Skill set
Industry fields of expertise
Simon in a few words
As an accomplished IT Project Lead with a background in interaction design and business administration, I bring a unique combination of skills that bridge the gap between design, technology, and business strategy. My approach to product and project management is rooted in continuous improvement and reflection, drawing from experience in leading cross-functional teams and projects to successful outcomes. I've spent six months building AI and I bring that knowledge to my product owner work with a clear understanding of what can and can't be done with machine learning technology.
After earning a B.Sc. in Interaction Design from Aalborg University and everything but writing a thesis for a M.Sc. in BA and E-business from Copenhagen Business School, I have honed my skills in various leadership roles. As Founder of Culmas, I led product development efforts from inception to delivery, focusing on stakeholder involvement and refining internal standards to consistently exceed customer expectations. My tenure at CBS S, I got experience in handling projects and diverse stakeholder groups, overseeing the development of the Student Life app.
I currently offer advisory services to startups, guiding them through the intricacies of creating effective product development processes. My methods are not confined to conventional frameworks but are based on foundational principles such as reflection-on-action, divergent/convergent thinking, and robust iteration processes. I've written about the principles in my publication, "First Principles in Software Development".
My approach emphasizes the importance of reflection and iterative learning within project and product management. By incorporating continuous reflection and strategic adaptation into the development process, I help teams navigate complex projects and achieve excellence. The goal is not only to meet but to exceed expectations by delivering products that are both innovative and perfectly suited to user needs.
Experience
- Culmas.ioCo-Founder & Chief Executive OfficerDIGITAL & ITJanuary 2021 - February 2024 (3 years and 1 month)Copenhagen, HS, DenmarkIn the very beginning of Culmas, I did user research and prototyping for early market demand validation. Based on the prototype built, we signed a letter of intent with multiple customers and raised money to create a team.I hired a full dev team that did great - I wasn't good at hiring early on, but we got lucky with the employees. As we hired more people, I got a lot better at the process and today I'm quite confident in my ability to put together a high-performing team.I've had a strong interest in agile development frameworks since I was a teenager (weird, I know). At Culmas we started with a Scrum setup, pretty much by the book. I put a particular focus on retrospectives. This allowed the process itself to evolve into more of a rhythm. I think we went well beyond framework adherence and created a process that fit the particular team setting as well as anything could have. I'm confident I can replicate this. I've written a document on it that you can download for free. Find the link under the advisory experience with Harmony IT.Culmas was three years full of challenges. I got experience with the full entrepreneur journey with all it's ups and downs.
- Harmony ITProcess advisorDIGITAL & ITJanuary 2022 - Today (2 years and 11 months)Copenhagen, DenmarkI've written a document on first principles in software development. Download here for free: https://harmonyit.gumroad.com/l/first-principles-in-software-developmentI advise startups on how to set up a great process for developing IT products. I've worked with a local startups who are in between their pre-seed and Series A.They come to me with questions such as:"How do we successfully create specifications for our product?""How do we maintain a maintainable codebase?""What rituals should we implement and how do we run them?""How do we access and implement a new technology for our stack?"
- Improv Comedy Copenhagen | ICC TheatreInterim Chief Executive OfficerENTERTAINMENT & LEISUREJuly 2021 - November 2021 (4 months)Copenhagen, HS, DenmarkShort-term interim management position at a local theater.Did some strategy work mostly by getting the organization to reflect on why it was there and how it wanted to position itself.Also implemented a proper process that brought regularity to their operations.This was a customer we served at Culmas. We took this opportunity to also do an ethnographic study for furthering the application design.
1 recommendation
SD
Sarah Diemar recommend Simon
07/05/2024
I had the privilege of working with Simon during my tenure as President of the Student Union at Copenhagen Business School, where Simon served as Project Manager for the development of the Student Life App in 2019 -and later as Vice President in 2020. His dedication and unique overview in his management style was evident from the get-go, where he was instrumental in ensuring the necessary strategic prioritization of the project. As such, he continued to expertly manage the external development team, while leading the product specification and direction of the app development. His in-depth understanding of UX-design, and human behavior, ensured a user-friendly app, quickly scaling from a local initiative to gaining national interest. This, additionally, highlights Simon’s ability to foster stakeholder buy-in, whereof his visionary mindset and expectational grasp of human interaction made him an invaluable Project Manager to the team.
Let me be honest. If you’re planning to move slow, Simon is not the talent you’re looking for. However, if you’re ready to move your project to the next level, he’d be first on my list of recommendations.
I truly recommend Simon for his visionary and ambitious approach and am confident he will continue to achieve great success.
BR,
Sarah Diemar
President CBS Student (2019- 2020)
Let me be honest. If you’re planning to move slow, Simon is not the talent you’re looking for. However, if you’re ready to move your project to the next level, he’d be first on my list of recommendations.
I truly recommend Simon for his visionary and ambitious approach and am confident he will continue to achieve great success.
BR,
Sarah Diemar
President CBS Student (2019- 2020)
Education
- Master of Business AdministrationCopenhagen Business School2020I got well-equipped to hold specialist roles that demand expertise in both IT and business strategies. The program integrates three core disciplines: technology, business, and policy/law, enabling students to develop comprehensive strategies that align IT solutions with business and legal frameworks. Students gain skills in programming, digital marketing, strategic management, and business law, enhancing their capacity for high-level problem-solving and decision-making in various digital business environments.
- UX Management: Strategy and TacticsThe Interaction Design Foundation2019A course on the meta-level of user experience design. I learnt how to create an organization that's positioned to get the highest output from their design department.
- Bachelor of Science in Interaction DesignAalborg Universitet2018I got a comprehensive foundation in various aspects of interaction design, programming, and user-centered design approaches. The program had the following topics: 1. Foundational Knowledge in Interaction Design: Students will gain initial knowledge about interaction design, including the design of interactive elements and systems. They will learn to describe and explain interactive products in terms of their design and interaction features. 2. Programming Skills: The program covers basic to advanced programming skills. Graduates will learn to design, implement, and evaluate software, including web and mobile applications, using modern programming languages and environments. 3. User-Centered Design: A significant focus is on user-centered design (UCD), where students learn to analyze and design systems based on user needs. They'll acquire skills in conducting usability evaluations, user research, and creating prototypes based on user feedback. 4. Project Management and Collaboration: Students will engage in project-based learning, gaining experience in managing projects, handling conflicts, and collaborating effectively within teams. 5. Technical and Design Proficiency: Courses are geared towards both the technical aspects of building applications and the aesthetic elements of design. This includes web design, database development, and interactive physical design. 6. Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: The curriculum emphasizes problem-based learning, where students address complex, real-world problems with innovative solutions, reflecting on societal and user impacts. 7. Research Methods: Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are taught, preparing students to gather and analyze data effectively, which is crucial for validating design decisions and enhancing user experience. 8. Practical Experience: The program includes significant hands-on experience through labs, projects, and the use of tools like usability labs and prototyping software.
- AI Programming with Python NanodegreeUdacity2018I spent half a year building artificial intelligence. I did work with image recognition, time-series data and foundational math for AI. I have since kept up with new work in the field and, amongst other things, have done some work with transformer architecture (the thing that's inside LLMs).
- Computer-scienceCalifornia State University-Long Beach2017Studied abroad for a semester. Courses in hardware engineering, requirements gathering & specification and statistics. Also had a project where I built an app for a local student association.