Makonis
MAKONIS was founded in 2016 with the idea of combining the innovative power of a start-up culture with the solid foundations of an IT consulting business. As a Microsoft-Gold-Partner, they are the No. 1 contact for expanding local systems with groundbreaking cloud technologies. MAKONIS always advises on an equal footing and at the highest technological level. As former students of the TUM, the managing directors are happy to support their Alma Mater. Wuhu!
Interview with Patrick Dahlmann, Johannes Stock and Daniel Weise, Managing directors of MAKONIS
If you had to describe MAKONIS in 3 words which ones would you choose?
Partnership-oriented, communicative and flexible
How has the mission of MAKONIS changed since the founding in 2016?
At the time of its foundation, our vision was to be a “better IT consultancy” from the employees’ point of view, all based on our good and bad experiences as previously employed IT consultants.
We also witnessed how many IT consulting firms failed due to their own structures when setting up business models based on products.
As a still small company, we saw an opportunity here and, since 2019, have set ourselves the goal of becoming a leading service provider for platform business models with our mix of consultants and developers.
How has the Mircrosoft-Gold-Patnership influenced MAKONIS?
A gold partnership with a major cloud service provider such as Microsoft gives us access to sometimes exclusive information in order to keep up with the latest technology and stay a nose length ahead of the competition in the proverbial sense of the word.
To take and maintain the technical pioneering role is also one of the 4 core values of our company, with which everyone can best identify from an inner drive alone.
In order to gain access to this exclusive circle, however, one must also be able to demonstrate a certain amount of experience, in this case through technical certification of the employees.
By the way, all certifications are personalized and therefore serve the individual development and the chances on the job market.
Which advantages does your philosophy to work without debt capital have?
In this respect, we fully follow the credo “freedom from debt – freedom to create”. Since we were a three person party to found the company, we already had all the skills we needed to build a successful business.
Only in terms of growth, without free capital, we had natural limits in some cases, but we also didn’t want to have anyone sitting in our backs who would push us with their return expectations.
In the end, we want to dedicate ourselves solely to the well-being of our MAKONees (that’s how we call each other) and our customers, and we are convinced that this can only be done self-financed.
How can we envision the working relationship between you and your clients?
Our cooperation is always characterized by partnership and a long-term approach. Thus, over the years, real friendships between us and our customers, which go far beyond business, have grown.
We prefer to work in projects where we are seen as equals – as an entrepreneurial sparring partner, in a manner of speaking – and can contribute our ideas, suggestions and concerns without fear but with the right words.
How does you average workday look like?
Common breakfast, either at the muesli station or every 4th Friday, prepared for the whole office.
Daily Sprint Meeting of the project teams. Here, everyone briefly explains what they have accomplished the day before, what they have planned for today and what challenges need to be overcome.
Work in small groups or completely on their own. 1x per week the project managers are also at the client’s site to discuss new requirements and present the current state of development.
Joint lunch break: sometimes at REWE, sometimes at the food truck, the Chinese restaurant or the pizza stand. Lunch is then usually in the office.
Before things really get going again, the one or the other match is played at the Play Station. FIFA 2020 and Crash Bandicoot Racing are currently in high demand.
Some say real learning only starts with stepping into the work life, how does starting at MAKONIS look like?
This statement is particularly true in the fast-moving IT industry. The course of studies certainly provides the best tools for independently familiarizing yourself with new terrain – provided you have the necessary curiosity and passion.
For a consulting company like ours, business IT specialists probably have the best prerequisites for a quick start. However, engineering sciences, mathematicians and business economists are also strongly represented in the industry.
Which tips would you give a student for the recruiting process?
(1) Be honest with yourself by analyzing, without any bias from your study background, in which you have achieved the best results with less effort than others in your entire career since elementary school.
(2) Once you have discovered this for yourself, it is worthwhile to go in this direction professionally. It may not be easy to convince your environment (especially your parents), but it will be the only right thing to do.
(3) While looking for a job, there are a few more questions, such as company vs. startup, service vs. product provider, travel, benefits, etc. Simply use decision support from books such as ‘Essentialsm’ by Greg McKeown.
(4) For the job interviews I recommend not only to set yourself the goal of convincing, but rather to inspire! And this can only be done by knowing exactly who you are (1) and which way (2) you have chosen and why (3).
