Is work fun or am I doing something wrong?

X2 Mobile is unique, equipped with the latest technology and we can adapt to your specific needs. Through X2 Mobile we combine our passion for mobile app development with our keen interest in human development. Our team of high-class product experts, creative designers, and top-notch developers are always eager to find new challenges and have an impact on a global scale.

Time to meet the Product Manager at X2 Mobile, Diana!

Why did you join X2 Mobile, and what has kept you here?

This is one of the stories I actually like sharing with friends when they are in the search for their next professional endeavor.

When I first learned about X2 Mobile, another company had already made me a very nice offer. A bigger, worldwide known company that in comparison with X2, a start-up with less than 10 employees at that time and less than 5 years of experience in the field, would seem to most people a far better and “safer” choice.

I was a 23 years old senior college student with no work experience facing one of the toughest decisions I had to make up to that point.

Why did I choose X2? Call me a dreamer, call me unreasonable, but I just didn’t want to choose the safer, easier path. Add to that the opportunity and challenge of being part of and bringing your contribution to growing a company from its early, hazy and full of exciting days to how far we managed to get today and more. How much more? However more we want and are willing to work for.

Apart from this “starting in a garage and conquering the world” dream, I remember that George, the company’s CEO really did his best in trying to convince me which gave me the reassurance and momentum I needed at that time because he had no way to know that an inexperienced student will eventually be a good fit for his company so he must have seen some potential in me and I dare to say, he wasn’t wrong.

Almost 5 years have passed and I still believe it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I chose to stay because both from a professional and personal standpoint, it was everything I expected from a workplace and more. Challenging projects, never-ending growth opportunities, great transparency and communication, awesome team and culture.

Celebrating a major release with the team 

What is your proudest moment at X2 Mobile?

There are many moments I remember with both pride and a deep sense of fulfilment but one always stands out.

It was great feedback we received from a school representative that uses one of the products we develop. We don’t usually have direct access to our end users so collecting feedback directly from them was always a bit of a struggle.

At that moment we had just released a major update with a complete redesign to the app and we were feeling pretty confident about the result but we didn’t know how the users will see it. And don’t get me wrong, doing what you love, having a great time with your team and getting paid to do it, awesome, but nothing compares to the feeling that your work contributed to making someone’s life easier, to improving something, to providing a solution for someone’s problems.

What do you like most about X2 Mobile?

Easy. The company culture. When I used to hear this term before working here I never quite understood what it means or how important it is.

Of course, there are a lot of aspects you have to take into consideration when making decisions about your professional development and a lot are linked to or influenced by your workplace or employee but one that I’ve learned is much more important than I thought is the company’s culture. I like to believe this is one of the things we value most at X2 Mobile.

Having your voice heard, being able to speak your mind and communicate openly full transparency, not having to go to work with dread but with joy, knowing your team will always have your back and you theirs, working together towards the same goal, knowing that you can always grow professionally and also contribute to something meaningful or just spending the evening at the office watching a movie together… All of this is what I consider to be a good and healthy company culture.

How do you describe your work personality vs. your home life personality?

At the beginning of my career, I used to think my work personality has to be very different from my home life one because I am a straightforward person with a very strong personality and I always speak my mind. At work, I used to think this will not be accepted and that my behaviour will be seen as rude or ill-intended.

Moreover, as a product manager, I had to strongly refine my communication and negotiation skills and sometimes even resolve conflicts that might arise between team members or between the team and the stakeholders. So in the beginning, I thought this would translate into keeping my head and voice down and even accepting things I would never agree with within my personal life.

But I then started to see that while I can and should improve my soft skills I don’t have to give up on what makes me be me.

Now I believe that the best approach is to take what I value most in my home life personality and apply it at work, while also using my work experience to be a better version of myself with my friends and family.

Some intricate team building activity (yep, we had no idea what we were doing) 

How do you balance your career at X2 Mobile and friends & family?

I recently read a book called Unnatural Causes wrote by a top forensic pathologist, a great book that besides the thrilling insights into the world of criminal investigations, has given me a different perspective about work-life.

Even though the author mentions that he believes both his career and that of his wife might have contributed to issues in their personal life, he also believes that since you have to work for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for most of your life anyway, why not make something great out of it? Why feel guilty that you enjoy it? We are talking about a third of the day, in some cases even more.

That is a lot of time if you think about it. But it can be a time well spent. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a separate part of your life, it can simply be something that brings you as much joy and fulfilment as any other activity. And like anything else it will also come with some struggles and challenges, but where would the fun be without them?

What did you want to be when growing up?

Batman. Don’t laugh, hear me out! I remember I was about 10 years old when I thought of this and it seemed so doable because while I did like a lot of other superheroes and heroines, Batman had no superpower, no magical potions or supernatural origins, he was just a very smart man on a mission to save the world (with a lot of money to buy all the flashy gadgets, I know).

So, why would it be impossible? Give me a cape and 1 billion dollars and I still believe I would make a great Batman. Jokes aside, I am glad that almost 20 years later, the way I felt as I child hasn’t changed. I still believe that if you really work hard for your dreams, nothing is out of reach. 

Get to know Diana and the rest of the X2 Mobile team!

We’re delighted that Diana decided to join X2 Mobile – it’s been great having them on board! If you have any questions or want to get to know Diana or one of their colleagues from the Product Manager team, we can put you in touch. Don’t hesitate to reach out!