At the beginning of 2015, I got to know the netzstrategen monthly after-work event. I was immediately impressed by the atmosphere and was even more impressed by the personal discussions. I have been actively involved since February 2015.
I see myself not just as a “web developer”, but rather as a developer of the web. The fruits of my labour power millions of websites; from the White House, to German government websites, some of the world’s best-known newspaper publishers and international TV channels, to Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson, but also the fishing club next door. People trust my products.
However, I don’t rest on my laurels. I am preoccupied with the zeitgeist and I love solving complex problems in a way that makes life much easier for everyone else after me. It’s not just about doing something, but about making collective progress.
I design products, because products solve real problems.
The ideals. They are fully in line with mine and are actively lived:
We do not work for, but with our customers. Customers are empowered and enabled to act by consistently passing on our knowledge. Good service has its price, but not a utopian one. We make sure that the right minds meet, that ideas emerge and are realised.
“So” said Zarathustra, nothing special really – you would think. In reality, however, this is as natural as sensational music at live concerts. The netzstrategen confirm the exception to the rule that things can be done differently, that they can be better.
If I had my own agency, I would realise almost all aspects and framework conditions in exactly the same way as the netzstrategen do. So why repeat all this and still not be significantly better or different? Why not achieve more together with more charisma, collective knowledge and experience, and just a few course corrections?
I am initiating the technical revolution.
A revolution towards a world in which the technologies used do not stand in the way, but actively support our customer’s strategy and grow with them. For some, this will require a lot of courage and a rethink. But everyone is actually looking forward to it. Because many things will be much better and simpler.
I stand (and fall) for the successful introduction of industry standards, efficient processes, long-term helpful documentation and the development of a team that confidently and successfully realises the technical requirements of our customers.
Less than 1% of the world’s population understands what the technology of the same 1% is capable of.
Hardly anyone understands how the products of these technologies will change the world of everyone else, i.e. the remaining 99%, today and in the near future.
About 90% of this 1% already rely on FOSS (Free, Open Source Software), a principle that is very familiar to us network strategists:
Trust openly. Exchange intensively. Improve sustainably.
It’s about goals beyond our own advantages. These goals are actively challenged and achieved together. Those who do not participate in this technological progress today will not be able to do so in the future. It is about more than just business and technology; it is about socio-political strategies and decision-making processes that should be supported by experts.
Sorry, but the question is sexist. We need to talk about that first:
My mum knew before anyone else what changes the new technologies would bring. And anyway, she was much more well-read, intelligent and clever than I will ever be. Most mums are, and today there are a whole host of mums who make me look like an idiot with their cutting-edge class and experience. Some of the most impressive and influential people in my life are mums. Mums are not the past, mums are the future.
Currently, 6 out of 16 employees at netzstrategen also fulfil the role of either father or mother (38%). 7 out of 16 employees are female (44%).
These are values that are unrivalled. All these mothers and fathers are educated, eloquent, effective and efficient. Overall, the netzstrategen are significantly more productive compared to companies where other conditions prevail.
Anyone with an interest in the subject should urgently attend conferences organised by larger, particularly self-critical FOSS communities, such as the biannual DrupalCon. In addition to the latest technologies, best practices in content authoring, publishing, marketing, project management and much more are also discussed there.
(Conferences organised by self-indulgent projects, on the other hand, are less recommendable. Enquire beforehand!)
For everyone else, I strongly recommend attending one of Lars’ workshops.
My latest status is the result of filters operated by intelligent and learning machines, such as Twitter, Medium and others.
The platform through which I obtain my content is rather irrelevant today. Because I receive completely different information from everyone else – controlled by my individual social network.
General news platforms are too time-consuming for me because all the information is unfiltered. I trust the relevant news from people I know personally and who I value personally.
Conclusion: Follow interesting people.
None of the apps that exist today are really as useful and productive as they could and should be.
Generally speaking, the topic of apps is still in the Peak of Inflated Expectations in the Gartner Hype Cycle, with slowly increasing tendencies towards disillusionment.
The technology is here to stay. Most likely, however, without “native” apps (iOS/Android/Windows). Instead, only “apps”, which are actually websites that run on a mobile operating system that is itself just a website (e.g. Mozilla’s Firefox OS, Amazon’s Fire OS).
Conclusion: Today’s apps will soon be a thing of the past. Try something completely new more often!
Inventor, self-cleaning hair strainer.
Around 01:30 in the morning I sometimes make cardwheels.