Meet Szymon Wójcik - iOS developer at CrustLab

Hi there! Szymon here. I've been part of Crustlab for almost three years as I joined CrustLab at the very beginning. To this day, I work here as an iOS developer. I started my adventure with writing code quite early, in primary school, at the age of 14. I wanted to see what a computer program looks like from the inside, so I googled the beginner programming and there it was - Turbo Pascal. I've always been self-taught. I started writing simple programs such as a calculator, a store management system or a library, etc. A moment later, as a teenager, I played a lot of games and like many of my friends I thought about making my own game. After some time, I created my first iPhone game in Unity 3D. It was based on a gyroscope - you controlled a board on which various objects fell, you had to keep as many of them as possible. Unfortunately, it was recently removed from the App Store due to the lack of updates in the last 4 years. I stopped making games because as an indie developer I wasn't able to do everything myself, e.g. to draw assets. Three of my applications are available to this day, although there used to be more.

Working with “old buddies” at our Crustlab office keeps me motivated and happy.

How long have you been in iOS development and when did you start?

I have been creating mobile applications for iOS for almost 5 years. I started right after high school. I wanted to act, develop and implement interesting projects, instead of being passive and studying and waiting for life to turn out.

Then I set the goal of creating two applications (I had two ideas) within 6 months. I started from scratch and achieved this goal in 50%. I wrote one app - a simple reminder because I didn't like the native one in iOS. In the meantime I started my first job as an iOS developer.

Why did you start working at CrustLab as an iOS developer and what kept you in this company?

At that time I was working as an iOS developer in another company. I was relatively satisfied and I wasn't looking for a new job. Then Adam (CEO of CrustLab) found me on the web and we got in touch. My attention was drawn to the fact that his message was not at all like a recruiter's message, more like an old friend's.

I realized that this bit was lacking in the office where I used to work. I decided to take a risk and change - to this day it is probably the atmosphere of working with "old buddies" that makes me not want to leave CrustLab.

Being serious for a team portrait 😅

What projects have you worked on as an iOS developer and which one gave you the most satisfaction?

In my career, I have created +20 applications, from the simplest ones describing a timely event, through Facebook copies, training applications, crypto banking, to betting applications.

Sportech is the largest and most complex application, without a doubt, not only for me but for the whole CrustLab's software development team and I am most proud of this project.

What is the one thing you value most about working at CrustLab?

As I said, the atmosphere of working with friends, a super flat structure, absolute honesty and a very sane attitude to criticism without beating around the bush.

What is your goal/dream not related to the work of an iOS developer?

It sounds pathetic, but practically my whole life is closely related to iOS development. Finishing work for CrustLab, I sit down to do my own projects. I don’t think a month passes without me working on my own projects. So the biggest goal/dream is to create my own iOS application with millions of users!

How do you spend your time outside the office?

When I'm not working, I try to travel as much as I can. Due to the cultural differences, the most interesting place I have visited so far is Sri Lanka. I liked it so much that I plan a longer stay, this time in Thailand/Vietnam, as soon as the situation in the world stabilizes.

In addition, I try to visit all major Polish cities, spending the weekend in them, so far I have visited ten out of twenty of the biggest ones. I'm really into basketball so in my spare time I'm trying to grab a ball and play a bit. I meet my family and friends, and from time to time I try to show up at the gym.

Physical activity is a must to relieve the long hours spent at the computer writing code. However, if I am too tired or simply don't feel like it, I just play games and rest. In my spare time, I'm also a stock market newbie trying to find the best options.

Visiting Sri Lanka was fascinating due to the vast cultural differences to Poland.

What is the most important book you have read in your life, and why?

Even though I have read a lot of books, I don't have one that would change my life. If I had to point out the one that I remember the most, it would be a series of novels about Mordimer Madderdin by Polish writer Jacek Piekara.

What is your life motto?

I try to learn something new from each failure.

If you could spend a day with any famous person (living, historical or fictional) who would it be and what would you do?

I am not the type of person who has any idols, rather I try to observe their best qualities in others. If I had to point to anyone, it would be Kobe Bryant as a model of self-control and ruthless pursuit of goals. So to answer the question, if I could spend the day with Kobe Bryant, we'd probably be playing basketball all day together.

Who would you be in your life if it wasn't an iOS developer?

I would definitely be a stockbroker. Playing the stock market is my hobby, which I have been doing for some time, not without success. I like this element of risk and satisfaction when the shares you buy record an increase in value.

Meet Szymon and take advantage of his experience in iOS development! Szymon is one of the core pillars of our software development team. His contribution to projects carried out for our clients is invaluable, and applications written privately are always a job well done! Szymon shares tips on iOS development on our blog, be sure to check it out and if you have any questions - write to us!