time. Just have a coffee and chat a bit about diselva. So here I hear about this role “Project Manager / Consultant”. No industry focus, but often with a view to sales. In-depth advice, but also technical support. A mixture of strategy and execution. Let’s put it this way, I was pretty impressed.
Unterstrasse 6
A former retirement home, completely gutted and modernized. Headquarters of START Global, where we are subtenants – so this will be my new “work home”. Although not a herringbone floor like our neighbors (Frontify, I’m a little jealous), there is still parquet and open masonry, a good amount of solid wood, exposed concrete and a converted roof truss. I think it’s pretty cool. Speaking of cool, there is a cold room in the house, a huge gastro kitchen and an automatic portafilter coffee machine, for which you will soon have to take out a mortgage. The roof terrace with a view over half of St. Gallen was still the icing on the cake.
Namics (“Mafia”)
Yes, Namics deserves its own chapter. Not least because I would hardly have come to diselva without our mutual Namics contact. And this brings us to the solution of why I am writing this blog. Fresh out of university, I dance a bit out of line among all the other diselva digital veterans. I’m not standing there empty-handed, but I definitely have a few years to catch up. This makes it all the more exciting to join a team that has an incredible amount of know-how and experience. Nevertheless, I believe that the old hands are happy when a fresh wind blows from time to time! But now back to the university.
Digital transformation
A stumbling block in my university career! Winter 2023, somewhere at the university – 7:30 pm. It has been dark for three hours and for three and a half hours we have been sitting in the lecture on the topic of “Digital Business Transformation”. In buzzword bingo, the cards fill up, while there is hardly anything left of my patience. I really couldn’t get used to the course. Every Wednesday evening, dozens of frameworks, filled with placeholder texts and unrealistic idea constructs – and then I end up in a company that has taken up the cause of “digital transformation”. And that’s a good thing – back to diselva.
Here we go!
Day 1 was not only about the first customer project. The fact that the learning curve will be steep was also promised in the onboarding plan. Which brings us back to digital transformation. Insights into ongoing projects showed me a completely different picture than at the university. Instead of surreal models, there are usable artifacts on the table. Strategies are developed from which concrete recommendations for action can be derived. And what has been worked out is actually applied in practice! Well, I have to admit: From this perspective, the topic suddenly looks quite exciting. It turns out to be a discipline that is understood primarily through experience and lived practice and is difficult to convey theoretically.
Rout of the comfort zone
After almost 4 months at diselva, a certain routine has set in. But the biggest constant from day to day, however, is the constant leaving of my comfort zone, although, as I would argue, it is quite large. Constantly new challenges, unknown topics and situations in which I am thrown in at the deep end. And that is incredibly fun! Whether it’s an independently led workshop or the implementation and testing of technical concepts, every project brings new challenges. Not least thanks to the willingness and trust of the team to let me get involved right from the start.
Treppensteig
Finally, a look into the future. Metaphorically, but also quite literally. And yes, now it’s getting a bit allegorical. I couldn’t have imagined a better start to my career. Since day 1, I have been supported with learning opportunities, reinforced by trust and given more and more responsibility. When I look at the upcoming projects, there are still some exciting floors ahead of me. That’s why I’m really looking forward to the next 111 days. And after the chocolate-rich Easter weekend, it certainly doesn’t hurt to take the stairs instead of the elevator. On the way up, you even discover a small piece of herringbone parquet!
