Having lived in Belgium and the Czech Republic prior to starting a life in Denmark, gives two of our colleagues a unique perspective on the Danish culture. We asked them to share their stories and reflect on how it is to be a part of Lind Capital and our work culture.
Bram De Neve, Product Owner at LC
My road to Lind Capital
I moved from Belgium to Denmark in 2017 out of love, I believe, as my wife got a PhD opportunity here. When we first considered this move, we had to look up the city of Aarhus. Of course, we had the general idea of the Danes being the “happiest people in the world”, but we did not really know how it was here. Having lived in Aarhus for many years now, I have learned that Aarhus is called “the city of smiles” for a reason.
My position as a Product Owner at Lind Capital is my third job in Denmark, yet my first time in a smaller organisation. A noticeable difference from other places is that in Denmark, you are encouraged to have confidence in your abilities from day one, as you are entrusted with freedom and great responsibility. Opposed to proving your worth before being granted responsibility, this Danish approach inspires everyone to do their best, and maybe even a bit more than that.
Future-oriented mindset
LC is a growing organisation, where we develop our own tools for our Traders to use and we continuously invest in technology to become more data driven. From my perspective, this is a very interesting journey to be part of. Moreover, LC recognizes the value of both personal and professional development. This is promoted through a 90/10 principle, entailing that you use 10% of your time on seeking new knowledge and development opportunities, while 90% is spent on tasks within one’s job description. To me, this is a win-win, as you learn something new and give room for innovation to thrive, which is vital for the survival of an organisation as LC.
Big culture, small organisation
When moving to Denmark I was curious to see how the culture played out in practice. An example that has crossed my mind several times, is that Danes are strict on time. If you have booked a meeting room and others occupy it, irrespectively of who is in the room, it is acceptable to interrupt the meeting and claim the room. This is not the case everywhere.
At LC, diverse mindsets are considered an advantage that cultivates innovation, and the company is really interested in hiring more internationals and people with different backgrounds. In general, you get the feeling that the main asset of LC is the people. LC does a lot to create a great work environment. Among other things, they organise a lot of social events for you to get to know your colleagues. They also provide a lot of responsibility, and always ensure flexibility for the individual person. Due to this high level of flexibility in terms of remote work and scheduling your own time, it is possible to make a career while still having time to be with your family.
A first impression
I was born in Slovakia, raised in Czech Republic, and landed my first full-time job at Lind Capital in Denmark. Back in 2015, I moved to Horsens, Denmark, to explore the adventure of living in another country while studying a degree in Computer Engineering. Before moving to Denmark, I had the impression that Danes were very cosy and easy-going. Luckily, that turned out to be true.
Vladimir Rocin, Software Developer at LC
While I value that we are all treated equally and that you are evaluated for your skills and attitude rather than your nationality in LC, I am still adjusting to the informal atmosphere and the flat hierarchy. I have wondered how this relaxed culture can work so well and concluded that it must be because everybody take ownership and is responsible about it.
Tech magnet
Looking for my first job, I was naturally attracted to the modern stack of technologies used in LC. They are mostly well documented, easy to use, and very useful to know for future career steps, especially in the wide field of web development. The complex codebase often makes the work challenging, but I am given the space and time to cope with the challenges I face, and I am surrounded by smart and experienced colleagues who are always happy to help. The discussions do not always concern specific code but rather concepts and approaches, which gives a lot of insight and inspiration too. And yes, the discussions are in English. Although there are not many internationals in the company yet, my colleagues across LC communicate well in English.
Shared interests
Considering how much I have time to do outside of work reflects that we have a great balance between work and personal life. This enables me to spend a lot of time on my different hobbies such as volleyball. A big part of the culture at LC actually evolves around people caring about each other’s interests. We like to share new experiences together and for example, a bunch of us met up to challenge each other in indoor climbing. These initiatives support newcomers in building a social network.
Another cornerstone of our culture is how much we like to acknowledge successes and celebrate with each other. In the beginning, I was surprised by how much cake they eat here. There is always a good excuse to celebrate at the office, leading to small and big festivities. Our company trip to Gozo with the purpose of celebrating the success of 2021 and spending some quality time together, blew my mind.
Curious to know more? Bram and Vladimir share their views on our celebration habits and coffee addiction among other things in the video here.
