In Uptime, being a team lead is more than just IT project management. In addition to that, team lead also deals with people management and customer relation management. Such versatile work suited Aleksandr and so he came to Uptime. He currently works with both start-up clients and already established companies.
It needs to be familiar with their area of business and to understand what the client’s business model is more precisely – With each of them he needs to get to know their business and understand their business model.
What You did before Uptime?
The big change in life was in 2011. I decided to move to Tallinn and started studying at the IT faculty of Tallinn University of Technology.
The hustle and bustle inside, in addition to studying, I started to lead student council projects, participated in the Software Development Club, founded my startup with friends, and at the same time did professional internships. It was really too much on the plate, but had to do my scrambling, I quess.
At the beginning of 2014, however, I received a phone call and was invited to the custom software development company Brightspark, where I was able to try my hand as a junior.
First I was an IT analyst and then also an IT project manager.
How did you end up in Uptime?
Brightspark and Uptime had been in a friendly relationship for a long time and cooperated in some extent. Thanks to that, I knew a lot about Uptime’s activities.
On the Brightspark side, changes were taking place, Uptime at the same time was interested in hiring a young person, and as I also liked Uptime’s values, I decided to go there.
How much have you done in software development before?
I have been involved in software development projects since 2012.
How did you become an IT Team Lead and and what does IT Team Lead do?
At Uptime, IT Team Lead is a fairly broad-based profession. This role brings together project management, people management, customer management, etc.
In the broadest sense, IT Team Lead is the person responsible for the successful operation of software development processes.
There are many different roles in IT sector in general as well as within Uptime, so at that time I didn’t even know to look a position like that. When Eero (Eero Tohver) told me more specifically about this position, it seemed to be something that would suit me and so I was interested in the offer. So far, I am pleased with my choice.
What do you like most about Uptime?
What I like the most about Uptime is our open-minded atmosphere. There is no excessive bureaucracy, no unnecessary rules. You have exactly as many responsibilities and opportunities as you want. Each opportunity and problem is approached case-by-case. Most important is to do things wisely.
In addition, a good team is definitely important, with whom we have been working together for a long time now.
What has been the biggest lesson you have learned while working in Uptime?
It is difficult to point out just one. I think the biggest lessons are related to some difficult situations we had to overcome and therefore had to learn a lot.
For example, I have been responsible for a project which was in an entirely unfamiliar business field for me and my team. Or we have projects where there are so many different parties and interfaced systems that it is difficult to count them on the fingers.
In the first case, I wasn’t familiar with the specifics of the business field and I had to quickly learn and understand their business as well as adapt to their business.
In second example, the challenge is in coordination, which needs to be organized and appropriate processes put in place to make the project run as a whole.
You can usually think back and learn something important at the end of each major project.
What are you currently working on?
The most recent challenge is launching our new international project. Although the initial work has already been done, some details are still in progress.
It is a sort of startup fintech company,which aim is to globally simplify the processes related to trade financing and financial risk management. That is interesting because there are currently no automated solutions for managing these specific processes.
The main part of the project development team is in Tallinn, but part of the team is also in Stockholm. We work to ensure that integration is smooth and that communication, business needs, expectations and results are all as clear as possible.
Another good client for our team is Alexela. They are one of our longest-standing development partners, and my development team has been working with Alexela for five years now. One of the newest developments we have done with Alexela is the solution called Klienditahvel.
It is a new web application that is visually adapted for certain tablets and these tablets have been set up in various Alexela convenience stores all over Estonia.
What do you do in your free time, what are your hobbies?
Health and fitness have been very close to my heart.
Which in my case means that in recent years I have also been in the gym quite a lot.
Also, I am still interested in boxing and basketball, which were my main hobbies for a long time when I was younger.
