Blog It Forward – Matthias Wild

Ok, here is my part for the BIF challenge. I received the invite from Moshe Naveh on 22.8.2012, so I needed only 451 days to write it. I started several times to do so, but it never felt right. I have only one golden rule about blogging, it must feel right. So what changed after 451 days? I had the chance to be part of two TechEd’s this year and this has been very inspiring.

That’s me

I am an Enterprise Architect working in the SAP mothership in Walldorf, Germany. The fun fact about me is how that started. I wrote an unsolicited application and received an invite for a job interview with no details but the time and the building. The interviewer asked the standard question: ‘Why do you believe you are the right person for this job?’ And I had to answer: ‘Sorry, but I have no idea about which job we are talking.’ The rest is history.

I love talking to others, I love problem solving and I enjoy teamwork. That’s why the internal IT department at SAP is a great place to work. I love to play guitar, but I will never really master it. It doesn’t matter. I am a big fan of LEICA cameras. Not necessarily of the most current model, but more of the philosophy of photography, which is still part of the LEICA products. Oh, and I am a Data Geek 🙂

Facts about my hometown

I live in Sandhausen, Germany. I moved 3 times, but always within Sandhausen. It is a typical small talk question during a business trip to ask, where somebody lives. My answer changed over time: In the 80s it was ‘close to Leimen’, as Boris Becker’s hometown is just 5 km east of Sandhausen. In the 90s and later it was ‘close to Heidelberg’, as everybody in the world seems to know Heidelberg Castle and it is just 8km north of Sandhausen. Today it is ‘from Sandhausen’, as the local soccer team is now playing in the 2^nd major league and the Google picture search for ‘Sandhausen’ will bring dozens of soccer pictures.

What was your dream job as a kid?

As a kid and also later in the university I have been a big fan of the Vikings. In earlier times it was Vicky Viking – of course – son of Halvar, chief of the Viking village of Flake. This boy is the ultimate problem solver and can explore the world on a superfast Viking ship. How cool is that!

Later and until today I salute the women and men at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark. These archaeologists, scientists and craftsmen do not only explore the time of the Vikings, they actually build these amazing ships with original methods and tools. Unfortunately my fingers are all thumbs, so I
decided to make my money with code.

What is your favorite place in the world?

That’s a hard one, as I love to travel and to see many places in the world. I visited Israel several times in the past and still like the idea to live in the area of Haifa or Tel Aviv. As an IT professional I was very much involved in outsourcing activities and traveled a lot to India in the last years. And – believe it or not – I started to like Bangalore very much. Everybody will agree, this city is a monster. It is loud, dirty and you never will get an up-to-date street map.
But I love to explore the streets and the people are full of energy. It would a great experience to stay there for some years. But my family felt in love with a great place on the other side of the world some years ago. Mighty mountains, pacific shore, international culture … got it? It is Vancouver / Canada.

What was the most fun project you ever participated in and why?

That’s an easy one: ‘Business Intelligence 4 ALL’. And to answer the ‘why?’. This project was about building a community. I can’t think about more fun at work.

I forward this challenge to my colleagues Eileen Butler, Bjoern Brencher and Martin Heisig. And here are your questions:

· If you were 20 again, what would you study and why?

· What was the most fun project you ever participated in and why?

· What do you most enjoy on SCN?

Have fun!