It is time for a new blog. My experiences over the last few years have changed the way I develop software a lot and I feel the need to reflect on that. I am also now more focused on the technological side of software development as opposed to working as an agile coach and scrum master, which was what a large part of the posts on my previous blog were about.
So what experiences am I talking about? In early 2013, after the end of a consulting contract and some extended travelling, I found myself without any consulting work lined up. I was at that point rather fed up with consulting, so I started looking for a normal job as a software developer. At the same time I took the opportunity to brush up on my tech skills and what better way to do that than to learn a new programming language?
Since I work mostly in the Java space, Scala and Clojure were at the top of my list. I didn't know anything about either of them, but the analogy of Clojure as a serene cathedral to Scala's bazaar had a deep impression on me and soon I was neck-deep in Clojure. Discovering Clojure and all the ideas that come with it has been a wonderful journey. And I still feel like I am only scratching the surface!
My interest in Clojure first brought me to Mysema, a small consultancy in Helsinki that has a strong focus on functional programming and Clojure. Since early 2014 I live in Berlin where I work at komoot. Clojure hasn't been a focus so far at work, but being involved with the development of a hugely successful product like komoot luckily brings its own set of interesting challenges. And besides, most of the ideas that I have been exposed to while learning Clojure are perfectly applicable in any environment.
So by now you have probably figured out that I will write mostly about functional programming with a focus on Clojure, probably interleaved with tidbits from the Berlin startup scene and anything else I am finding interesting. I hope I can keep it up!