ExtraORDERnary Bartek - It's the people who make the team work together

Bartek's adventure with programming began at the end of high school. In the beginning, it was just setting up servers in Counter-Strike - that was his first operational IT experience. Already during his studies, he took up internships and part-time work in the IT industry. Then, after graduation, he immediately started a professional career.

- I graduated a few years ago, and despite my short professional career, I have already gained a lot of experience in projects for banks and startups.

Bartek tried his hand at startups and corporations. His first IT job was in a bank's statistical department five years ago. He stayed in banks for a while and learned to work with databases there. Then he entered the startup scene. After that, he ended up in a software house, from which Paweł, one of our co-founders, invited him for a back-end developer/Python developer role. He has been with Order Group since May 2021.

- Order Group was looking for a back-end developer specializing in Python. I knew back-end and databases, and I could combine that with Python. So I saw it as an excellent opportunity to grow. Plus, the job was in an office nearby, and I prefer to work on site - it was a huge benefit for me.

- I wanted to change my job. I was browsing a lot of offers. There were many, but it often turned out during the interviews that a given position differed significantly from the description in the advertisement. I wanted to develop in a specific direction - back-end technology. At Order Group, I found such an opportunity.

Order Group looked like a place where Bartek would be able to spread his wings. Plus, the office was close, and the atmosphere seemed friendly from the very beginning - what more could you want!

Bartek emphasizes that he appreciates being trusted. He also likes to take responsibility for the tasks performed.

- I was quickly given a lot of trust and responsibility. There is an excellent atmosphere in the team. Working on that project was interesting, and team members supported each other.

The project lasted eight months. In the beginning, Bartek had some time to warm up. As he says himself:

- In such long projects, the beginnings are usually calm, while the finale is more dynamic. I actually joined at the stage when programming had just started. The design phase had ended shortly before. When developers come in, you already know what needs to be done. So I could start doing what I can and like most - solving problems with lines of code.

However, the most challenging thing was that as many as three websites were created at once, all of which consisted of widgets.

- These three websites are very similar and yet different. Lots of things in common, slight changes in the looks, but all are about the same - hence the great chance for code re-use.

According to Bartek, the key to delivering those three websites was tailor-made planning. As he says:

- It's like home renovation - when it's finished, you know what you would like to do differently.

The first version of the product made it possible to compare the result with the client's expectations and plan further improvements. Thanks to this flexibility, we finally managed to implement the client's vision.

Flexible planning broadly defines the style of work at Order Group. What other values matter to Bartek here?

The things our back-end developer considers core benefits of working at Order Group include:

• Not-by-the-book SCRUM, allowing flexible planning

- What I really like at Order Group is that we entered SCRUM with the whole team, and we made decisions together.

• Doing things as a team

- I don't feel like someone is my supervisor. Everyone has their scope of responsibility, the structure is flat, and if something goes wrong, everyone is responsible. We do things as a team. Substitution is also crucial - if a teammate gets sick, someone else should be able to replace them.

• Responsibility from the very first project

- For me, responsibility is fundamental. It means being a self-sufficient person who also works well in a team.

• Exchange of experiences within the company

- The people at Order Group are very supportive when something in my project requires attention, and they share experiences from their own projects. In addition, we have company meetings, which are an opportunity to share knowledge from various projects: successes, challenges and failures alike.

• Opportunity to work in the office

- I worked remotely for over two years, but it made me very tired. I like working in the office, among my colleagues, and I am glad that I have this opportunity here.

Teamwork is not only about collaborating on projects. As Bartek mentions, it's the people who make teamwork possible. Fortunately, at Order Group, we managed to develop an efficient and friendly way of communicating. This makes our work pleasant and smooth, and ultimately it also brings satisfaction to the client we work with.

After delivering the solution for the medical nutrition brand, Bartek moved to a fintech project in which he is working on a new banking solution, again as a back-end/Python developer. As he says himself, he is continuously developing. For him, the next steps mean more and more independence and self-reliance.

- I would like to take the next step and be able to offer full expertise, for now, in the field of back-end technology. As for the role in the project, I want to do the same, only better.

We are glad to have specialists such as Bartek among us. Do you like solving problems too? Go to the Careers page. You will surely find something for yourself there!