Aloha stranger

I'm Philipp Ludewig. I am a software developer from Germany, living in Toronto and working at DNAstack. What is keeping me currently busy, you can checkout here.

Who are you?

I got my first computer at the age of five and spent most of my childhood exploring the possibilities of technology, writing code, and playing video games. This early fascination with computers naturally led me to a career in tech. However, after spending my workdays immersed in code and screens, I've deliberately cultivated hobbies that bring more balance to my life. These days, I'm an avid reader and maintain a Reading List where I track books and occasionally share personal reviews. I channel my creative side by writing custom Pen&Paper adventures, which I love running for friends when we can find the time. My passion for games extends beyond the digital realm—I collect and play board games with friends, and I've become something of a pub quiz enthusiast, both creating and moderating quiz nights. When I do indulge in video games, it's usually on my Steam Deck, which lets me game away from my desk. I also make time for more active pursuits, particularly dancing with my significant other, which has become one of our favorite ways to spend time together.

What do you write about?

I started this blog with this sentence in mind: “Those who write, stay.”. I was and still am super forgetful, which is why wanted to write about the topics I don't want to forget. I am posting occasionally, when I got some time at hands. You can expect to find posts of things I learned or build and stories from my journeys. I want this blog to be my little corner on the internet and whoever reads my posts I would like to say: “you're welcome”. If I was able to teach you something, then I am already happy.

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All about work

My professional journey began in my third semester with a five-month SAP integration project at a car manufacturing plant in Bremen, where I supported key users. Witnessing how the SAP consultants dismissed user concerns and experiencing the rigidity of enterprise software development taught me an important lesson: I wanted to build software that respects and empowers its users. While I swore off SAP forever, the experience wasn't wasted—it led to my role as an administrator/developer at the offshore wind power company Adwen/Gamesa.

After graduating, I joined ThoughtWorks and spent seven years as a consultant, where my real education in software craftsmanship began. I learned how to foster an environment in which developers can ask questions, experiment, learn, deliver software with confidence and most importantly have fun. I am more than happy to share what I know about Continuous Delivery, Pair Programming, fast feedback, the Swiss cheese model and software architecture with you when we work together. Test-Driven Development is particularly close to my heart—I practice it whenever possible and share its benefits with genuine enthusiasm.

What still excites me about development is the ability to create software that genuinely helps people and transforms abstract code into living, breathing solutions. I see technical leadership in my future, combining hands-on development with guiding and mentoring others.

At the moment, I am in Canada and I am working for Valence which is lending me to DNAstack. The startups work closely together and I spend 100% of my time at DNAstack. We are building a platform for genetic researchers to find molecular diagnoses. I am happy to be part of the company's journey as the product matures and delivers increasingly powerful capabilities. The performance gains we've achieved recently have been remarkable, and it's rewarding to see our platform becoming a robust tool for the genetic research community. More about what is happening right now, you can find here.

Reach out

If you want to say "hi", leave a comment, ask a question, or start a conversation, feel free to drop me a line via postkasten@philippludewig.de

I reply to everything that hits my inbox as long as it's genuine conversation and you're not trying to sell me shady stuff. Don't be shy!