Week 13: Thinking, Working, Vacation, mmhmm & picking future Teammates
traveling, hiring, presenting. A normal week.
This was a week with two days in the office and the weather slowly getting better. There were some hours of sun, and I actually had a few walks without rain. Nice. I am looking forward to the next two weeks because they will be different. And the difference in schedule is much appreciated in my life right now as the normal weeks rush by like an unspectacularly flowing river. I cannot complain as, in general, my life is on the happy side, and my family and friends are all doing good. Still, the Corona-related influences on my life have taken away quite some surprise moments or moments of serendipity.
This is what I have been thinking about this week:
We are luckily doing quite a lot of investments and financing rounds at APX these days, and also my other roles at Bahlsen, gut.org, and Berliner Stadtmission were full of things to work on, support on, and decision making. But none of this can be shared (yet or ever). I am writing this because a lot of my time used this week for non-shareable work. Now let’s go with sharing:
Vacation while not traveling.
There are still some holidays left in my vacation account, so I will take two days off next week to do something with my twin sons, who have two weeks of Easter school holidays starting on Monday. The week after this, the whole family is free to do what we want. Actually, it’s not what we want but rather what we can. There are not too many options we have with the restrictions in place. And although I understand that separation is the thing to do right now to slow down the virus's spreading, I really miss all our freedom to travel to distant and close places and stay there for more than a day.
We will need to figure out what to do around our home. And since we had a full year already to explore our neighborhood, we have already visited most (all) of the interesting places in Brandenburg and Berlin. Our favorite hike is at the edge of Grumsin Forest (super nice). We have done it several times “through” the seasons, meaning we have been there 4 times already. I guess we get the chance to check if spring looks like spring again. On the weekend, I will research Daytrips from Berlin into nature and figure out some routes for hikes and cycling.
mmhmm
Yesterday afternoon Phil, the founder of mmhmm.app gave a masterclass for APX, our network, and some friends from Addis Ababa on The Essential of our new Hybrid Reality: Better Videos. We discussed how video calls are taking over and how to bring your point across using the right tools and the right way to communicate. And obviously, how mmhmm can do this really well with mmhmm.
I like using mmhmm and the opportunities it gives to me moving around in the documents I share, pointing at the things I want to talk about. And how it makes communicating easier. It also works with little to no infrastructure and very professional cam, mike, and light setups. I enjoy using it for internal and external presentations as it is very compatible with my presentation style.
Picking Teammates
We are hiring at APX. And we luckily get to meet super interesting people who want to work with us. It is always a challenge to pick new people we want to work with. On the one hand, they have to fit with us, and on the other hand, we want to add new dimensions to the team. Also, it is quite impossible to offer classic growth paths as larger organizations can with being a small organization.
When we talk to people who want to work with us, we have several meetings with them with multiple team members, and we also sometimes invite them to work with us for a “test day.” This helps them figure out even better if there is a superficial fit and if we want to work together for the future. We also have a probationary period where after 3 months and 6 months, we actively decide if we want to continue working together. Usually, we are only then able to see if the skills, goals, and personalities fit. We have learned over time that all these dimensions need to fit to stay happy and productive.
These days we are recruiting for several positions and have some team decisions to make. The personal factors we look for are, for example, truthfulness, the ability to deal with ambiguity, the ability to deal with not knowing, the energy level, and the desire to learn. All this combined with a can-do attitude and a generally positive and inclusive spirit is what we are looking for on top of the hard skills we are looking for.
Although we have learned that fast learners can learn what we are doing even when inexperienced when their mindset and personality is right much easier than highly skilled people with incompatible personalities can fit with us. And fitting with us, I do not mean that only they have to change. I think that great people also continuously change and shape their environment.
What I did, read, and watched last week:
Lockdown activities: Buying stuff on photos. Chutney edition II.
This is a large picture hanging in our kitchen. I bought the chutney online a few months ago for the first time. It tastes delicious, and I had to order a second bottle after the first one was empty. For sustainability reasons, I need to find a supplier in Germany or, even better, in Berlin. The seller shipped the bottle I bought from South Africa.
Get the “glowy” look in your photos As you might have figured out, I am learning more and more about photography. This is a video by a photographer whose style I like.
How to make a short film on your phone Also helpful. Maybe something to do with the twins over the next two weeks. We will see.
Mid Atlantic Surfing at 21 Knots I have been watching La Vagabondes travels since the beginning. This is the most recent episode where they are crossing the Atlantic.
ETTV Street Food Top 10 I love street food. And when I cannot go where the food is this way, I can at least look at it. It does obviously not compare to the real experience but is quite relaxing to watch after a day of intense work and thinking.
Thank you for reading so far, and I hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter!
Have a great weekend and best
Joerg