This month we caught up with 3D Software Developer Toni Räsänen to hear about his journey to Taika3D.

What initially attracted you to the field of software development? 

Computers in general have been a hobby for me since childhood. Initially, I got into programming because the middle school I attended offered some programming classes. Eventually what really inspired me was making my own video games. From there I became more interested in other aspects of programming and software development as well. 

Can you describe your career progression leading up to your current role? 

I graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Information Technology from Kajaani UAS. Afterwards, I worked on smaller gig projects, taught programming in Kouvola and founded a game development company with friends. In 2018, I was offered a position with Taika3D working on a project not related to insole design, but was pleased to be given the opportunity to stay and work on the main product as well, and have been here ever since! 

What are some key lessons you’ve learned throughout your career that have helped you become an effective software developer? 

Some of the valuable insights I’ve gained as a software developer include: 

1. The importance of continuous learning: Technology evolves rapidly, so staying updated with new tools, languages, and frameworks is crucial. Dedicate time to ongoing learning. 

2. Problem-solving skills: Software development is fundamentally about solving problems. Cultivate your ability to break down complex problems into smaller, manageable tasks 

3. The value of effective communication: Clear communication with team members and clients is essential for understanding requirements, explaining your work, and collaborating effectively.

4. Mentoring and being mentored: Take opportunities to both seek mentorship from more experienced colleagues, as well as mentoring junior developers. Mentoring helps you and others grow, while being mentored fosters personal development and accelerates learning. By embracing both mentoring and being mentored, you will contribute to a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement within your team. 

Can you share a significant project or accomplishment from your career that you’re particularly proud of? 

Last year I joined Petja on a trip to the USA where we visited several of our clients. We provided assistance with how to use our platform, fixed some issues that would have otherwise taken longer to solve and met some new clients to nail down design specifications. It was interesting to see how our clients actually use our platform. This was also my first time seeing how the whole process, from our design automation to finished physical product, works. Seeing that gave a better understanding for how the pixels on the screen actually relate to the end product. 

What do you particularly enjoy about working at Taika3D? 

There are many very different kinds of aspects to our platform, and I happen to enjoy the kinds of problems those aspects present. One day I’m doing 3D math to modify insole shape as per customer specification, another day tweaking UX in front end product validation, and some other day writing backend logic for user management! Different kinds of tasks keep things interesting. 

And of course: awesome coworkers 😉