Thomas Leclaire

Interview with Thomas

‍Thomas, what do you enjoy most about working at Tuleva?

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What I like most? The variety of tasks. I don’t want to work somewhere where I do the same thing for decades. With the different clients and projects here, there are always new challenges. That keeps the work exciting and diverse, and it never gets boring.

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How would you describe the company culture and work atmosphere here?

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I’d describe the company culture as relaxed and the work atmosphere as very pleasant. We have flat hierarchies, and because we’re small, communication is quick. There’s no being stuck behind closed doors, you know what I mean? There aren’t rigid rules you can’t get around. Sure, there are agreements, but if you want to do something differently, you can talk about it and come to a decision. In larger companies, things are often set in stone, and that’s something I really appreciate here.

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Is that also what sets the company apart for you, or is there more?

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There’s definitely more. A big difference is the size. I’ve worked in both small firms and huge companies like Microsoft and Techniker Krankenkasse. By now, I prefer the more familial feel of a smaller company like this. Especially when I’m in projects with large corporations, I’m glad I’m not a full-time employee but an external contractor who can step back when needed.

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What values are particularly important to you in your daily work?

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For me, it’s important to do honest work. I want to stand by what I do and have it align with my principles. What I can’t stand is cutting corners—cheating a bit here and there. That’s not my style. I do my job and want to earn honest money for it, simple as that.

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How would you describe the leadership style here?

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The leadership style is laid-back, but you know what you can rely on. You can talk to your superiors without feeling like you're talking to “the boss.” What’s special about Tuleva for me is that my superiors, Lars and Thorge, do the same job as I do. That means they know exactly what I’m doing and whether I’m doing it well or not. That’s a new experience for me, and I love it. In large companies, you’re often judged by people managers who have no idea about the tech. It often came down to customer reviews, which was sometimes a tightrope walk.

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Which benefits from Tuleva do you particularly appreciate?

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The company car is very important to me. I live outside the city and need to be mobile. Also, it’s great to work completely remotely. I commuted to Hamburg for years, and that was pure wasted life time. I wouldn’t do that again today.

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What are your responsibilities, and what is your area of expertise?

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I see myself primarily as a software developer and solutions architect. I specialize in Microsoft technologies, especially backend services, SharePoint, and Azure, but I also work on the frontend. I can fully develop an application from start to finish and provide the architecture for it.

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Can you tell us about a particularly exciting project you’ve worked on?

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Sure, my most recent project was really exciting. I joined a team that was stuck and unable to move forward with the development of a monitoring software. Within a short time, I got the team back on track, and after two and a half years of stagnation, the software was finished in just nine months. The client was very satisfied, and the feedback was fantastic. It was challenging, but also exciting, especially since I had little experience in that industry before.

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What was the biggest challenge you’ve faced here, and how did you overcome it?

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During the pandemic, I didn’t have a project for almost a year. I joined Tuleva right at the start of the pandemic, leaving an almost unbreakable job at the insurance company for a small firm where no one knew if it would survive without projects. That was tough. Then I joined a SharePoint project for a financial services company, and on the first day, I was told I was the last remaining developer and the others would be gone in four weeks. I had to take over and develop a long-standing software—that was definitely a challenge.

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What innovative technologies or methods have you used recently?

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AI is coming into play more and more lately. Tools like GitHub Copilot or Cursor in the development environment are super helpful. They speed up the work significantly. Of course, they only help if you know what you’re doing, but they take care of a lot of annoying routine tasks.

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What do you appreciate most about working with your colleagues?

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The willingness to help is fantastic. Even if you’re working solo on a project, you know you have colleagues in the background you can turn to for advice if you get stuck or need a good idea. That’s very reassuring and a big difference from freelancing, where you’re on your own.

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What support do you get here for your professional development?

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All the support I want. I don’t need much, though. We’ve been to a SharePoint conference twice, which was nice. If I wanted to attend more conferences or training sessions, I’m sure I’d get the green light. But right now, I don’t feel the need.

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Can you give an example of how you’ve grown in your role since you started here?

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Through my successes in recent projects, I’ve gained more confidence in my abilities. Even when I face new, unfamiliar challenges, I now know that I’ll figure it out. That gives you confidence, even when you fall down—you know you’ll get back up.

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What are your goals for your professional future, and how does the company support you?

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At my age, I don’t have many professional goals left. I just want to make it to retirement in one piece. If I can keep going at this level, I’m happy.

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Which new technologies or trends do you find particularly exciting for the future of the industry?

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I find the development around AI particularly exciting. It might make some "coding monkeys," as we call them, obsolete. I’m curious to see how far it will go. It’s a bit scary, but I don’t have long until retirement. I’m more worried for the young people just starting their careers—let’s see if their jobs will still be around in 10 to 20 years…

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Thank you for the fascinating interview!