Jan Ott
@ Trivadis

I could just as well have become a professional dancer. Sure, when you see me today with my 1.85 metres height and stately figure, it might not be your first thought that I used to dance jazz, modern and ballet. Just as unpredictable was my development into a passionate computer scientist and Mac disciple. Had it been up to my parents, both lawyers, I would have gone to grammar school and then to university. But I didn't want to stay in school for such a long time. So, I decided to become a mechanic – filing, milling, the whole package. To the relief of my parents with part-time vocational secondary school and the option of further studies.

At first, however, I didn't like that idea. The obvious choice would have been mechanical engineer, which, to be honest, I imagined to be too dry for me at the time. But then I met someone through my girlfriend who spoke enthusiastically about his studies in computer science. I was hooked. To make a long story short, I enrolled in it too and rediscovered the joy of learning.

It has remained with me to this day and has even become a kind of philosophy of life. Especially in computer science, you should always be open to new approaches, ideas and technologies to not get stuck at some point. This almost childlike fascination and joy in constantly discovering new things has been driving me in this industry for over 25 years now. Trivadis has made a big contribution to this. To get a job here shortly after graduating was like reaching knighthood for me. I was allowed to work with a wide variety of luminaries who I really looked up to – although to say this could obscure the fact that at Trivadis, it is precisely hierarchy that has never played a role. Beginners and luminaries have always worked together, and I have benefited from that big time. This pleasant and uncomplicated cooperation and the omnipresent opportunity to exchange ideas with other experts or to partake in their knowledge in lectures is what makes Trivadis so fascinating for me.

Yes, I burn for my profession and this culture. Therefore, in the meantime, I have even gone from being a former school slacker to a technical college lecturer in databases. But, as much as I am passionate about and propagate lifelong learning, in the evening, I often want nothing more than to lie on the sofa with my girlfriend and turn on the TV or watch a cartoon with my grandchildren. Or to put it another way: the sporty magic of the old days at dance school has unfortunately faded somewhat. For some time now, there has been a rowing machine next to me in my home office, which I use two or three times a week to counteract the twinges in my back. In this respect, I still need a stick rather than a carrot. Well, it wouldn't be the first time that my enthusiasm needed a little nudge first.

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