Meet Merix: Maciej - Project Manager

When it comes to our great Project Managers, in previous interviews you could already learn a little bit about Marta and Piotr. This time, we are introducing Maciek, our Magento specialist in the PM Team. His vast knowledge is because - as you will learn from the interview - he is interested in everything related to e-commerce. He is a part of our Card Games Club, which has daily tournaments in our kitchen, but he also is the one who is the most likely to ask you to go for a smoke. He is popular in our PR Team not only thanks to his friendly nature but also because of his brilliant (and many!) articles about e-commerce. Taking this opportunity, we would like to send greetings and thanks to Macieks girlfriend, who bakes delicious cakes (fortunately from time to time she bakes a little more and Maciek brings it to the office).

Tell us something about yourself.
I love learning about new things. My head is always filled with interesting ideas that I want to implement. I stubbornly work toward my goals and have an analytical view on the world. I’m fascinated by e-commerce.

What are your main responsibilities at Merxistudio?
I am a Project Manager, which means that I connect the worlds of business and technology. In Merixstudio, I manage projects from their beginnings (which usually means the conceptual phase) to their launch. I am often involved in the further development of the already implemented projects. Currently, I frequently participate in projects related to e-commerce that are based on the Magento platform.

How do you work? What is important to you while working?
I am quite traditional when it comes to it. I write down tasks on my calendar or the piece of paper. I like to do checklist because then I'm sure that I have not forgotten anything. In my work, I equally appreciate honesty, creativity and efficiency.

Tell us something about your beginnings in the company.
I joined Merixstudio in 2013. Back then I still had little knowledge about technologies we use - Drupal, Django or Responsive Web Design were new to me. Because of that, I started with simple projects related to the design or Front End Development and gradually I was involved in more and more challenging projects. Right now I am able to supervise the implementation of large, complex and high-tech applications.

What have you learned while working in Merixstudio?
First of all, I now have practical experience of working with modern web-based technologies. In Merixstudio, I really appreciate the emphasis on the continuous development of employees. Internal training allows you to acquire new knowledge at various levels - from soft skills, the techniques and methodologies of Project Management to specific web technologies.

What do you like most about working at Merixstudio?
The opportunity to participate in creative projects while using exciting technologies and working with cool people.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while working at the Merixstudio?
This was probably the first project in the field of Digital Signage - Touch & Go. This type of application was new to me, and it had some interesting, albeit demanding functionalities. An additional challenge was managing the entire manufacturing process so that the physical screens received the error-free version of installation because the main part of it is run locally.

Which project did you like the most from the ones you worked on in Merixstudio?
Snake - the popular multiplayer game which name speaks for itself. It uses a smartphone as a controller and is really engaging.

What was your first contact with web technologies? When did you make a decision that you want to work in IT?
I became seriously interested in web-based technologies at the beginning of the university, when it was faced with a choice of specialization - I chose e-business. Then I got to know tools, principles of IT industry and, above all, I became interested in the use of technology in business.

What do you think is most difficult (and most interesting) in your work as a Project Manager?
The hard part is to reconcile the interests of all parties of the project and to manage it in a way that it brings some added value. The most interesting in my work is that I have contact with all areas related to the creation of websites and web applications: business, marketing, User Experience, graphic design, coding interfaces, Back End technologies, testing, server environments and much, much more.

First thing you do when you arrive at the office
I turn on the computer and go to the kitchen to get coffee and water.

iOS or Android?
Android.

What do you do in your free time after work?
I like going for a walk with my girlfriend and our dog, riding a bike and playing card games. I also don’t mind computer games - I’ve always liked strategies.