Interview with Co-Founder and Head of Engineering Joscha: Looking back on 6 years of Local Brand X

In an interview, we asked Joscha, our Head of Engineering and co-founder of Local Brand X, how the company has developed over the last 6 years, what his personal highlights from this period are and also what he likes to do in addition to his work.

Hi Joscha! Thank you for taking the time today. First, we'd like to know how you actually came to the development. Have you always been interested in it?

Hello! Back then, as a child, I often went to Mainz University with my father, where there was an office for students with work computers (still a novelty back then). So I came into contact with the precursors of today's computers early on and quickly felt at home in this world. I've also always had a creative streak and was interested in graphic design and typography.

That's why it was obvious for me to go into web development, as virtually everything was covered here and comes together. I had also always enjoyed mathematics, so the decision to study computer science and the subsequent path to application development was obvious to me relatively early on. I also chose web development because I wanted to go into an area that is developing strongly and has potential.

What are your responsibilities as Head of Engineering and what do you particularly like about it?

As Head of Engineering, I am responsible for the entire application development and architecture as well as for the development team. Since we have grown a lot in recent years and I now manage the largest department at Local Brand X, this comes from traditional software development and is of course also a personal challenge for me. But that's exactly what I like here at Local Brand X: The variety of constantly getting involved in new things and being able to make all sorts of adjustments. Since I of course also started the Local Brand X project with the expectation that we would grow, it was also clear to me from the start that I would not only work here as a traditional software developer. That's why I feel so comfortable here.

Now you're really involved right from the start. In your opinion, how has Local Brand X changed over the last 6 years and what are you most proud of since it was founded?

As I said before, we have grown significantly since our founding, which is not possible without continuous change. Processes have had to be developed and adapted the most in recent years. But related topics, such as cross-departmental knowledge transfer, are also becoming increasingly important in order to be well positioned for the future. So that growth can continue and what we have already achieved is secured.

My pride and joy is, of course, the local marketing platform itself. For me, it's similar to seeing a child grow up. In recent years, you have been able to see very well what the platform has become and how it has developed from a more classic web-to-print system to a comprehensive automation platform. I always find it amazing to be aware of this development. In everyday life, you often don't really notice everything that has actually changed from day to day, but looking back, you're really impressed.

Which moments of recent years with Local Brand X do you particularly like to look back on?

For me, moving from the rather cramped space in our old office on Mainzer Lerchenberg to the new and much larger premises at the beginning of 2022 was definitely a highlight. I still remember the mountains of moving boxes piled up to the ceiling and filling up the entire old office. It was also really great to see this spirit of optimism back then. It was only then that you really realized what that actually meant, and for the first time, I had our growth figuratively in front of me.

Otherwise, I find all the company events really great. Everyday office life can be a bit exhausting here and there, and at events, you can also get to know people again in addition to everyday working life. These team events in particular really help me to get away from the role of manager and to exchange ideas with colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere.

And when you're not working, how do you like to spend your free time?

In addition to working, I spend as much time as possible with my family and children and generally try to pass on a lot to my two daughters. Otherwise, I like making music, playing electric bass and tinkering with my computer. With all these things, I can completely switch off and relax.

Thank you very much for the nice interview Joscha and we hope that many more highlights will follow for you at Local Brand X!