Dirk Schuster is 31 years old and comes from Germany. He grew up in the Pfalz, near the largest wine barrel in the world. He studied business administration in Mannheim and mechanical engineering in Munich and San Diego. In his free time, he likes to do sports, e.g. mountain biking, ski touring, kite surfing or wingfoiling. He came from Munich to Switzerland in February 2022 and now lives in Bern.
What is your job with us?
I am a development engineer and work on our new patch insulin pump, the YpsoPod.
What do you like about your work and the company?
The work is very exciting, and I particularly like the high level of patient orientation. I have diabetes myself and feel very valued from the patient's point of view. When I approach my colleagues, they listen to me and I really like that. As a patient, I naturally also have a great deal of motivation for the subject and hope that I can benefit from my work myself later on. I used to work for Audi and in retail, and I always saw that people can identify with the products – I really wanted to continue that. I deal with diabetes products every day and know that they have to function reliably. That's why I am delighted to be working here and helping the patients of tomorrow with a new development.
What is a normal working day like for you?
Every day is different. I deal a lot with testing the product and how to optimize it if it fails a test. I deal with the fluid path and with the mechanical properties like plaster adhesion, which I then test. For example, if something doesn't seal, then as a team we figure out what to change. So a working day is hard to plan: we have a good-weather plan in product development, but deviations are not uncommon and are part of the job.
How have you developed with us?
I've been with the company for a year and a half, and I'd like to develop further. I am convinced that this is possible with us, because people are open to change.
What is life like in Solothurn / Burgdorf?
I made a conscious decision to move to Bern. The city has a lot to offer young people and I can do a lot. There are festivals more often and the range of sports is great. I am very happy about that. I've also noticed that it's much easier to find an apartment here than in Munich, for example.
Do you commute? What are your experiences with it?
It takes me 25 minutes to get to the office. For me, it was important that I live close to the train station. Otherwise you have additional time and travel. I can be at the station in three minutes and I like to ride my longboard. If the project allows it, I work one or two days a week in my home office.
Were there any language barriers, for example with the Swiss dialect?
It took me about three months to understand everything. It wasn't a big problem.
Name 3 hashtags you would use to describe Ypsomed.
#patientorientation #fairculture #usabilityfriendly
