About me

This picture is 10 years old, but I still look the same, just older :)

TL;DR - I’m a normal guy who leads a decent life in the countryside near Augsburg, Germany. I’m 37 years old and always trying to learn something new. I love being a software developer. Outside of work, I try to stay active with playing tennis, going on hikes and working out with friends.

Work

I have been making websites for over 20 years. I use PHP, JavaScript, HTML and CSS. I spent most of my professional career working with WordPress and building themes and plugins for it. My focus is frontend development - creating beautiful user interfaces and web layouts. I design, too, although I would not consider myself a designer. In the last few years my work heavily shifted to TypeScript and React.

As a 20-year-old, my biggest dream was to start my own company and work on my own. So I did that. After a short phase of freelancing I found my passion in creating and selling WordPress themes. I started my own theme shop in 2010 and still run it today.

But, nowadays, it is only a side-business. The market has shifted and business has collapsed. In 2023, I felt it was time for a new challenge. I also wanted to work in a team and on more complex sites. So I joined Syde, Europe’s biggest WordPress agency and one of the leading WordPress agencies worldwide. Together with my colleagues, we have led many sophisticated WordPress projects in the enterprise market.

Hobbies and interests

I really enjoy tennis. I’m not particularly good at it, as I only started as an adult—but it’s a lot of fun. I play in a team and I take pleasure in training together and competing with other teams. I’m also the chairman of my local tennis club. This means that I - together with my committee of 12 people - organize the day-to-day management, games and training, as well as many events during the season. Our largest planned project is the construction of a new tennis clubhouse, as the current one is outdated and run down.

Another hobby I recently discovered is hiking. Being close to the Alps, I can be in the mountains in two hours. I love the act of simply walking, switching off mentally, and climbing a mountain peak. The older I get, the more I like being outdoors and in nature, simply enjoying the view and the scenery.

Of course, this also means I like traveling to other countries. Last year, I visited Iceland - which is a completely different world with its beautiful waterfalls, volcanic landscapes, and glaciers. My next travel destinations are the Lofoten Islands in Norway and the Rocky Mountains in Canada.

Beyond that, I enjoy reading and watching movies. My favorite genre is science fiction. My favorite movies are probably The Matrix and Interstellar, my favorite book is Ender’s game by Orson Scott Card.

Education

I’m a very curious person. I can get interested in all kind of topics - especially if it’s technology-, science- or business-related. I enjoy learning new things and can quickly grasp new concepts.

In 2009, at the age of 20, I completed a three-year dual vocational training program as an IT specialist at Fujitsu Siemens Computers in Augsburg. There, I gained in-depth knowledge of PHP, SQL, and web development in general.

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Applied Sciences, Augsburg. Working as a self-employed person with my own business, I also wanted to be well versed in the economic side of things. I completed my studies in 2016.

In my early 30s, I studied artificial intelligence at the Technical University of Ingolstadt for four semesters. One of my biggest regrets in life is that I dropped out of my studies to focus more on my then failing business. Nevertheless, I have acquired valuable basic knowledge about AI.