That’s me while sailing in Croatia - yeah you have time to go sailing even if you are CEO What is your current position? I am Florian. Hi! Currently, one of 2 managing directors and owner of , a growth marketing firm. KLIXPERT.io I would not compare myself to a traditional CEO. with ~15 employees, numerous freelancers and a hybrid work-oriented IT environment, is too small to be a “CEO” like one of a Silicon Valley tech company. KLIXPERT.io My daily business is the technical management of all our projects. The introduction of innovation and the integration of new technologies. I’m still a Product Owner. How long have you been working in tech? Since I'm in my early 30s, it sounds strange when I say that I've already been dealing with this topic for over 20 years. With ~9 years I wrote my first line of code, with ~14 years I destroyed my own PC because I had the idea to program a virus myself. With 18 years, I became self-employed as a software engineer. What is your educational background? (It’s perfectly okay if you don’t have a formal one) Yes – I don't have any degree in Computer Science or any similar. I once tried to study computer science, but since I was already self-employed and had a full-time job, I didn't make it. The plan was quite easy… study as side-hustle! Bad idea, by the way. Now and then I would like to try again! Why? No don't really know why. It is quite easy to get education for certain areas like finance, leadership or any other technical topic. What I miss a bit, though I am a programmer in the deepest inner, are mathematics. So, in short, I don't have any educational background in computer science or anything related, but I do have a lot of experience in the field. Have you ever had a mentor? If yes, we’d like to know more about it. I haven’t had an official mentor, but I’ve had a lot of people in my life who have been influential and helpful in my career. So even though I haven't had an official mentor, the people in my life who have been influential and helpful have contributed to my success. I am grateful for their help, and I have learned from both the positive and negative experiences I've had. Many associate a mentor or something similar with positive experiences. But that does not always have to be the case. It is also the negative experiences that you make. Even negative experiences make you better! What was the best piece of advice you got over the course of your career? One of the best pieces of advice I’ve got is to always stay true to yourself. There will be people who will try to change you and your work to fit their own agenda, but if you stay true to yourself, you will be much happier and more successful in the long run. “Don't be afraid of anybody there is always a plan b, c or d! The sun goes down and gets up the next day.” - Florian Narr How relevant was self-learning to where you are today? I would say that self-learning has been very relevant to where I am today. A lot of my success comes from being hungry for knowledge 24/7. It's a different approach to be successful in business if you have a bachelor's or master's degree. But since I wanted to take a different path and reach my goal faster, the topic of "self-learning" is a constant challenge. Over the years, I have used self-learning to gain new skills and knowledge that have helped me in my career. Even this text challenges me as I am not an English native speaker. Knowing what you do now, where do you think one should start learning if they want to work in your position one day? For many, it is a “no-go” topic, but money is important in business. You should not rip off anyone, but you have to know how much worth you are! Learn Excel - trust me! What is the work-related achievement you’re the most proud of? My current position as CEO of . You don't just get something like that for free, at least not me. KLIXPERT.io What do you think is the biggest myth about starting a career in tech? The biggest myth about starting a career in tech is that you need to be a computer science major or have a lot of experience coding to be successful. In reality, there are many successful tech professionals who don't have a computer science degree or have very little coding experience. What's most critical is having the ability to learn new technologies quickly and being able to solve problems creatively. On a less serious note: What do you listen to while working? "Nordic Folk" ... others listen to Mozart or Bach. I love to listen to sagas from the past. FYI: Nordic folk music has its roots in the music of the Scandinavian people, who are descended from the Germanic tribes of the Nordic region. Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us more about your career path. Any words of wisdom for aspiring techies? There's no one straight path to a career in tech. The best way to learn is by doing, so get involved in as many projects as you can and learn as much as you can along the way. And don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
