Employee spotlight: Zoran Žiža

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

Since I've been working at Barrage for 5 years, I honestly can't remember where I first heard about the company. I knew that it was a group of people that was doing something related to blockchain.

At one point, I got the opportunity to join the team in Sweden, and after little (but very little) deliberation, I accepted that opportunity. And it wasn't a mistake.

The team I work with is excellent, pretty much the kind I would have chosen myself. That team is one of the reasons why I'm still here. Other reasons are that I have the chance to learn something new and develop skills that I didn’t need earlier in life, or I didn't know I needed them until I learned them. :)

What is your favorite part about working for Barrage?

The best part of working at Barrage is that we really don't have stressful situations. There are no uncontrolled reactions if some unforeseen situation occurs or the task we're working on takes a wrong turn. Everything gets resolved through discussions and agreement. There's no feeling of "Oh no, I messed up, and now I'm in trouble." And that is something I really, really like.

What is the best career lesson you have learned so far?

1. Respect other people's opinions - just because someone else might think differently from you and wants to solve a problem in a way that's different from your approach doesn't mean it's the wrong way.
   
2. Communication is the foundation - by communication, I don't mean saying many words but clearly stating the problem and offering a solution if there is one.

As a Blockchain Infrastructure and Computing Data Center Development Technician, what do you struggle with the most in your work - motivation, technical stuff, communication, or something else?

It depends; sometimes, it's motivation, and other times it's communication.

Sometimes, when completing a task doesn't go as I envisioned, or when I'm stuck and can't seem to make progress, my motivation drops to zero, and I feel like picking up my things and going home. Then, I need some time to regroup and start again. Usually, things go smoothly from there.

Regarding communication, I'm not exactly the most talkative person, and in certain situations, when I'm not in the mood for communication, and someone is explaining something to me using every word they know, I have an image of Homer Simpson with a little monkey banging on a drum inside his head. :)

What do you like the most about working and living in Sweden? 

The fact that you can buy absolutely everything with a card (or Apple/Google Pay), from a hamburger at the food festival in Lulea to a bicycle.

Do you have a work nickname? Which is it?

It depends on if I messed something up or if someone needs something from me. :) 

If I messed up, it's "Žiža" with an attitude, and if they need something, it's "Zoki." But usually, it's "Žiža", without the attitude.

Do you have any hobbies or go-to weekend activities? We've heard that you're quite passionate about hitting the gym and going for bike rides!

Since I have quite a bit of free time here, which passes by very slowly, I'm trying to fill it up with activities as much as possible. Most often, that includes going to the gym, although it's not really showing on my looks, so I'm probably doing something wrong. But at least time goes by faster.

Recently, I bought a bicycle, so I'm exploring mountain biking trails. That bike was a perfect choice because the terrain here is hilly, and the trails are mostly well-maintained. The next thing on my shopping list is a helmet because sometimes very little separates me from a cracked head.

How do you define success in life?

Doing what you love and what fulfills you.

It doesn't matter whether it's constant learning and acquiring new knowledge, traveling and experiencing different ways of life, or working at a job you love, one that is your dream job.

What tasks or projects do you most frequently rely on AutoCAD for?

Mostly, it's for updating the floor plan of the data center.

Recently, I had to create a floor plan for a mining container to see how we could modify it. I also had a brief task where I needed to draft a situational plan for a potential container data center.

I started working on a 3D model for myself, but I bought a bicycle in the meantime, so now I'm waiting for the snow to finish that 3D model.

If you were a superhero, what superpower would you like to have?

Flying.

So I can quickly fly from Boden to Osijek and vice versa. Although I enjoy traveling, those trips back home with flight delays, and especially when after 30+ days you can’t wait to see your family, can become quite exhausting.

To which destination would you love to travel the most?

Japan.

I love traveling, and I've traveled to a lot of destinations even though there are actually many destinations I'd love to visit, especially in Asia, Japan is the one place I'd most like to go.

It has always held a special attraction for me; I've built up an image of Japan as a super high-tech cyberpunk country, so I'd love to see how accurate my perception is.

Meet the rest of the team!

We love having people like Zoran in our collective. Driven individuals are the ones who 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.