Continuous navigation improver since 2012: Get to know Arne!

Senior Android Developer — Arne — joined komoot at the beginning of 2012. That makes him one of the longest-standing team members, someone who's really seen the App and the company evolve! Arne a Berliner in the truest sense of the word — born and raised in Germany's capital. After school he studied applied informatics at HTW Berlin and FU Berlin. Early on he discovered a fascination with Android development, falling in love with this professional field almost immediately.

Lucky for us, Arne has been pouring his love for Android development into komoot's routing and navigation systems ever since! We sat down with him to find out what he is up to these days.

Hi Arne! Tell us a little bit more about yourself.

Hi, I'm Arne. Born and raised in Berlin. I knew I wanted to work in tech at the age of 14. I did programming in Pascal and learned HTML and PHP. After the 10th class, I went to TU Berlin and started Vocational training in computer, network, server, and general IT systems. Having this solid base on a practical side I started studying applied Informatics at the HTW Berlin — University of Applied Sciences and later at the University of Berlin.

What do you do at komoot?

I do Android development at Komoot. Creating new and improving existing features and maintaining the app is my first objective. I'm also taking the lead in the process of hiring new Android developers.

What is the most exciting thing you are working on right now?

I'm improving the komoot navigation system. Recently, we collected real-world cases and we're now able to replay the navigation experience of past user team tracks. Analyzing what works well and which use cases need an improvement is a lot of fun.

Which other teams or experts do you mostly interact with?

I regularly work closely with the Android team so I have the privilege of enjoying nerdy Android discussions. As part of the interdisciplinary Map Squad, I also work closely with an iOS developer and a QA Specialist to ensure we have the best Route Planner and Navigation system for outdoor sports in the world.

What was the biggest impact you and/or your team had on komoot?

Whenever you use komoot on an Android device, you interact with an app that I initially built. So, the biggest impact of my work is to have developed the primary main features of the Android app to make komoot a successful, scalable app.

What aspects of the komoot culture do you enjoy most? And why?

The freedom of being location independent is the most important thing to me. I also like our gatherings a lot. Meeting all of my teammates every four months in a great location is always so much fun.

Do you have any funny stories from a Zoom call?

No special story. Working remotely over Zoom is like sitting in someone's living room. You suddenly get an insight into a lot of things that happens in the life of your co-workers and their families. That's the new normal.

Komoot's mission is to make great adventures accessible to all. What does adventure mean to you?

My definition of adventure is to use “my own app” to go on a hike or bike ride to discover nature. The more green and pretty my surroundings are, the more I love my experience.

What's your favorite tour on komoot?

My favorite tour was a hike up to a very pretty alp in Austria. I met some happy cows on my way while enjoying the wonderful view over lake Weissensee. You can check it out here.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I'm a passionate semi-professional volleyball player at the sports club called “Vorspiel”. Playing with my team in the Berlin league is a lot of fun. But there is also a lot of work to be done in the sports club and I help out as a volunteer.
Furthermore, visiting open-air cinemas is one of my summer hobbies. There are more than 9 open-air cinemas all over Berlin. Did you know that?

And last but not least, which of these do you prefer?

Beach or mountains?

Mountains

Summer or winter?

Summer

Morning or evening?

Evening

Hiking or cycling?

Hiking

Home office or co-working?

Home office

Thank you!

Interested in knowing more about Arne's adventures? Have a look at them at komoot here .