Christoph is not only our Technical Project Manager, but also a dad, as well as a consumer and producer of cinnamon rolls. He shares stories about his first computers and how he supports a team of cardiologists.
Christoph, what happened in your life before imito?
I worked at a medical company that sold a cardiovascular documentation system. With it you could document details about pacemakers, ultrasound examinations or cardiac catheterisations.
The main users were cardiologists in hospitals, who used it, for example, after stent surgery. But private cardiologists were also our clients. Now at imito, wound management is much more cross-departmental, and a variety of medical specialists use our software.
I also have a broader range of responsibilities now compared to before. While my previous job was “just IT” as a freshly trained (Business) IT specialist, at imito it's a mix of project management, customisation and IT - which I personally find very exciting.
So you're not the typical IT guy who just wants to write software?
No, I really enjoy customer contact. If I could choose, I’d say the perfect number of meetings for me would probably be one per day with different customers. Sure, you can sort out a lot by email, but things often become clearer in meetings and new ideas can develop.
Which customers are you currently working most closely with?
Right now with the Cellitinnen Hospitals, Regensburg, Adelheid and Thurgau. I have also been to the Cellitinnen Hospitals in Cologne and Wuppertal in person and held several training sessions - where typically 10 to 30 people are in the room, and I explain how imito works.
With Thurgau and Adelheid, we’ve also had regular jour-fixe meetings for years. So every 2 to 4 weeks, we check in and see how things are going and if there are any current issues.
Did you already know the jour-fixe format?
Yes, but only during ongoing projects, not after successful implementation, that’s something I really only know from imito. We offer it to every hospital - some like to do it, some don’t. Sometimes the meeting only last 5 minutes, sometimes a bit longer if we have something new to show them.
Recently, for example, we introduced a new feature that lets you view pressure ulcer statistics in imitoWeb - this was particularly well received, for example at Adelheid. Usually, IT staff attend these jour fixes, and sometimes the key user joins in too, for example a wound specialist, if they find time.
If you were a doctor, which speciality would you choose?
Since I’m already familiar with cardiology, I’d probably say: cardiologist. I just find everything related to the heart fascinating.
I even got to observe some heart surgeries back then, just to take a look. It was fascinating - in a stent placement, for example, you don’t actually see as much blood as you’d expect. Most of the time, a fine wire is inserted via the groin or shoulder. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet seen a pacemaker implantation.
And you still work in cardiology up to today, right?
Yes, I still work a few hours for a working group of a cardiologist at the TUM Klinikum in Munich. I’ve been doing that for several years now and help them to analyse medical data. Through my previous job, I had a lot to do with the team there, so I just stayed to support with data analysis.
Did you ever create your own personal IT job too - do you write software for yourself?
No, programming isn’t really my thing. I didn’t even like programming back in my apprenticeship. I was always rather the one assembling computers - and I still do that today, for friends and myself. Every computer I’ve ever owned, I’ve put together myself.
Do you remember what you did on your first computer?
We had the first computer at home, when I was, don’t want to lie, I think I was about 8 years old. Back then, I played Pinball and golf. There were still floppy disks, and to go online, you had to use a modem.
But what I remember particularly well is that my dad and I, when we got a new PC, we cut a “hole” in the side of the computer with a jigsaw. Then we could stick in a neon tube and glue plexiglass over it - so it would glow amazingly.
These days, you can just buy a computer that's all glass on the side so you can look inside. But it used to be all sealed off, so we had to tinker a bit ourselves.
Who do you “tinker” with daily now in the imito team?
Daily with Florian. If we’re not talking, we’re definitely messaging. And now also with Svetlana in our customer support team - she has been on board since May, while I was on parental leave. And, of course, with the developers: Artem, Konstantin, Alex, Eugene, and Peter.
What do you appreciate most about Florian?
I’d say we’re pretty similar when it comes to problems or ideas on how to approach them. He’s also an IT specialist like me, worked in a hospital, and has a few more years of experience under his belt.
After work, you go to the gym - do you also do CrossFit like Laura?
No, I just do regular weightlifting, mostly with barbells & Co. I think I go to the gym so I can eat - cinnamon rolls, for example.
You love baking those yourself? Why cinnamon rolls, and who taught you that?
All self-taught. I just started making cinnamon rolls at some point and then the dough was such a hit in the family because it was so fluffy. Since then, they always want cinnamon rolls for their birthdays.
Lastly, who do you admire or which podcasts do you listen to a lot?
Good question. I listen to a lot of podcasts about investing - so my spontaneous answer would be: Warren Buffett. I admire his patience with investments. Or I often listen to The Diary of a CEO by Stephen Bartlett.
Otherwise, since April, since I became a dad, we’ve been playing more and more classical music at home to help my daughter fall asleep. Mostly we listen to a waltz or Misty Mountains from “The Hobbit” where I mumble along. Then I have her in my arms, in the carrier, and she usually falls asleep.
Thank you, Christoph, for bringing everything to the table - both clinical and technical experience, as well as a big heart, making working with you every day a real sweet treat!
