Meet Michaela, Web Developer at Fortnox
What do fashion design and developing have in common? The answer is more than you would think. Michaela was planning for a future in the fashion industry, but an education that included programming made her question her preconceptions on the area and change tracks. Now she is working as a web developer and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Take part in her story.
This is how we work with development
At Fortnox, our developers are organized into autonomous teams. The teams decide on the way they work and the technology they use themselves and are free to develop their own culture. Close collaboration with product areas and support is a given, and they have great responsibility for design and solutions.The teams work with modern technology in our microservice architecture.
We are continuously investing in “Developer Happiness” through consistent and long-term initiatives. As a developer, aside from a high level of job satisfaction and enjoying your work, it’s important that you also feel you can grow here and that you can make a difference.
Michaela Sääw was planning on a career in the fashion industry, but a course in web design and graphics opened her eyes to the field of web development.
- I had completely discounted it as a possibility. I thought that it was more about mathematics and logic and that it was too difficult. But the course I took included programming, and to my surprise, I discovered that it was an awful lot of fun, says Michaela.
Michaela realized that the emphasis of web development was largely about solving problems and being creative rather than calculating and thinking logically, and that suited her perfectly. She is a restless and creative person who always wants to be innovative, challenge herself and learn new things. She has now settled in as a web developer in a team at Fortnox.
- There are always new projects on the go and many plans in the pipeline here, which I like. I always feel like I am moving forward and that I am contributing to the development of something positive. I want to remain in my position as long as I possibly can because I get along so well in the company and in the team. It’s a lot of fun.
"There are always new projects on the go and many plans in the pipeline here, which I like. I always feel like I am moving forward and that I am contributing to the development of something positive."
Michaela Sääw
Developer
Michaela, together with her development team, is responsible for fortnox.se. Fortnox.se is at the center of Fortnox’s offering. It’s the point of entry for both new and existing customers and a hub for our products and services. With so many target groups, there is a large range of needs and wishes that the team needs to satisfy – a delicate balance that is not always easy to maintain but that appeals to Michaela. This is problem solving at a high level.
- We are a small hub with a very large contact network, and in 2022 we also launched a new website. It is really fun to use new technology and build new solutions, and everyone in the team is so committed, which is a fantastic feeling. Together, we can achieve almost anything.
The team works in an agile way, an approach that enables adaptation and quick deliveries. It has access to the entire library of technology and even if the delivery targets are fixed, it can influence almost everything else. This yields a high level of job satisfaction and a culture where people want to try new things and develop together.
Michaela has full-stack expertise just like most of the other members of the team, but much of their work is front end since they work with the company’s shop window, the website. Nevertheless, she believes that specialization is not so important initially. All new developers are provided with an introduction to frameworks and services when they start. For back end, this is Java and React, and for front end, it is JavaScript. After this, they can learn more about what they think is most fun.
“You can work with a vast variety of things here. I think that everyone can find their right path, even if getting there can require some drive and curiosity,” says Michaela.
Michaela is happy where she is, having found her place in her team and project. One reason that she is so satisfied is that she is able to continue to develop her skills. For example, she takes an online course on Thursday afternoon on the frameworks that the team works with.
“I know the basics, but I want to become as good as I can be. For me personally, it’s fun to develop, but it’s also good for the team as it helps to prevent incidents and enables us to deliver even better quality. And what’s fantastic about Fortnox is that you always receive a positive response if you want to develop in a certain field, take a course or learn a new technique.”
All of the members of the team have different strengths, meaning that together they possess considerable expertise – something they need since fortnox.se is complex, fun and challenging. Once upon a time, the fashion industry felt like the obvious and most creative path forward for Michaela. Now she knows that by daring to question her preconceptions and being open to new things, you have everything to gain.
Java | .NET Core | Python | Reactive streams | Javascript/TypeScript | React | Vue.js | Swift | PostgreSQL | SQL Server | Git | PHP