Hello Nicolás

Nicolás Guillén – Software Developer

Hi Nicolás, let’s start with the Interview about you as a Software Developer at Swissprime Technologies AG. Let me ask a couple of questions about you, your history and your current employer. Are you ready?

When did you first start working for Swissprime Technologies?

I’ve started working at Swissprime Technologies more than 3 years ago.

What did you do before?

I grew up in Argentina, where I’ve started my professional career as a Software Developer. I have several years of professional experience in the area of mobile banking.  When I came to Switzerland, I first started working for an ETH spin-off called Antavi, for almost a year, where I developed a mobile application for Android for SRF called SRF Bewegt. This app consisted of a game or competition within all the users for who walks most steps, so this app needed to understand physical activities such as walking or running.

Why did you decide to move from Argentina to Switzerland?

I’ve met my Swiss girlfriend in Buenos Aires and after some time we decided to move to Switzerland. In the beginning it was a big challenge, f.e. learning German, cultural differences, getting to know new people, etc. But I really have been appreciating my life in Switzerland for the past 5 years.

How is your life different in Switzerland than it was in Argentina?

I eat way less meat but compensate with eating a lot more chocolate. I enjoy not living in a huge metropolis such as Buenos Aires and that I don’t have to commute for various hours a day. The benefit of living in Switzerland is that instead of living in a concrete jungle I’m surrounded by nature. It is easy to go from hills to mountains and rivers to lakes within just a short commute.

What made you decide you wanted to work as mobile developer?

I’ve always wanted to be a developer. But the field of mobile Software Development was the one that most interested me, because I get to write code and see the results instantly on the smartphone’s screen. I am still looking forward to all the innovation which will happen in the growing smartphone industry.

How does your usual workday look like?

Usually I wake up at six, and half-waken I walk the dog. I then enjoy taking time to work on some personal projects until 8 am, where I start working with my daily tasks for Swissprime Technologies. As I work from home, where I have my own office, I can save a lot of time without the daily commute. Mid-morning, at around 10 am, I prepare and drink some Mate, an Argentinian type of tea until around 1 o’clock. I then cook myself something for Lunch and enjoy it on the balcony whenever possible. After a walk with the dog, I continue with my work. In case I run into any problems I can always count on the help of my teammates through Slack. Depending on the tasks, I stop working between 5 – 7 pm. I enjoy then having leisure time with my girlfriend, the dog or friends.

What challenges did you face while working at Swissprime?

The first challenge I’ve encountered was to design in a modern and attractive way the application already published in the stores. Looking back, it is impressive to see how much the application has evolved in the last years. Another challenge that I find is particularly as a start-up company, that resources are used wisely where customers benefit most.

Which aspects of your work at Swissprime Technologies do you appreciate most?

We’re a small team, this means that we work closely together. The lines of communication are short, and everyone can arrange their work flexibly. I also appreciate that the topics a start-up has to deal with can be experienced firsthand and I get to learn a lot from them.

What was your favorite project for Swissprime Technologies so far?

So far KleverKey is my favorite project. It is a vendor-independent solution that allows any user to access and control all KleverKey-supported electronics that they own. What I like the most about this project is that we need to use all available technologies that a smartphone provides in order to open locks as fast as possible, e.g. the home door.

Which technologies are you working with KleverKey?

With KleverKey we use Bluetooth for accessing and configuring any locks. We rely on it because it is secure, fast and available in any phone. Additionally, we use NFC (= Near Field Communication) and HCE (Host-Card-Emulation) to access the locks even faster, but it needs to be in a closer distance. These technologies allow the smartphone to behave similarly as a smart card. And finally, like almost any solution, KleverKey needs Cloud-Communication (Internet-Access).

Thank you, Nicolás.

Nicolás Guillén – Software Developer (Android) – Born 1990 (n.guillen@swissprime-tech.com)