Meet Jiri Korinek: Our Lead Software Developer

April 27, 2021 | Rune Kallehauge

With a burning passion for finding simple solutions to complex problems, Jiri Korinek is a talented software developer who recently joined Aiia as our Lead Developer. 

We sat down with Jiri to find out how he went from studying Medialogy to working at the forefront of open banking, as well as why he decided to work for Aiia.

Let’s see what he said. 

Why did you become a software developer? 

“I ended up in Copenhagen by accident, actually. I originally wanted to become a videographer, so I chose to study Medialogy. But I quickly found out that the focus was more on technology than media when the teacher told us that we had two ways of going through the programme:  You can learn how to code and it’ll be easy or you cannot learn how to code and it’ll not be easy.

“I tried to resist it, but I ended up going for the first option. When I want to do something, I do it fully. I had set my mind to completing this degree, and if that meant I would need to learn to code, that’s what I would do.” 

Looking back on your career, what’s been your biggest success? 

“It’s hard to answer that question, and in a way, I’m thankful for that. I still haven’t achieved that level of technical breakthrough that pops up in my mind straight away. I view that as a good thing. 

“If I already felt that I peaked, it would probably be demotivating because I would figure I couldn’t do anything better. With that said, I’m proud of the successes I’ve built within a 9-5 timeframe. I’m able to get a lot of things done within that timeframe and that makes me proud.” 

What about the biggest mistakes? 

“I don’t view them as mistakes. I view them as happy little accidents. Following my graduation, I was fairly naive and green. So I thought I could build all the software I needed myself. That's what I thought software development was all about. 

I quickly learned that’s not how things work in reality. I might develop decent solutions myself, but why do that if you can use solutions from other developers who have dedicated their whole lives to finding solutions to the exact same problem? 

That’s the whole idea behind open source and I’m a big believer in that. I can use solutions from others, but I can also give something back in return. We should focus on what we’re good at and move forward in that direction.” 

What’s been a highlight for you working at Aiia? 

“I’d definitely say the team. I’ve never met a group of so many dedicated individuals working together. They all know what they’re doing and it’s a great group of people to work with. Every member of the team is serious about his or her work, but we’re also having so much fun at the same time.” 

Do you want to know more about what it’s like to work for Aiia? Head over to our jobsite to learn more about our team, culture and mission to transform Europe with open banking that simply works.