Bright minds think alike. Call it “culture fit”
Welcome to the second post in a series of writings that take a peek into the behind the scenes world of Sourcefabric (you can read the first post by our Head of Support here). This edition features thoughts from our Berlin-based operations manager, Julia. She explores why she chose to join the team and how daily life at Sourcefabric is “an inspiring place to be”.
How you experience your workplace is always coloured by your previous experiences. It is not a big surprise that I feel very much at home in an organisation which lives by the motto “Find a way or make one”. My path in life has been defined through learning by doing, and figuring out how to realise projects that relate to topics I am passionate about.
When I decided to look for a new occupation, much of the motivation originated from my desire to be able to learn from experienced co-workers from other fields. In large hierarchical companies it is difficult to learn from other departments and management, because the roles and tasks are very inflexible. On the other hand, when I worked in small NGOs the teams usually had a very homogenous knowledge base. To every question there was pretty much always the same answer - “Go figure it it out!”. I was looking for something that was in between these two extremes. Now, in my position at Sourcefabric, I have the pleasure of being surrounded by colleagues who have already walked a mile or ten ahead of me, and who don’t shy away from answering questions, but instead share their experiences, good and bad, with laughter from further down the road.
As Sourcefabric’s operations manager based in our Berlin office, I have the privilege of reaching out to and keeping in touch with many of our international team members. Through my day to day work, I take care of a wide variety of tasks which allows me get a unique view of the behind the scenes operations of the company. When I began working at Sourcefabric just about eight months ago, I was really looking forward to becoming part of an organisation with a culture rooted in open source software and clear non-monetary core values, and get acquainted with how it grows and navigates in the commercial space.
The first thing that surprised me about Sourcefabric was the openness and space for innovation in the midst of a plethora of energetic and independent personalities. Previously, whenever I encountered groups dense with charismatic activators, besides being able to conquer great achievements, the groups typically struggle with an overly heated and competitive climate. It is still a bit of a mystery to me what it is exactly in the DNA of Sourcefabric that keeps it so lovely and from becoming a dramatic and competitive environment. I have had the opportunity to join many exciting and inspiring projects in the past, all with interesting people who have an amazing sense of humor and great skills, but I must say that the constant friendly atmosphere here is something rather special. When we figure out what this magical combination is, we should find out a way to reproduce it.
The second thing I noticed was the vivid and vast network of organisations, individuals and clients who partner with Sourcefabric. Even though I work in a position which primarily has an internal focus, in the few months I have been here, I have connected with many of Sourcefabric’s friends. Being introduced to a new network which ranges from activists and NGOs to big news organisations, who believe in quality media and the power of free speech, definitely enriches my day to day life. Not to mention all the interesting projects I just happen to come across in the field. It is quite an inspiring place to be!
At some point in the first weeks of working at Sourcefabric, I found myself passing a poster on a walk with one of the founders, Micz Flor. The poster said something along the lines of, “If you did not find what you are looking for, just continue looking”. In response to the clear look of disapproval on my face, he said “… if you did not find it yet, define it better”, and I think nothing could be closer to the truth of how I arrived at Sourcefabric. At essentially the same moment I had nailed down what I wanted - to work in a mid-size organisation with an NGO like attitude in the tech-business, whose primary goals I could wholeheartedly support - I came across the job opening at Sourcefabric... and so the story continues…
Interested in joining our team? Sourcefabric is hiring! If you don’t see a position that is right for you, send us an email anyway. We are always on the lookout for talented individuals to join our organisation.