Tobias Steffen

Growing up in a rural area in the south of the German state Brandenburg, I was rather known as the kid who listened to metal, wore black clothes, preferred to play PC games instead of roaming the streets with friends and hence, was sometimes considered "slightly" off. My tendency towards daydreaming caused me some difficulty to pay attention to things that didn’t meet my interests - And as a result, I barely completed the 10th grade.Post-graduation,  I found myself working in a range of different jobs to make ends meet.

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These ranged from being stuck at a conveyor belt in a fish canning factory, providing phone support as a call centre agent, and even demolishing walls and ceilings in the construction industry (Surprisingly: I actually found this to be a fun and rewarding workout!). However, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was limited in these roles, and found myself more and more frustrated with the lack of progress and the superficiality in how people treated each other. Honestly speaking: Life was far from a breeze - Both, from a job and personal perspective.

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The first job I really enjoyed and where things tipped in another direction was when I started to work in the event industry as a freelancer doing the groundwork to set up conventions and concerts. Although the work was extremely demanding physically, it was also a great opportunity to learn much more about how team dynamics work. Every gig was a new experience with a different location, unpredictable scope, and ever-changing crew. This forced us to work together under pressure to enable each one of us to perform in their roles. At some point (and for some reason), I began to work at tech events and imagined myself as an attende rather than standing behind the stage, waiting for de-assembling everything once it's over. I think this is what triggered me to double down on other ends and close my "purpose gap".

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So in 2018, I made a fast but big decision to get rid of all my belongings to move to my former partner and live with her in a room of 8m² in a shared apartment alongside other people. It sounds horrible but wasn't actually too bad. In the end, I'm unbelievably grateful for these years. Despite the cramped living conditions, I felt 110% committed to finally turn my lifelong daydreams into something real and tangible. Driven by the desire to bring my ideas to life and the urge to create, I found myself spending countless hours learning design, digital communication and code, attending or organising meet-ups while networking with strangers from the internet and starting projects that turned from being a small venture into ultra-complex setups over the years.

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Today, I’m in the chapter of overseeing a constantly expanding organisation that has evolved from the initial spark of an idea in 2018 to my lifework. It has become the foundation for turning "strangers" into colleagues, partners and (most importantly) friends who all strive for the same mission: To explore, discover, and create to leave a unique footprint together.