Team Spotlight—Get to Know Jochen

He was the first person to install a Tapkey-enabled smart reader in 2014, and today he is our Senior Business Developer. May we introduce to you—Jochen! In the team interview, he tells us what he likes most about his job, his best career lesson as well as his personal motto.

 

What does your job entail?

Interaction with potential partners and customers. Understanding of innovative use cases and joint development of user-friendly applications. Developing excellent partnerships and providing honest advice are at the heart of everything we do.

What do you like most about your job?

It’s extremely diverse, which means it never gets boring. At Tapkey, everyone acts as an all-rounder with so many things for our employees to do. You’re not trapped in a tunnel; there are lots of opportunities for self-development.

What is the toughest part of your job?

Some of our partners’ problems are very challenging. But in the end it’s all worth it when you find them a great solution.

What is the best career lesson you’ve learned so far?

A good team is inspirational. 1 + 1 = greater than 2, because together you can achieve much more than if you work alone. Teamwork makes the dream work!

What separates Tapkey from other companies? 

We only promise things that we know we can deliver. This is something our partners really appreciate about us. If we promise a timeline, milestone or feature, we always deliver.

What is your working philosophy?

Teamwork. Approach everything with enthusiasm, because enthusiasm is an excellent motivator. Nothing is more inspirational than overcoming challenges together! As I always say, giving up simply isn’t an option.

How did the founding of Tapkey come about & what was your role in it?

Tapkey was formed out of a project within its parent company Phactum, where we worked a lot with mobile applications. At that time, I introduced NFC technology (which was still very much in its infancy in 2014) to the team, enabling us to work together on an innovative access solution. I soldered and installed the first Tapkey-enabled smart reader in the entrance door of the Phactum office myself!

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

I like to go hiking, skiing and mountain biking—preferably with my family or together with friends. I also love drones and like to tinker with FPV freestyle drones in my spare time.

What’s a fun fact that many people may not know about you?

One summer I worked as a radio presenter on a holiday island in Croatia. I gave three broadcasts every day. There aren’t many people that know this about me!

Do you have a motto or personal mantra?

As I mentioned before, I like to say that “giving up isn’t an option”. But I also like to spend time thinking about positive things and not complaining or dwelling on the negatives. That doesn’t get you anywhere, and life is far too short for that!

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I don’t know if I’d rather meet dead people or if I’d like to meet great explorers like Columbus. I’m not sure if de-mystifying a hero would just bring greater disappointment. Or even ask Armstrong what he was really thinking when he was on the moon…

How would you describe yourself in a sentence?

Open, cheerful, eager to experiment and in love with technology!

What is the one thing you couldn’t live without?

My family.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

The ability to fly so that I could see the world from above. With drones you kind of feel like you’re flying, though it’s not quite the same.

What book was so good, you couldn’t put it down? / Which podcast are you listening to right now?

I was captivated by the Otherland trilogy. I also devoured the Horatio Hornblower series!