Konstantin Kofler

Senior Product Manager

What did you want to be when you were little?

Big. ;-) But I cannot remember any career aspirations beyond that that were really formative.

When and how did you discover your interest in IT and/or cyber security?

By owning and now and then unintentionally “rendering useless” of the family computer, which must have been even before primary school. Even back then, I was fascinated by tinkering with the computer and there was hardly anything more satisfying than getting the computer working again.

How did you become Senior Product Manager? Which training, which knowledge or which experiences were particularly helpful for this?

It was a development that moved from technology to managing. The role here at IKARUS enables me to steer products in a direction that follows a larger overall concept. Above all, it is important to have a certain affinity for technology, the training then only builds on this and forms a basic basis from which you can then use experience, guidance, time, courage and a little luck to get into just about anything.

Which (professional and human) skills are particularly important in your current job?

Communication: The ability to communicate – both externally and internally – is one of the most important qualities; especially communication with people who may not be so good at communicating. Otherwise, it is helpful to have a good grasp of technical issues and a certain enjoyment in solving technical puzzles.

What would you have liked to know about your profession earlier?

First, make sure you always have a way back, be it a backup or a snapshot.

What do you like most and least about your job?

When a tricky problem is solvable in the end and you can end the day with the feeling that you have achieved something.
Which leads to the “least”, namely when there is a problem with a client that cannot be solved and I have to tell the client.

What is special about your role as Senior Product Manager?

The mixture between customer contact and the technology, which allows me to deal with both sides.

What do you think are good ways to get a foothold in the IT and/or cyber security industry?

Just “work”, because the experience you can have in a real company is hardly comparable to that of an academic environment.

Why should someone apply to be your new colleague?

The more, the better.

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