Curious what it’s like to work in TransitionHERO? Read our latest interview with Adam, who was our first employee!
After Petra and Stef founded TransitionHERO in April 2019, Adam was the first to join the team. He explains the timing for him to join TransitionHERO was perfect, as he was searching for a new opportunity when he met Stef and Petra: “fate brought us together!” His motivation to join was closely linked to his previous engineering work, which he loved doing. However, he realized his heart wasn’t in it for the long run: “I care about sustainability, I can’t spend my life not working in sustainability because … who is going to do it if it’s not me?” So, he decided to use his engineering talents to work towards sustainability.
“I care about sustainability; I can’t spend my life not working in sustainability because … who is going to do it if it’s not me?”
Being the first to join a startup, there was an aspect of uncertainty: “It’s kind of risky right, you join a new company with two cofounders, there’s no proof of what they do, there’s no long-term stability.” But Petra and Stef had his trust from the start, as he explains: “they’re like two of the most competent people I’ve ever met… it’s nice to have these people to aspire towards.” He explains he is inspired by their management style, as “they’re competent, they have answers enough for everything, yet they still want to hear from us and make sure that our voices are considered, heard and carried forward”. He explains that since the beginning, they make a point of checking in with their employees as much as possible, which has been consistent throughout the fast-changing nature of TransitionHERO.
Since he was the first to join the team, he has seen the team dynamic change over the years. He recalls: “in the beginning we had so few people that each time you added a person the dynamic changed”. However, he points out Stef and Petra had the goal of preserving a great culture and team dynamic. This was always at the front of their minds: “At the top of the list of requirements of hiring is: Are they a good fit for the team?” This selectiveness in candidates was frustrating at first when work pressure was high. But it paid off, and he says, “I totally appreciate it now” as “everyone has some kind of click with each other.” Adam clarifies, since the team is bigger, “now the culture has stabilized to the extent that if you add a new person, it’s not going to tip the balance. That new person is exposed to a kind of spirit that is shared by everyone in the team.”
So, what is the TransitionHERO team spirit? Adam describes it as: “The heart is sustainability; I think that really is the main one. For all our projects, the key is circular materials or renewable energy, so sustainability is the core of what we’re doing.” On top of that, he emphasizes “fun is a priority as well, which really sets us apart”. He explains that on top of having lots of check-in moments and involving clients in the process, the team strives to have fun with clients as much as possible. All team members share those values, and “everyone that gets added to the team is very talented, … everyone has a unique skill set and is very good at what they do, and we all complement each other in a great way”. The combination of motivation for sustainability, prioritizing fun and relationships, and competent people, creates a work environment in which Adam feels at home.
One of his biggest accomplishments so far has been born from a need to innovate: a software product called Bubbles. He explains it “essentially streamlines the whole process from engineering all the way into a business case within one tool.” It was based on an idea Stef and Petra had when he joined. They had this vision for a software that can quickly produce engineering deliverables in the conceptual stage of a project. It efficiently calculates all cost drivers (e.g. CAPEX, OPEX), which are used to determine the business case. This allows for a quick comparison of different conceptual designs and their corresponding costs and business cases. By automating a lot of repetitive tasks, more time is left to explore different designs that are workable for the client. Adam explains that he understood the need for this product right away: “I fully embraced it, and I love this idea of think big and we can make it happen”. He shares “We’ve invested a lot of time and energy into it over the last five years. We’ve used it for most of our projects and it’s allowed us to achieve great results for a lot of our clients. It’s really cool to be working for a company that focuses resources on developing such a thing!
Curious about Bubbles? Contact us here.