Florin Obogeanu is the Manager @ Roweb’s Craiova office and has been part of our team since 2013. With extensive experience and a career built step by step at Roweb, Florin is the right person to tell us about the company’s evolution, the challenges encountered, and the achievements along the way.
He will also share how he came to lead the Craiova team and what it means for him to coordinate and develop a team of professionals.
#ForTheLoveOfProgramming – From the Tech Perspective
Tell us a little about your early career. What attracted you to the IT field?
Florin Obogeanu: Basically, throughout my conscious life, I loved football and computers. I tried to play both sides, but IT was the easiest for me to enter. I worked in many fields from the age of 15, but most of them involved a computer in one way or another, and after entering the Faculty of Computer Science at the age of 18, I decided to stay on this path. The most cliché way to answer “what attracted you” is that I am passionate about IT. The most truthful way to answer is that for me, it was the easiest career through which I could achieve what I wanted, and I have pretty much reached my goals. For some, the job may be difficult, but for me, the journey was simple and natural.
How long have you been part of the Roweb team, and how would you describe your professional evolution over time here?
Florin Obogeanu: I joined Roweb 10 years ago. I’ve gone through all the levels, from Junior Developer to Manager. I practically started with an internship, and since the company was in Pitești and I was in Craiova, I worked from home for a little over a year. Roweb wanted to open an office in Craiova for a long time, and with two friends, we rented an apartment in Craiova to work together, and from there everything moved upward. Things were very friendly, and everyone felt good, so each person brought in a friend, and thus we had to move to a larger office in Craiova. I eventually became a Team Lead and Project Manager for the projects of the people in the Craiova office. Later, I took the initiative to start internships in the city, from where most of our employees came, and I became the Head of Roweb Craiova.
What projects or achievements are you most proud of at Roweb? Here you can talk about the Craiova office.
Florin Obogeanu: By far, the greatest achievement is creating the Craiova office. The development was very natural and organic, starting with a few friends and then continuing with internships (over 50% of the people in Craiova come from internships, and many have been with us since they were hired, for 3-4-5-6-7 years, depending on the year they joined). The level of cohesion and retention of people is one of the objectives I had and am very proud of for this team. Especially because I had the freedom to choose everything here, from selecting the office to selecting colleagues.
What company values resonate the most with you and why?
Florin Obogeanu: As I mentioned, I have worked in several fields since my teenage years, both related to football and IT. I went through multiple organizations, values, and various types of managers and characters. When I joined Roweb, I saw people who largely shared the same values as me, especially my early mentors: Stefan Nicolae and later Viorel Costea. The professional opportunities were what made me grow in this company, and a large part of the people are what made me stay loyal over time, even more loyal than I am to my favorite football team: Universitatea Craiova.
You know they say love lasts for three years. After 10 years at Roweb, what motivates you to remain part of this team?
Florin Obogeanu: For me, the true ascent began after three years. We started the internships in Craiova, and I could develop and scale the activity differently. After three years, there were six of us in the Craiova office, and now we are around 30. Since I am still relatively young for this position, there is plenty of room for professional growth to keep me constantly motivated, especially as I have the freedom to continue developing the office and recently signed a strategic partnership agreement that offers even more growth opportunities for Roweb.
Roweb as it was when you joined the company vs. Roweb today. What do you think has changed? What has stayed the same?
Florin Obogeanu: When I first joined the company, there were about 40 people, and the vibe was more relaxed, everyone was much younger, and some (including myself) were less experienced. Later, as a company, besides growing significantly in maturity and professionalism, we managed to develop students professionally who transformed from interns to senior developers, with some even becoming Team Leads. We also managed to bring many professionals to our project who already had the experience we needed. Overall, I can say that things have evolved naturally, and the vibe is more professional now. “What has stayed the same?” The very balanced management mentality, which I also identify with.
What advice would you give to someone coming to work at Roweb?
Florin Obogeanu: I would say the same things I tell the people I hire. From a human perspective, behave naturally, without prejudices and fears, because the other group members will not have these feelings towards them either. From a professional perspective, if they have a lot of experience, I encourage them to help those around them whenever possible, because together we can evolve much easier. If they have little experience, they should not hesitate to ask any colleague in the project or office, as most are willing to help, having also been helped when they were at a lower level.
What professional goals do you have for the coming years, and how do you see your evolution at Roweb?
Florin Obogeanu: I hope my evolution will be similar to what I have experienced so far, and the main goal is to continue developing the Craiova office and to help Roweb grow into the next IT era.
How do you see the future of the IT industry, and what role do you think Roweb will play in this landscape?
Florin Obogeanu: I believe that although the IT industry is currently in a plateau, transitioning from the high demands of the pandemic period to a calmer era, many great things are yet to come. We have already started entering the AI field, which I believe will play an important role in the IT industry and beyond in the future.
#ForTheLoveOfProgramming – The Human Perspective
Three activities that bring you happiness outside of work:
Florin Obogeanu: Certainly, my family brings me the most frequent and intense feelings and moments. I love anything related to football: watching football, playing football, playing football games on PS/PC. I also enjoy traveling, whether on city breaks or relaxing in nature.
If you hadn’t worked in IT, you would most likely have been:
Florin Obogeanu: I was a football referee in the lower leagues from 14 to 22 years old. I probably would have channeled more energy into this area if I hadn’t worked in IT.
The most important lesson you have learned in all these years of professional experience?
Florin Obogeanu: It is a lesson that can also be applied to personal life. When I got into project management, I still had the attitude of a passionate developer. Gradually, I had to balance my feelings a bit. In short, what I learned (unfortunately or fortunately, from experience) is that it is not good to show someone that they are wrong without a beneficial purpose for them. Ideally, in an argument, there should be a common ground, but if that ideal is not reached, the weapon of demonstrating to the other person that they are wrong without helping them in any way is harmful.
One thing you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t had the chance yet:
Florin Obogeanu: I don’t think there is one. I’ve made many mistakes in life because I tried almost everything I wanted to try.
If you could instantly learn any skill, what would it be?
Florin Obogeanu: I don’t like the idea of instantly learning something; I believe patience is a greater quality than an instant skill.
A hidden talent you have:
Florin Obogeanu: I can dislocate my phalanges :)).
If you could meet your 10-year-old self, what advice would you give him?
Florin Obogeanu: Spend more time with your father because you only have him for two more years.
If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be and why?
Florin Obogeanu: I don’t think there’s a specific place where I would like to live for a year because I want to be with my family, and realistically it would be difficult to move everyone for a year. For shorter periods (1-2 months), there are many places where I would like to live and work:
