Outside the Terminal

Volunteer at ASB Hamburg-Harburg (Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund) — one of Hamburg's oldest welfare organisations. We visit elderly residents, accompany them on walks, and spend time with people who need company. It is not glamorous. There is no career angle. It matters because it matters, and that is enough.

Not just a job — also a weekend obsession. Raspberry Pi builds, home automation, running local AI models, building tools that solve small problems around the house. Most of the Lab projects started as something I built on a Saturday afternoon. There is something satisfying about an idea going from concept to working hardware in 48 hours with no budget and no one to approve the design.

Consistency over intensity. Hamburg has good gyms and I use them. Staying physically strong directly improves how I think and work — the correlation is real and I stopped second-guessing it years ago. No secrets here, no programme to sell you. Just showing up three or four times a week and doing the basics well.

Hamburg is built on water and most people who live here never actually use it. Paddle boating on the Alster or the canals is one of the best ways to reset after a dense week. Slow, quiet, completely offline. The city looks different from the water — more relaxed, more human. It is one of those Hamburg things I genuinely look forward to when the weather allows.

Fast, social, and addictive. Paddle tennis is one of Hamburg's fastest growing sports and one of my favourite ways to stay competitive outside of work.

Motivation, discipline, personal finance, startups, and the occasional deep dive into systems thinking. Books are how I process the world beyond the screen.

Living between Germany and India means travel is part of life, not just a holiday. Europe by train is still one of the best ways to explore — slower, more honest, and you actually see the places you pass through. Current count: 8 countries. The goal is not to collect stamps but to understand how different systems — cities, cultures, logistics — actually work. It informs how I think about building systems too.