Get to know Paulina, Future Mind’s top cat lover!

Future Mind is the dynamic and efficient organization that you all know thanks to the many amazing individuals that make it work day in and day out. Whether you’re a potential Client or a prospective staff member, you might want to get to know some of our employees – what they think about Future Mind, how they ended up here, and what they love doing in their free time.

This time, get ready to meet Paulina Wysakowska – a kitten momma who tests Future Mind software when her cats allow her to touch the keyboard!

How did you end up at Future Mind?

I’d been working at the same international corporation for a few years already, and I felt like I needed a change. I found Future Mind’s job advertisement and I decided to respond to it. I sent them my CV, and the rest is history. I was invited to an interview, of course, and I really liked the way the recruitment process was going from the very beginning.

All throughout my interview, I felt like I was talking to a new friend about my previous professional experience and fun technological challenges. It was great because I hate recruitment processes that feel like examinations. They stress me out and make me perform below my actual capabilities.

Do you remember your first weeks? How did you like them?

After leaving the stiff corporate environment that I’d been used to, I was absolutely smitten by Future Mind. It was an extremely pleasant surprise to see that everyone was willing to help me. Any time I encountered some problem or had any doubts, someone would volunteer to lend me a hand. It made me feel like I really was a part of a team.

Still, the first weeks were challenging. I was given individual responsibility from the very beginning, which wasn’t easy to adjust to after a corporate job, but I think it was great for me. It allowed me to hit the ground running and adapt to working at Future Mind in no time.

Paulina connecting with her colleagues from the safety of her own home

Do you have any special memories from your time at the company?

I haven’t been able to form as many memories as I’d like to because of the pandemic, but I hope that we’ll all spend more time together in the near future. Actually, just a few days before this interview I met up for the first time in months with some girls from work. It was so fun to have cocktails and catch up with our lives after so much time without seeing each other!

How do you feel about your colleagues? Have you made any friends?

There are quite a lot of people that I haven’t been able to meet in real life yet, but I feel like the way our Slack is organized allows us to function as a team anyway. All the fun channels we have for different activities and hobbies allow me to feel fully integrated into the company – like I really am a part of something bigger.

I think we work really well together, and we all share a similar sense of humor that always makes checking out new Slack messages a pleasure. Sometimes, I think that verifying if someone fits our company culture must be a really important part of the recruitment process for our HR specialists – and it seems that they’re doing a great job!

How do you like the way you work at Future Mind?

I enjoy the way we organize our projects. We usually use Scrum tools. There is no hierarchy, we have a flat structure, which means that we usually make decisions after a discussion.

The teams are mostly self-managed and everyone can have a say, which I see as really important. Every person’s opinion matters – this is the way I think organizations should function.

I also like that we work with modern technologies and use tools that make our lives easier. The project I’m currently focusing on is mostly about developing the application, not just maintenance, which makes it much more interesting than what I previously worked on.

Let’s learn more about what you’re like – what are you passionate about?

This one may be a little old school according to some people, but I absolutely love reading books. These days I mostly read non-fiction books and Polish fiction. I finished “Cukry” by Dorota Kotas a few days ago. I like practicing yoga and going on walks – or traveling when the situation allows. I’m also a proud mum of two kittens. Taking care of them may be my biggest hobby.

Tell us more about your cats!

They’re a special pair: Donat and Lacrima. Donat was a stray when we adopted him, he’s extremely adorable and sensitive, but he doesn’t really complain much – except for the cases when he can see the bottom of the food bowl, which he sees as a great occasion to cry.

Paulina sharing the keyboard with one of her cats

Lacrima is a brave Maine Coon and a real princess of the cat world. She’s very sociable and friendly. I would describe her personality as a dog trapped in a cat’s body.

You said you liked traveling. Any spots you really want to visit?

If money didn’t matter, I’d like to spend several months driving a car around South America. A bit like in road trip movies – I would traverse thousands of kilometers while getting to visit dozens of extraordinary places.

Do you prefer the sea or the mountains?

I generally prefer mountains, but if the sea is exceptionally warm, I may actually pick it as well. And that is why Barcelona is the best place on Earth – it has both at a short distance!

What’s your favorite cocktail?

I don’t drink alcohol, so let me go for cold brew coffee. I’ll also share my favorite snack to make up for it – I love fries. No matter where I am or what time of day or night it is!

And who would you most like to meet?

Taylor Swift! She’s incredibly inspiring, and we could also tell each other all about our cats. :)

Get to know Paulina and the rest of the Future Mind team!

We’re really happy that Paulina decided to join Future Mind – it’s been great having her on board! If you have any questions or want to get to know Paulina or one of her colleagues from the QA team, we can put you in touch. Don’t hesitate to reach out!