Rebase Giving Back series: Timo Salomäki
Rebase was established around the same time as Covid arrived in Finland. After the shock of the first weeks, we - like many other companies in the IT sector - have survived decently during the pandemic.
It's been possible to work remotely, and the needs for digitalisation have not vanished - rather the opposite. For that reason, we wanted to do our part and help those who have not been so fortunate in these times.
The idea behind the Rebase giving back series is that a Rebaser chooses a charity organisation, where Rebase then donates money. We also ask some interesting questions to get to know the person a little better.
This time around, we have Timo Salomäki in our spotlight. He is a seasoned software architect who has worked at Rebase almost from the very beginning of the company.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I really wanted to be an astronaut, as the thought of flying into space and visiting the moon while seeing our home planet from a distance was fascinating. I’ve loved space stuff since a very young age. Of course, I also wanted to be an F1 driver and a policeman. You know, the usual totally realistic day dreaming of a young boy.
Enjoy the ride and don’t be afraid to make mistakes!
What's the best thing about your current job?
I really enjoy it when I get to solve very high-level and sometimes quite abstract problems that will affect the whole product we’re building. Also, since I usually do programming work as well, I can also spend time on really low-level stuff that tickles a completely different part of my brain.
Share a blog post / book / talk / tweet (etc.) that taught you something new
“Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software” by the famous “Gang of Four” is a book that everyone developing software should read. It’s really a modern classic, originally published back in 1994 but still as relevant as ever. I won’t spoil more of it but if you don’t know what design patterns are, you’ll definitely learn a bunch of great new tricks to add to your arsenal.
How do you relax?
Spending quality time with my loved ones is the most relaxing thing I can think of. If I’m alone, I like to relax by learning something new, usually by reading.
What is your superpower?
I like to think that I’m pretty good at finding novel solutions to problems, whether it’s on an architectural level or at the code level.
Tell us where we should donate this time, and why?
We’re donating to Lastenklinikoiden Kummit ry. They support the five Finnish university children’s hospitals, development and research, and attempts to improve the comfort of the little patients during their hospital stay. It breaks my heart that there are families and young patients out there who have to go through a lot of suffering. Knowing that every cent counts towards increasing the chances of someone vulnerable making it and living a fulfilling life or at least living the best life possible, no matter how short, makes it a cause worth supporting.
Was it difficult to choose the charity?
There are many causes I believe are worth supporting and that I support myself but the decision was still an easy one to be made.
What advice you would give to your ten years younger self?
Don’t care so much about what other people think of you. You have flaws but so does everyone else. Never stop dreaming and say ‘yes’ more than ‘no’ while also remembering to take care of yourself. Enjoy the ride and don’t be afraid to make mistakes!
Why did you choose to join Rebase?
After working in Switzerland for a few years, I knew that I needed a new interesting challenge when I relocate back to Finland. After talking to the founders Juhana and Kustaa and meeting them both virtually, I was convinced that what they are building is going to be something great and that I want to be a part of it. That is one of the decisions I like to look back on and feel proud of having the courage to make it, even though Rebase was only getting started back then.
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