Work/Life Timeline
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CTO
At Tymbe, I transitioned from DevOps and Scrum consulting to a team lead role and eventually to the CTO position.
I am responsible for the entire tech stack and lead a team of around 10 people. We primarily use Node.js, React.js, PostgreSQL, and Google Cloud Platform for our web app, and Flutter for our mobile app.
In 2023, we released a new version of our app, rewritten from PHP/MySQL to Node.js/PostgreSQL.
In 2024, we launched a mobile app for iOS and Android (and a corresponding web version) written in Flutter.
That same year, we transitioned from Scrum to the Shape Up methodology for product development. -
DevOps and Scrum Consultant
Because I was always interested in freelancing, I decided to give it a try.
I moved to a co-working space in Work Lounge Karlín and started offering DevOps and Scrum consulting to small and medium-sized companies, including: Knihobot, Freelo, Váš hosting, Primehammer, and Tymbe.
For some of them, I configured Kubernetes clusters, set up CI/CD pipelines, implemented monitoring, backups, and security.
For Tymbe and Knihobot, I also introduced Scrum and Agile methodologies. And for Tymbe, I created their GCP-based cloud infrastructure from scratch. -
Full-stack Developer
After my sabbatical, I joined Wingbot as a full-stack developer, primarily coding in Node.js and React.js.
My first project was to develop a MSSQL connector for the Wingbot chatbot platform. Then I contributed to the Wingbot open-source framework and the Wingbot CLI, a command-line tool for creating custom chatbots.
I also built chatbots for specific use cases, such as one for Trhknih.cz, an online antiquarian bookshop. -
Sabbatical
I took a year off to travel throughout Southeast Asia.
I visited: Vietnam 🇻🇳, Malaysia 🇲🇾, Singapore 🇸🇬, Sri Lanka 🇱🇰, Thailand 🇹🇭, the Philippines 🇵🇭, Laos 🇱🇦, Cambodia 🇰🇭, Myanmar 🇲🇲, and India 🇮🇳.
During that time, I traveled extensively, met a lot of people and learned about different cultures. Some of my most memorable experiences included spending time with monks in a Buddhist temple, training at a Muay Thai camp in Chiang Mai, and earning my Open Water Diver certification in Koh Tao.
In the last part of my sabbatical, I bought an old, broken motorbike — a Detech (Honda) Win for 300 USD — with the idea of riding it from Ho Chi Minh City to Prague.
Although I didn't make it all the way to Prague, I did manage to ride from Vietnam to India. -
DevOps Architect
Storyous hired me to build its infrastructure from the ground up. The tech stack was transitioning from PHP/MySQL to Node.js/MongoDB, though ultimately we ended up with a hybrid approach: part of the system in Node.js and another in PHP.
I created a private, self-hosted cloud solution based on OpenShift 3 (a Kubernetes distribution by Red Hat) and implemented a monitoring system using Grafana and Prometheus.
One of my biggest lessons here was learning about Scrum and Agile methodologies under the guidance of a great CTO.
In my final year, the company decided to migrate to the public cloud (AWS and Heroku). My colleague and I led this migration, which ultimately made my position obsolete. -
Linux/HP-UX/Cluster Administrator
I worked at DHL ITS Europe for three years. During the first two, I was a Linux/HP-UX/Cluster Administrator, working 12-hour shifts to cover both EMEA and APAC regions, as DHL didn't yet have a follow-the-sun model.
It was my first experience with a large corporation, and I learned a lot about ITIL, PRINCE2, and how to operate in a global environment. It was also my first English-speaking role. In my final year, I switched to a 9-5 schedule as a second-level Linux support specialist, handling more complex problems and collaborating with vendors like RedHat, HP, Veritas, and others. During this time, I also earned my RHCSA certification. -
Linux Administrator
At Glogster, I was responsible for the Linux infrastructure.
Our tech stack primarily consisted of a classic LAMP environment with a Flash-based frontend (yes, quite dated technology). We also used Nagios for monitoring and managed a Cassandra cluster. All our servers ran in a U.S. data center. -
Helpdesk
At Casablanca INT, I worked as a first-line helpdesk support technician.
My responsibilities included resolving user issues, often related to the data center or MikroTik network configurations. -
Editor of root.cz
I have always wanted to be a technical writer, so I decided to give it a try.
For about three months, I served as an editor for the Czech Linux/IT portal root.cz. However, it didn't pay well, so I chose not to continue down that career path. -
Linux Administrator / Junior Developer
This was my first job in the IT industry, at Mindsystem.
I was responsible for provisioning servers, setting up monitoring, backups, and more. It was back when most tasks had to be done manually, including visiting data centers to replace disks and reconfigure RAID.
I also wrote Bash scripts (primarily for cronjobs) and developed web pages in PHP and JavaScript/jQuery. -
First contact with Linux
A friend of mine lent me a book called Přecházíme na Linux by Martin Kysela, and I was immediately hooked.
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The year of my birth
I didn't do much for my career at that point; I was mostly just chillin'.