New Member of the Team: Stefanie Friedrich, Junior Product Manager

1. How did you end up at DPM?

I had the first contact with DPM during my three-month training as a Product Manager at the Digital Product School. Back then, one of the DPM colleagues introduced us to the different scenarios of how we can build data products. When finishing my masters, I was looking for a workplace where I can learn and grow as much as possible. Through the first interviews, I realized that the mindset of several people at DPM matched with mine. That was one of the main reasons why I decided to start with my first job here.

2. What was your career plan after school, and have you stayed true to it?

In fact, I was a little lost after graduating from school. Initially, my plan was to become a maths teacher. As I was also interested in various technologies, I studied business informatics. After my bachelor’s degree, I wanted to gain more practical experience. So, I took a "gap year" to hop between companies in a three-month rotation. Within that time, I had the first contact with the area of product management. Without knowing what exactly was behind that job description, I realized that I was able to bring in my strengths. During my masters I continued with learning everything about agile working methods, product building and team dynamics.

3. Can you tell us a little bit about your first weeks working at DPM?

After spending about two weeks with onboarding and getting familiar with everyone, I jumped into the first projects. I was very surprised how much responsibility you get from the first day on. I learned a lot, and I am still progressing. As I work mainly from home, it was great to meet all my colleagues the first time at the summer party and get to know each other even better.

4. How do you balance work with your personal life?

After a busy day at DPM, I like doing sports to have a fresh mind for the next day. But I do have a lot of flexibility and freedom to arrange my work with my personal life. All of my colleagues are super supportive and help me out anytime if I am stuck.

5. What makes DPM different from other companies that you have worked with so far?

The first thing that comes to my mind are the company values. They are not just hanging on the office wall, they're really lived day by day. It is so great to see that every individual is contributing to a supportive and growing company where it also fun to work.

6. If you could have a career in anything, what would it be?

My biggest passion is basketball. So, I would pursue a career as a basketball player or coach. I am playing basketball for more than 10 years and I also worked as a coach for more than 6 years. It is not just about the game itself, about taking shots or winning games - it is more about the people, sharing the same passion and learning how to perform as a team at a very high level.