Thriv talent spotlight: Martin Richter

In this blog post series, you will get to know the stories behind our talents. Why did they become entrepreneurs, how have their experiences with Thriv been, and where do they want to be in the future? Without further ado, let’s get familiar with Martin Richter, a mobile/fullstack developer who found his dream project through Thriv.

How did you become interested in entrepreneurship?

In late 2016, some friends asked me to join their startup as a technical co-founder. At that point I was ready for a change after years of agency work and decided to go for it. We had heaps of fun and learned a lot, but eventually we realised our concept didn’t work out that well.

Demand for tech talent was huge in 2018 and I had just become a parent, so freelancing part-time felt like a good choice. After a few weeks, I landed my first client thanks to the tech skills I had learned at our startup.

How did your path cross with Thriv?

I live and work in Berlin, but have strong ties to Finland after living there in my teens and 20s. My partner is Finnish and we have two bilingual kids together. After many years of working for domestic clients, I figured it would be fun to have a Finnish project for a change. That’s when I remembered that Futurice, my former employer, had also a tech talent agency in the family. I searched Thriv on Google, reached out through the website, and here I am!

How was the matchmaking process at Thriv?

It instantly made me remember what I love about Finland: people are honest, pragmatic and get to the point. The whole matchmaking process was very smooth. Having submitted my CV and availability, I was eventually introduced to a potential client, just as my previous project was ending. We booked an interview slot, and a few days later we had the contracts signed and started working together.

How well has Thriv listened to your wishes and needs?

The crew at Thriv has been incredibly friendly and professional, from my initial interview to finding a suitable project and drafting the contract. This isn’t something to take for granted in the world of talent agencies. At least here in Germany, tech talent agencies have a reputation of not being able to tell Java and JavaScript apart. With Thriv, my experience has been very positive so far.

What kind of a project did you manage to find through Thriv?

I’m working part-time on a music-making app called Songen. It allows music producers to generate loops and songs that can then be tweaked further in the studio. Being a hobby musician myself, I feel right at home in this project. Apart from coding, I also support the client with my Apple platform expertise, covering everything from SwiftUI architecture to App Store regulations.

How would you describe your experience in this project?

The project at Songen is hands-down one of my favorite projects so far. People are nice, the work is exciting and the hours are flexible, which is great for a parent of two! As a product developer, I have quite a lot of autonomy and can influence the direction of the product portfolio. Together we are about to launch more apps that rely on the same composing engine, such as one aimed at short-form video creators.

What is the best thing about being a freelancer? How about the worst?

What makes freelancing great for me is the freedom to schedule my work, paired with a good hourly income. I also tend to have shorter or even parallel part-time projects, which means that work never gets boring.

On the flip side, market slumps and longer project breaks can be terrifying, and preparing for them requires discipline. There is also less peer support than in regular jobs, which is why freelance networks and events are an important part of my work life.

What advice would you give to someone dreaming about entrepreneurship?

Find something you’re really good at and that others are willing to pay for. If you also enjoy doing it, you’ve hit the jackpot. Freelancing is a great way of easing into an entrepreneur role, as you can even do it on the side for some time. While the current market situation is definitely challenging, if you can thrive in it, you can thrive anywhere.

Apply to our tech talent network and get one step closer to your own dream project!