Have a coffee with Renata Sheikh

1. How do you drink your coffee?

I'm not really a coffee drinker. I don't tolerate it that well, so I prefer to take herbal or fennel tea.

2. Which programming language are you and why?

As a Scrum Master, I don't work with any programming language, but definitely with some programming frameworks and methods. And since I'm a big fan of retros and host them, I identify with it as well. It helps the team to get to know each other and talk to each other openly. My goal is to start and also end the retro in a good mood. The team always has different needs and I have different formats on hand to fulfill them. Sometimes we evaluate what went especially well recently and what we need to work on. Or it's about refactoring, and we look at how successfully we implemented previous retro items. The retro can go in lots of different directions. That's why it's so great that you can shape it in such a colorful way. It's so much fun for me and it never gets boring.

3. What are your favorite tools to work with?

I really like using Miro boards at the moment. I recently discovered the tool through the FAZ team. Miro boards are very easy to use and enable creative work in interactive meetings. I really enjoy it and so does the team. When the team has fun at the meeting, that's my personal success. That drives me and motivates me.

4. Where can people find you when you're not working?

I have two boys who are eight and ten years old. I'm either out with them or with my dog. I really like to go for a walk for half an hour during my lunch break. It's good for me and the dog. After work I also spend a lot of time in front of the computer. I like to work creatively with 3D programs or produce music myself.

5. Which tech trend can we expect in the next few years?

I think Artificial Intelligence (AI) will definitely be a big part of our lives. Virtual Reality (VR) will also become more and more common. I could imagine well that the two will be combined. We can already use AI to open and close our windows, operate lights, make a shopping list, and so much more. I think soon we will see AI in all areas of life. I think the possibilities of AI are impressive, but also very dangerous. It's a little scary that we are handing over so much control. With many AI features, I already wonder if we really need them or if they are just comfortable. We always want to win time for productive things that we hand over all the easy stuff. At some point, you have to think about how far that can go.

6. You've given a talk at a meetup before. What was it about?

Exactly. I gave a talk in September on the topic of "Time pressure and time windows: how do I deal with time pressure?" As a full-time working mom, a housewife, and a knowledge-hungry person, I've often struggled in the past when it comes to my time management. Time pressure causes stress and that can have a negative effect on our health. Our effectiveness and creativity at work is reduced. In the presentation, I talked about how I deal with this. The contents were very informative and I received very good feedback from the audience. This makes me proud and motivates me to give a talk more often in the future.

By the way, our next meetup will take place in Stuttgart on March 22.

7. Which advice would you give to future applicants?

I can only tell all applicants: jambit will be your best decision. For me, jambit is the best place to work. I feel very comfortable here. For future jambitees there are a lots of development possibilities, you can gather lots of experiences and try yourself out. If you live these values and find them important, you are definitely in the right place at jambit.