Simon Westman is only 27 years old but is already a sharp senior software developer with a technically leading focus. His duties consist of solving problems that arise in a project. It can be anything from visual errors that need to be corrected, to completely new functionalities that need to be implemented. But the majority of Simon’s work time is spent on what he is most passionate about – programming.

Simon gladly takes on the responsibility as a technical leader in the areas of a project where it is needed, which can mean, for example, prioritizing and delegating tasks to others, as well as being part of the solution development of existing or new problems, and thus also decide what technical means to use to solve those problems. Sometimes he is part of the solution development and delegating tasks, but most of the time he is also involved in the development process as well.

Right now Simon is working with a UK-based customer where Softhouse is developing a solution to be able to scan products in a store via a mobile application. A bit like the self-scanning device works at your grocery store but in this case, you use your mobile instead.

– The advantage of having it as a mobile app is that the customer can, for example, create their shopping lists in the app before you go to the store, and then when you scan products, they are checked off the list. Or that you can have pick-up and home delivery within the same app and have all your purchases gathered in one common place, Simon explains.

He continues:

– Right now I am primarily responsible for mobile development within this project where we have both an Android and an iOS app and my task is to keep these synchronized with each other while I myself also develop on both platforms. 

Softhouse – more than just a job

Before Softhouse, Simon worked for a small consulting company. Softhouse worked together with the company in question and has worked together on a couple of projects. For a short period, he consulted at Softhouse via his previous job, and during this period, Simon says that he just loved the atmosphere and the fellow people who worked at Softhouse.

– Fast forward two years. It was time for me to move on in my career with a new job and assignments, and Softhouse was the obvious choice for me, says Simon.

He continuous: 

– The most fun thing about my job is the wonderful time I get to spend with my colleagues. All the people at Softhouse are nice and the community that is created at the workplace makes it more than just a job. Softhouse is like a fun hobby and colleagues become like a family, then you just happen to get paid well for what you do with it, says Simon with a big smile.

A developer’s choice 

We then continue to dive deep into Simon’s favorite tools and frameworks, and he tells us that his favorite is Intellij and everything they manufacture. He currently uses Android Studio and AppCode for mobile development in Android and iOS, as well as IntelliJ Ultimate for backend development, and he says that he just loves how smooth it is to develop in their applications.

– My favorite framework together with programming languages ​​is Django REST Framework which is run in the language Python. The reason is that it is so quick and easy to set up a completely new backend with Django REST while it is easy to modify and tailor the framework’s functionalities to suit the exact customer you work with and their requirements. Since then, Python is a very easy-to-learn language so it is quick and easy to recruit new developers for an existing project, says Simon.

He continuous:

– Softhouse provides me with the perfect combination of programming and responsibility for both customers and the company, with the opportunity for development in both areas as needed.

But as in all other professions, there are also some challenges. For Simon, the biggest challenges are to handle customers in the best possible way. All customers think differently and have different expectations and requirements, and turning their thoughts into implementable solutions is a daily challenge and something Simon always strives to become better and more efficient at.

Different assignments – same employer

Furthermore, Simon says that the best thing about working as a consultant is the flexibility of having different assignments within the same company. He likes to get acquainted properly with an assignment, but to be able to change both the internal team and also the tasks you are doing within certain time frames – without having to change jobs completely, is something he values ​​highly. He believes that it provides a little variety both in work environments, but also only in topics of conversation you have with colleagues.

At Softhouse we have our values ​​that we work according to as much as possible, we asked which of them was closest to Simon’s heart:

– My favorite value word is passion. I love playing in a team, keeping myself simple to deal with, and gathering the courage to face my biggest challenges. But without the passion to love what I’m doing, it’s just another working day you have to “get through”. Passion is what makes an excursion an adventure, and a workplace an amusement park.

Cooking, computer games, and the ability to turn a problem into something positive

In his spare time, Simon likes to hang out with friends and they do everything from cooking together to going on adventures near and far. He loves to drive a car and eat food, so the two pieces of the puzzle together become a difficult combination. 

Another (not so unexpected) hobby is computers. Both to build computers but above all to play computer games. Simon is most passionate about good single-player games with a great story, but also has many years of Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, and other multiplayer games behind him.

Simon has many secret talents, which he will show when the world is ready. But he still shares some talents.

– A talent is that I can turn anything into something positive and develop positive thoughts in other people. I like helping others and in that, I have a hidden talent in finding solutions, which I have also seen that many other Softhouse: ers have. All problems have a solution and no problem is big enough to not be solved. And even if there does not seem to be a solution to some problems, a positive attitude will take you far enough to find the solution you are looking for eventually.

He concludes:

– I also have a hidden talent, and that is that I am good at finding the perfect formulations in the most tricky situations. I do not mean that I am good at talking myself out of things, but more that if people think about something but can not put into words what they feel, then I am very good at reading the situation and putting into words my and others’ feelings. It can be a good way to get people to think a little extra about life, how they really feel inside, and think about different situations in everyday life, says Simon.

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