Our alum Tomi Äijö: Promoting sustainable software development and building a great workplace in self-founded company
Software development is problem solving
Tomi Äijö’s duties in his software business have varied a lot over the years, but his job description has crystallised and settled in its current form with the company’s increasing roster. At present, Tomi spends most of his time steering the wider picture of the business while also running specific customer projects. In addition, he finds it important to stay involved in practical programming work.
“Alongside my other duties, I still want to engage in practical programming, as it is what originally sparked my passion for the field. The best thing about software work is getting to solve problems on a wide range,” Tomi says.
Before setting up his own business, Tomi worked as a project manager and design engineer for another Tampere-based software company, and as a research assistant for the former Tampere University of Technology (TUT). In his opinion, Tampere offers a wide range of career opportunities for skilled programmers.
Tampere is another key hub in our field alongside Helsinki. Large software companies, such as Bitwise and Vincit, have been established here and the employment opportunities are practically on par with the metropolitan area. There is no need to move away from Tampere for work.
Tomi Äijö, Co-Founder, Senior Software Engineer, Monad Oy
“Tampere is another key hub in our field alongside Helsinki. Large software companies, such as Bitwise and Vincit, have been established here and the employment opportunities are practically on par with the metropolitan area. There is no need to move away from Tampere for work,” he says.
Since childhood, Tomi’s path has been steered by his interest and talent in mathematics. He grew up surrounded by computers and took up programming recreationally as a child. Another important step on his path was Hervanta Upper Secondary School which cooperated closely with companies and also provided him with the opportunity to complete his first TUT courses.
Seeking studies at TUT had been a given for Tomi since upper secondary school. He started his studies there in 2009, first majoring in industrial engineering and management. A year later, he switched to computer science which, at the time, operated under the Faculty of Mathematics. Tomi also wrote his master’s thesis on a topic related to mathematical optimisation.
“It was great to find a well-suited study place in my hometown and not have to leave. I completed my bachelor’s degree in two years and my master’s in five. In hindsight, I may even have graduated a bit too quickly. I wonder why I was in such a hurry,” Tomi says laughing.
Technologies come and go, but the foundation persists
When Tomi founded the software company Monad with his former colleagues Mikael von Bonsdorff and Aki Haapamäki back in 2017, the core ideology was clear from the start: they wanted to build software solutions on a sustainable foundation. Today, solutions developed by the company are utilised by notable companies across a wide range of fields, from healthcare to industry.
“A persistent challenge in our field is that software solutions are built short-sightedly to keep the prices low. This often means having to revamp the system every five years. In the long term, it is more economical to set your sights on the future and create sustainable solutions from the get-go. I see this as a challenge for us working in the field. We need to be able to communicate this to the customers,” Tomi says.
Tomi’s workdays vary a lot from day to day. Some of his tasks involve social interaction in the customer interface and with the staff, while administrative duties, for example, are mostly independent work. One major benefit in having one’s own company is the freedom: you can take a week or two and spend it in the wilderness of Lapland – if you choose to do so. At least for now, Tomi feels that entrepreneurship was a decision for life. He is happy to develop the best possible workplace for current employees and new recruits alike.
In terms of his own job description, Tomi finds that it still matches his university education. He also feels that it provided him with a good set of tools for working life. That being said, the rapidly evolving field constantly requires learning new alongside your everyday work. Currently, topics such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are hot in the field.
The university education wisely focused more on the fundamentals than specific techniques and methods. Software and technologies tend to change quickly but the foundation remains the same. I appreciate the fact that our studies stayed away from hyping up the latest trends.
Tomi Äijö, Co-Founder, Senior Software Engineer, Monad Oy
“The university education wisely focused more on the fundamentals than specific techniques and methods. Software and technologies tend to change quickly but the foundation remains the same. I appreciate the fact that our studies stayed away from hyping up the latest trends,” Tomi says.
For the same reason, Tomi encourages current programming students to seek the right mindset for quick and constant evolution. Instead of fearing change, it is wise to find one’s optimal way to keep up with the hectic pace.
“It pays to identify your individual way of learning new. Instead of getting stuck on specific techniques and only learning one programming language, for example, I recommend seeking methods for teaching yourself something new. One of the perks in this field is that you get to see and experience a whole bunch of things,” Tomi says.
INFO BOX
Who: Tomi Äijö
Position: Co-Founder and Senior Software Engineer, Monad Oy
Degree: Master of Science (Computer Science) 2009–2014
Fun fact: Out of Monad’s 33 employees, as many as 30 are Tampere university community alums.
Quote: “Many engineers find that, as their careers progress, practical work in their specific expert field gradually falls away as other duties start to take up more time. I still want to engage in practical programming, as it is what originally sparked my passion for the field.”
Text: Tiina Leivo
Picture: Monad Oy / Karri Harju