I have been writing code since I was about 10 years old, and there is no coincidence that said age also corresponds to when my father installed a Commodore 64 in my room. From barely understanding how to run games on the machine to now being referred to as an expert in a broad variety of programming related fields, credit where credit is due: Thanks Dad!
Many programming languages have gone under my belt since then, perhaps most noteworthy a borderline obsession-like relationship with the ISO C++ Standard. I love code, no matter the language, no matter the form, but style guides are important as I came to realize through a lot of open-source contributions and maintenance.
They say anyone can sing, and I believe anyone can code (even AI these days), but what distinguish a novice from an expert is the ability to build something which others can build upon.
Dear Recruiters (as well as the Casual Reader)
- This page dives into my personal endeavours and what makes me the individual I am today.
- If interested in my professional history and accomplishments, see my Curriculum Vitae.
Contact Information
Please feel free to send me a message, either for project based work or if you simply want to talk; a new colleague is gold but a new friend is invaluable.
mail: filip.roseen@atch.se
irc: refp @ {efnet,oftc,libera}
Running Blindfolded Through The Woods
In 2015 I wrote what I thought would be just another kinda interesting blog post, though since then that series of posts has been cited in academic papers, referenced in C++ Standard discussions, and continues to receive daily visitors more than a decade later.
It has taken me a long time to appreciate the oddities of my brain. The oddities that allows me to find answers in places where others see none, and oddities that I have to credit for finding solutions to problems that allegedly cannot be solved at all.
Walking Through Tall Grass
I have not had the most traditional career path and there are a variety of reasons for this, but primarily I tend to do that which I happen to stumble upon. Sitting in a room full of others learning at a pace not decided by myself is rarely if ever such a 'stumble', and I thrive in self-directed learning environments, where an actual problem requires a real life applicable solution.
It is of course difficult to sum up the individual stories that have shaped the person I am today, but among the many footsteps taken, here are a few cornerstones.
- I was hired by McDonald's (Täby C, Stockholm) at the age of 14, where my efficiency and focus in a hectic kitchen outweighed the '16 and up' guideline.
- I attended high-school primarily to write exams, spending the rest of my time gaining knowledge in the field of software engineering.
- I have worked as a university teacher at The Royal Institute of Technology (teaching advanced Master of Science courses in Computer Science), but I have no formal university degree of my own.
Runways In Bright Lights
To add a few twists and turns to both the career and personal side of things I have been working as a professional fashion model since the age of 19. My go-to joke is that I, apparently, is at least "decent at walking back and forth in a straight line".
The modeling has granted me with plenty of opportunities, such as living all over the world and experience a life which very few come into contact with. I have stories from fashion weeks in Paris, Milan, New York, and Tokyo (among many others), the surreal world of high fashion, and the contrast between a life in the spotlight vs the more than common invisibility of a backend engineer.
I very much look forward to sharing my personal anecdotes and surreal stories here on this website.
That Which Lies Beneath The Surface
No brain is the same and that is a good thing. Mine might learn faster than others, or be able to digest complexity with relative ease, but it has also led me into corners where mental health has taken center stage. I would not introduce myself as a "neurodivergent developer" (that phrase means too many different things to too many people), but I take no shame in speaking openly about mental health.
It is quite backwards sometimes, and I guess it is true that faith is not without a sense of irony: I am perfectly comfortable on stage, in front of one or several cameras, or when speaking to hundreds if not thousands of people... but leaving my apartment to buy milk can, on some days, be the hardest thing I have ever done.
Also, simply to avoid misunderstandings and to put things in text/plain; I
am neurodivergent. I hope I get to cover my stories in regards of mental
health in articles of their own.
Thank You!
No matter if you are here for the obscure C++ adventures, the stories of a fashion model, or simply out of pure curiosity in regards of my perhaps unconventional path through life; the pleasure is all mine.
Best Regards,
FilipRoséen-refp