Developing firmware at Evalan, what’s that like? We asked Hashim!

What does a day at Evalan look like for Hashim, and what achievement is he most proud of? Read his answers in this interview.

What is your position within the company, and what does it entail?

Within Evalan, I have two positions: firmware engineer and project manager. I started as a project manager, but after a year, I missed developing, so I decided to switch to developing firmware, even though I have no background in this. Now, I mainly work as a firmware engineer. I spend about 70% of my time on that. As a firmware engineer, I develop and test the functionalities of smart devices, such as the wearable BACE Go and heart rate and motion sensors. I spend the other 30% of my time on project management. In this role, I coordinate the wishes of the customer and translate these into a product vision with a deadline and budget.

What does a day at Evalan look like for you?

My working day starts with a cup of coffee and an online stand-up with the team. In this stand-up, we divide the tasks and whether help is needed from teammates. In the morning, I am mostly busy with smaller tasks, such as answering emails, meetings, or helping colleagues. In the afternoon, I usually focus on bigger tasks, such as delivering a report for a client or performing functionality tests, and designing products and functionalities.

What’s your best work-from-home accessory?

My headphones. This is not necessarily just for working from home, but also for the office. I almost always listen to music or a podcast while working. What music I listen to then depends on how concentrated I have to work. When I need my full concentration, I usually listen to music without lyrics or in another language. The podcast I’m listening to right now is about people talking about traveling the world on a motorcycle.

What result are you proud of?

We have developed a wearable for SINTEC, a European project in which we participate. Within this project, flexible body sensor patches are being developed that offer many possibilities within the healthcare and sports sector. Two weeks ago, the first delivery took place to three partners of the consortium in three different countries; Italy, Slovenia, and Spain. The wearable works well in all three countries. This was a challenge because in these countries you have to deal with different network providers and in Italy, there is no LTE-M. But luckily, it works!

In this project, I started as a project manager, but I am now also partly a developer. I’m most proud when we reach the stage where there is a working prototype that the end-users are happy with. I also think it would be nice to travel again soon to visit our partners.

How do you manage a work-life balance?

At work, it is important to be open and transparent to the team about the planning. If you think something is not feasible or you need help, it is important to let your colleagues know. In addition, it is essential to reflect together on the goals set and whether they have been achieved in order to be able to make a better estimate of the hours needed to complete the task next time.

I also think you should prioritize your hobbies. Your working hours are for working, the hours outside are not. Outside of work, I am busy with my hobbies, such as sports (bouldering) or traveling and discovering new things such as a new culture, new people, or food from other cultures.

What part of your work gives you the most energy?

The best thing is when a product is finished, and you start implementing or testing it with the end-users. My preference is for medical products because you can greatly improve the quality of someone’s life. You make a difference in that person’s life.

What qualities would you name to describe Evalan’s team?

Motivated. Everyone shares his or her input on the development process and takes responsibility for his or her task. The team is also open and always ready to help. I noticed this especially when I made the switch to firmware engineer. I had a lot of questions at the time, but I was able to contact everyone. It is an informal team and there is no hierarchy. This ensures a pleasant working atmosphere.