Andrey saw a computer when he was first six years old, and since then, he has been passionate about technology. He went to youth clubs to learn how to code and read about computers while at school. This path naturally led him to the Technical University in Plovdiv. Before he even graduated as an electronic engineer, Andrey started work at Kodar.
Twenty years later, Andrey is still with Kodar and jokes about changing jobs frequently. “When I started, there were no defined roles. There were only accountants, developers, and owner. So my career started as a developer.” Gradually, Kodar went from working on the Bulgarian market to servicing global projects.
Andrey’s interests include databases, SQL servers, and Power BI. Acquiring this knowledge and getting certified is still more like a hobby but he hopes to apply it in projects. Having lots of connections with people in the Power BI community, Andrey kept following the innovations and the development of Microsoft’s service. This is how he created the Power BI user group in his hometown, Plovdiv.
His greatest lesson after 20 years of growth in Kodar is to delegate tasks and to manage the company’s ever-expanding team.
“Sometimes you know you can do it quicker and better, but you need to accept it even when you aren’t happy with the result. I have now learned how to delegate, even if that is still challenging.”
He is also very disciplined when it comes to dealing with stress––when coming home after work, he resists the temptation to open his laptop and finish work. Another lesson Andrey has learned was to work as a team and keep building on top of his skills.
“When you are involved in a project and you can communicate well with your team, it usually works out.”
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What is your biggest professional challenge?
Creating and growing a team. We are currently hiring people who are born in the year when I started working for Kodar. My challenge is to help them learn new skills and gain experience, to build an effective team. There is no recipe for success, it’s important to maintain close relationships with people. It’s a matter of time and individual qualities.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I have two children and this takes me a lot of time so it’s challenging to have hobbies. I love riding a bike and being outdoors.
What is your favorite movie genre?
I like comedies, romantic movies, action movies, and so on. I like movies with a good story.
What is your favourite book?
Terry Pratchett––I appreciate his sense of humour. I like fantasy books, but also criminal novels. I like reading but I have little time for that, unfortunately.
How many coffees do you drink per day?
At least two full cups. I like this joke that we developers are good at converting caffeine into bugs.
What fulfils you?
My family and spending time with them.