Fireside Chats at KI labs: ep. 15
Working student edition: In this episode of Fireside Chats, we talk with Wiktor about growing up in Poland, working a job as a University student, and his experiences at KI labs. Enjoy!
“Let’s start from the beginning…”
I am from Poland, in a small town in the south of Poland called Żywiec, but I usually say I am from Krakov because more people know where it is. I actually come from a village called Świnna, next to Żywiec but it’s even less known so I never say it. I lived there until I was 19 and then went to University in Krakov. After graduating I moved to Geneva where I stayed for 1.5 year and then I moved to Munich.
“How did you like the small city life?”
It’s nice to visit from time to time so I appreciate that my parents still live there. I enjoy visiting for a peaceful time off. Unfortunately, it’s not great for jobs and it’s a bit too quiet for me to live there permanently.
The best part of living in that small of a village is that it’s almost in the forest. I was able to keep bees and other pets on our property. My village was also surrounded by mountains, so I was a few meters away from hikes and rock climbing.
“What are your feelings about Poland?”
I definitely miss Polish people. I only know one Polish person here in Munich and it’s always nice to have friends with a similar background.
I do think the current landscape is a little short-sighted. Poland isn’t investing a lot into education and innovation. The future of the country is dependent on the education of the youth. Teachers and academics are underpaid and young entrepreneurs are not helped anywhere close to the level here in Munich. It seems we’re more satisfied with the status quo. I like history a lot but I think some of Poland is being held back by feelings of the past. A majority of Polish are against the EU but maybe don’t realize what a benefit it is to us. Even with my current situation, I can drive from Poland and go to school in Munich with no extra papers. This is a good thing for our country — to have access to so many quality universities. Europe is 50 very small countries — if you compare to China, US, or India — we are hardly anything separately, maybe with the exception of Germany. In the long-term, we have to stay united. Politicians who encourage division between countries and work against the future of the EU, in my opinion, is not good for Europe.
As a Polish citizen, I understand that it is difficult to build trust in other countries. It is nearly impossible to believe that other country’s politicians will do what’s best for my country. However, I think they will do what best for the union as a whole — that’s the only path forward.
“Is National Identity important, or a thing of the past?”
I think cultural diversity is a good thing. I don’t like the idea that all humanity will eventually all be united and the same as one race and culture. It is very interesting to learn about how others live their daily life and celebrate different things. However, this can still be the case without complete isolation, and introducing division between different groups of people.
“Favourite Polish traditions or behaviours?”
Polish tradition is largely associated with the Catholic Church. There were many parades or processions where the whole village was decorated with altars, people throwing flowers, singing songs, and the priest would bless the fields to produce a great crop yield. This is what I remember most about my regional traditions, as well as the folk music and folk dancing. This is something I believe should be cultivated — it makes you different from everyone else but in a positive sense. It enriches the overall experience of life… not everything needs to be the same. I’ve diverged a lot from the Catholic Church so I’ve lost a lot of connection with the Polish culture. However, I definitely keep in touch with the Polish music, still frequently attending Polish concerts when I go back home. This might be the strongest part of my current Polish identity and tie to my Polish past.
“When did you become interested in technology?”
I’ve always been interested in computers. It started with games, but my uncle was also a developer and that helped me select the field more in depth while in high school. I was quite skilled at math, it just came easy, and so I dove into computer science as soon as possible. I’m currently getting my master’s degree in Data Engineering Analytics from TUM, finishing up my second semester.
“Why did you choose KI labs?”
Munich is a little too expensive to live here without working, for one. But also, I’ve been working since I was in my second-year bachelors. It is important to work while studying because you start to learn what is important and relevant in the real world.
I applied to KI labs along with a few other companies. A few companies low-balled the offer since I was a working student but a few others were competitive. I chose KI labs because of the dynamic system of products, which means I won’t be stuck on one system as a tiny piece of a huge corporation. Here, I am part of a small team, quick iterations, and this is very good for my growth. I am exposed to many different challenges, different angles, and responsibilities from part of the project which I am not necessarily comfortable in — which is a good thing.
“Do you feel you’ve made an impact here?”
I’m working on an exciting project right now and our team is quite small. Even though I’m part-time, I feel my contribution is quite significant. I still have one more year until I finish my studies which means I have another full year to see what else I can do here. I have a lot of flexibility here which is very helpful as a working student. My main priority is getting my degree and getting in a good way (not just getting the paper), but actually learning and seeing results. KI labs allows me to work on interesting projects but also prioritize my studies. You can always have the mindset of “the grass is always greener…” but there is always something that makes the ‘perfect,’ not so.
There are also several PhD’s on the data team here, and I am excited to work with them more. I don’t have a perfect clear direction about what I want to do so having people in places where I may decide to go definitely helps me find my path.
Last weeks episode with our Data Lead, Alex.
If you’re interested in hearing more about KI labs, check out our website at ki-labs.com.
