User Manual for Kurt Cotoaga

Communication

  • (First) contact and orthodox digital communication: Drop me an email at kurt@cotoaga.de. We can stick to this channel, and we can also move on and continue via
  • Asynchronous digital channel: I prefer messaging apps such as discord or slack.com.
  • I time-box my time: There are no unscheduled meetings. I am working hard to defend my deep work time as my most precious resource. Please forgive me for treating this asymmetric, so you may get an unexpected call from me in the time I have freed for this. I love to talk to other people and exchange ideas.
  • Cognitive efficiency can be supported by simple means such as an agenda to allow everybody to properly context switch into the topics to cover.
  • Nothing beats an in-person conversation. We, humans, are built for this. The next best is a video call where both parties have their cam switched on. What turns me down is when I am one of the few participants with their cam on.

Tools

  • I prefer the dynamic duo Miro and Zoom.
  • The other duo is Confluence and JIRA, although I could be happier with the JIRA data model.

Work Patterns

As a knowledge worker, I work 24/7. My brain is always active and processes information, makes some garbage collection, and occasionally comes up with innovative new connections. Jogging, laying in the sauna, showering, or dreaming are the usual occasions for great fundamental ideas.

I am not so strict about not working on weekends, but sometimes I have different plans and will not be available due to those plans.

I wake up early, get some deep work done, and get sucked into the regular working schedule, which connects me to the rest of the world but disables excellent ideas. I tend more toward polychronic vs. linear time. When the day fades out, I may work late to connect the dots of the day or ideas swirling in my mind. Therefore, I can not relate to work 9-to-five or the famous “please deliver by End-of-Business” – it is a dumb definition. Hipparchus’ suggestion on slicing time into 24 hours per day is more than two millennials old and was at that time already two millennials aged and still works far better.

Be also aware that I am a master procrastinator!

You will hire me for non-routine development in complex problem domains. As soon as the problem is entangled and the path is clear, meaning we have moved from the complex to the complicated or simple domain, I am more than happy to hand it over to people who love to operate.

To be successful, I need autonomy, the possibility, and the appreciation of excellent, not just mediocre, solutions. I need to work in an environment geared toward the future and technology. Even though, as a multipotentialite, e.g., jack-of-all-trades and master of many, I can do a lot myself but prefer to work as part of a high-performing team.

Oh, I tend to exaggerate on being ironic – bare with me 🙃

My Home-Office Setup

This workplace also has lots of bandwidth with backup, seven Philipps Hue lights, my music, a Dyson air cleaner, and my rules. I only get into an office to meet and interact with others—everything else I can do better at this cockpit.

Other Internet Alter Egos

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