Employee spotlight: Karlo Petrović

How did you first learn about Barrage, and what has kept you here?

My introduction to Barrage came about in an interesting way, even before its official launch. I had a lunch meeting with Ivan and Feđa, the co-founders, when they were transitioning from their previous venture. They invited me to work on a mini-project, and during our discussion, they shared their vision for a new company. I distinctly remember hearing the company name for the first time and finding it a bit unusual at first.

This quickly evolved into an opportunity to work on exciting projects while I was still in college, which then led to a part-time position during my student days. The innovative work environment and the chance to apply my skills to real-world challenges were incredibly appealing. After graduating, the positive experiences I had and the growth opportunities I saw at Barrage naturally led me to accept a full-time position.

What's kept me here is witnessing the company's growth from its inception, the commitment to fostering talent, the collaborative team spirit, and the continuous learning opportunities that align perfectly with my career goals. It's been rewarding to be part of Barrage's journey from those early times to where we are today.

In your opinion, what are the hallmark traits of a great backend engineer?

While there are many technical and non-technical skills that contribute to being a great backend engineer, you don't need to excel in all of them. The best fit is to be an all-rounder, balancing both technical and non-technical traits. For instance, you can be the best coder in the world, but if you can't work in a team or think about the end-users or the business you're developing software for, your technical skills alone won't be enough to drive success. With this in mind, here are what I consider to be the essential characteristics:

• Constant self-improvement: A commitment to lifelong learning and staying updated with evolving technologies and best practices
• Critical thinking: The ability to re-evaluate current knowledge and work processes, ensuring continuous optimization and relevance
• System thinking: Understanding how different components interact within larger architectures and considering performance, security, and scalability
• Collaboration: Effective communication with team members and the ability to work well in cross-functional environments
• Business-oriented mindset: Understanding the broader context of your work, including considering the end-users, the business goals, and how your technical decisions impact overall business success

Based on your own experience, how does working at Barrage help junior developers in their careers?

When I started, I personally gained the most knowledge working alongside experienced developers. The collaborative environment and the opportunity to learn directly from senior colleagues were invaluable for my growth.

However, Barrage has since enhanced its approach to nurturing junior talent. Today, junior developers have even more opportunities and a more structured growth plan. For example, for a few years in a row, the company has provided a dedicated mentorship program called the Barrage Forge, which introduced junior developers to our way of work and the technologies we use.

What do you like most about being a team leader? Is it the work, colleagues, the company, or a combination?

What I love most about being a team leader at Barrage is the dynamic nature of the role. It's a combination of factors that keeps me engaged and excited about my work every day. The variety of projects we handle means no two days are the same, each bringing unique challenges and opportunities. I thrive on working with different team members, each with their own skills and approaches.

How do you define success in life?

I define success in life as achieving a harmonious balance between family, work, and health. It's about thriving in personal relationships, finding fulfillment in my career, and maintaining physical and mental well-being.

What has been the most important innovation you have witnessed in your lifetime?

I would say smartphones. With the internet as a foundation (without which they wouldn’t make much sense), smartphones have advanced almost all spheres of life, such as socialization, trade, finance, and transportation. You name it. They created vast amounts of jobs and opportunities and made (mostly) positive impacts (directly or indirectly) on everybody. 

Not that I am proud of it, but I couldn’t live without a smartphone. Who could, right? However, I am not a slave to social media, but I like to waste my time before bed by switching between YouTube, reels, news, and messaging apps.

Could you share your favorite travel stories with us and let us know where you plan to go next?

My current favorite vacation was a trip to the West Coast USA with 3 of my friends, partly because I unknowingly got to experience it a few months before all the COVID-19 stuff. But also because we visited many places with the right balance between nature and cities. We also got lost hiking in Sequoia National Park after the trail got tighter, and it eventually disappeared. Luckily, I was smart enough to download offline maps onto my phone.

I like to travel, so visiting anything exotic would be on my bucket list. Next trip: opening the ski season in December!

What did you want to be when growing up?

When I was about 5 years old, I wanted to be a garbage collector. I would wake up at 5 AM when I would hear them and watch them do their thing. I think I was amazed at them hopping on the back of the truck and riding off into the sunrise. 

2 years later, my dream was to become an astronaut. Neither dream was accomplished, obviously.

What are some of the goals you would like to accomplish in the future?

I would like to finish this questionnaire since I’m 2 weeks late. :)

What is one thing you cannot resist?

One thing I cannot resist is enjoying a good meal, whether at a nice restaurant or at home with my wife or friends. There's something special about the combination of delicious food and great company. The experience of sharing a well-prepared meal and good conversation, regardless of the setting, is truly irresistible to me.

What's your motto or personal mantra?

Be better than you were yesterday, and try to learn lessons from your mistakes.

Meet the rest of the team!

We love having people like Karlo in our collective. Driven individuals are the ones that build the motivational culture we nurture at Barrage.

If you would like to be a part of that culture and get to know the rest of our team, check out our open positions.