I’m Viorel Spinu, I’m a guy having fun developing software systems for the last 23 years. Some other things I do are woodworking, failing start-ups, RC racing, business development, miniature building, public speaking, cooking, and playing Pokemon Go.
I joined Cegeka three years ago when I decided to give my first try in the corporate world after twelve years of entrepreneurship. It’s been a great decision. Life is so good when you are able to focus on what you love to do while having a full team around to support you.
After having the exit from my own company I was not sure whether I wanted to join another company or start again something on my own. I’ve heard some horror stories from friends about corporate chains. I’ve still decided to give it a try. And surprisingly, I’ve discovered a world where somehow I can still decide what and how I want to build, even though now I’m working along with other 4999 people. All, while not having to worry about customer invoices not being paid, about legal stuff, accounting, and all the other hats I had to wear before.
- What inspires you to become better/ be the best version of yourself?
That’s a really complicated question, and frankly, I’m still struggling for some time to get a good answer for myself. The answer I have reached so far might be unexpected. I think the first thing here was fear. Fear of not being good enough, not being able to provide meaning for the world, and for the others. I grew, and fear has faded away. It’s still there, but now there are other things which are in front. Now it’s more like a game. I simply find a lot of joy in what I build. I love to play, I love to find new ways to create things. Everything it’s just an amazing game.
- How does our culture get in line with your personal success/ goals?
One of my core values is freedom. Being free to create and build stuff I love is what makes me happy. And somehow, at Cegeka I manage to find all this freedom I crave for. Even though we are 5000 people scattered all across Europe, somehow I manage to build smart Teddy Bears, create blockchain systems for top logistics companies, and teach Julie the Brainy Hand to race RC cars against humans. Or make Nao the robot learn about the best Romanian beers. I am still able to exercise my negotiation skills being part of a pre-sales meeting whenever I want to do that. And I’m able to help on a machine learning project at the same time while developing blockchain systems if I chose to do that. Or I can negotiate the flow of a project directly with the customer. It’s the flexibility and freedom I really love about Cegeka.
- What do you love about your job at Cegeka?
Freedom and flexibility. Being able to choose the way I do things. And being able to choose the things I create. And being able to choose not to work on a project I’m not interested in. Not having to fill-in corporate reports. Being able to make a difference when working on something. Having the power to decide on the best ways to provide value for people around.