It is now time to wrap up the year of 2024, and what a year it has been… It’s been a year filled with challenges and obstacles but at the same time filled with amazing moments and projects.

We started of the year by planning and then later in april launch a complete rebrand of the company. Goodbye Raksystems - Welcome Sustera!

Doing this in a very short time from an IT perspective was no small challenge. We went from decision to execution in a matter of a couple of months. I wouldn’t say that this was easy but everyone in our IT-Teams pulled trough and made it happen.

During the rebrand kick-off I also made my big-stage debut as a speaker when presenting an internal web-app for a competition, also developed in-house by our Development team during this short timeframe. Not sure if the competition was a success (it was a battle between Sweden and Finland - Sweden got crushed) But the application held up and did its thing.

After the rebranding came the work of renaming things. Everything from changing email-addresses to logos to signatures etc. It is still a work in progress and I think we will be finding things with the old name for years to come.

One may think that a re-branding project may be enough for one year, but there you are wrong. We also decided it was a good idea to switch to a new ERP-system…

A project that started at the end of June and carried on during the summer and fall with a lot of planning for the final implementation. This included writing about 20.000 lines of code to be able to export and import projects from our old systems.

The second of December we launched the new ERP system for one of our smaller companies with great success, and as of writing this I have just completed and import of 1600 projects and is now as ready as we can get for going live with about 100 new users on the second of January.

But this year would not have been possible without the Sustera IT-Team.

Yohanna and Sara keeping the Swedish Servicedesk que under control, Mats for battling with HR systems so that I don’t have to. Satu, Joonas for doing an amazing job at the Finnish Servicedesk and of course Erno for enduring printer and network issues, once again so that I don’t have to

A big thanks to Mikko for being my partner in crime in all of this, we have created an amazing team together across the country borders. I could not have done this without you.

Also a big thanks to Jukka and the dev-team (Junnu, Anttii, Jan, Niko) for your amazing work. I know I have been tied up in a lot of things during the last months of this year, but I promise to give you more attention 2025.

Looking forward I have high hopes for 2025, I think it will be a great but still challenging year. But hey, who does not love a good challenge!

It’s times like today that I am very pleased to have such a flexible job as I do.

It is currently fall break for all schools in Sweden. This means that my kids school is closed.

I am not the best at keeping track of these things ahead of time, usually that’s not that big of an issue since I am working from home most of the time and the kids are big enough to not require constant watch. However, this particular week I had decided to travel to Gothenburg. The purpose of this trip was mainly to pick up my new car, but also meet some colleagues at the Gothenburg office.

But now here I am, a couple of phone calls later, on the train towards Gothenburg - But not by my self. I decided to bring my oldest daughter Astrid with me. I canceled some meetings in Gothenburg and is now looking forward to spend the day just me and her in Gothenburg city.

I am very blessed to have this type of flexibility

Upon arrival, we strolled through Luxembourg City, marveling at the way it’s split by a deep, green valley that runs right through the center. Walking along the winding paths of the city’s valley park, we were surrounded by lush greenery, picturesque views, and the tranquility of nature juxtaposed with the cityscape above.

Our first real break of the day was lunch at Scott’s Pub, a cozy spot with a terrace overlooking the river. The warm sunlight flooded the terrace, making it an ideal setting to unwind with good food and refreshing drinks.

After lunch, we made our way back to the train station and hopped on a train heading north to Diekirch, a small town known for its brewery of the same name. Sampling the local beer was a highlight, not because it was a specially good beer, but beer is always beer 🍺 .

On the return journey, we briefly stopped in Ettelbruck noticing that most of the stores was closed. However we found a place to stop for a drink before boarding the train back to Luxembourg City, where we caught a bus to the airport. At the airport, we received a notification that our plane was about 30 minutes delayed, potentially putting us at risk of missing our connecting flight in Zurich. However, fortune was on our side: we made it just in time and were soon on our final leg home.

Within a couple of hours, we were back in Stockholm, bringing an end to an unforgettable day of exploration, relaxation, and a taste of Luxembourg’s unique charm.

Final Thoughts

From the scenic landscapes to the vibrant city life, Luxembourg had so much to offer in a single day. Whether it’s a walk through the valley parks, a drink by the river, or a taste of the local beer, this small country packs in experiences that leave a lasting impression.

Our whirlwind journey through Luxembourg began with a very early start. At 4:00 a.m., we grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel and navigated through airport security in record time. Fueled with energy, we took off toward our destination: Luxembourg 🇱🇺.

Arriving in Luxembourg

Upon landing, we took full advantage of Luxembourg’s free public transportation. We hopped on a bus and train to Belval, a smaller city with a unique charm. The weather welcomed us with a gray sky, and it was around 12 degrees Celsius—fortunately, no rain just yet.

Exploring Belval: Industrial Meets Modern

Belval is a fascinating fusion of urban development and industrial history. We were immediately struck by the impressive sight of an old steel plant, complete with a restored furnace that now serves as a museum. Walking through this industrial relic felt like stepping back in time, yet the modern surroundings reminded us of Belval’s progress and transformation.

Rock ‘n’ roll vibes reverberated through the city. It was clear that Belval embraces music, especially with its large venue known for hosting major acts. Alice Cooper happened to be playing while we were in town, adding an unexpected thrill to the atmosphere.

Elevated Walkway to Alzette Ech Sur

One of the highlights of our day was the elevated walkway, which offered a picturesque view of Alzette Ech Sur. The combination of natural beauty and industrial elements created a striking visual contrast that truly encapsulated the essence of Belval.

Dinner and Drinks in Differdange

As the day came to a close, we made our way to Differdange, a town with deep roots in the steel industry.

We enjoyed a hearty dinner at a local restaurant in differdange. Local Luxembourg food at D’Walztrooss. After dinner we decided to unwind with a beer at Pitchers in Ech sur Alzette. The lively yet laid-back vibe of this local spot was a perfect way to cap off our first day.

Just as we started heading back to our accommodations, the rain finally made an appearance. Despite the sudden downpour, we reflected on our eventful day, filled with unique sights and a peek into Luxembourg’s industrial past.

Stay tuned for Day 2, where we explore Luxembourg City, visit a local brewery, and take a beautiful walk through the valley park. Luxembourg may be small, but it’s brimming with surprises.

One of the first things I did in my new role was to revamp how our development team operates. Previously, the team followed the familiar Scrum/Kanban approach—using Jira and working in two-week sprints.

In my experience, this way of working often results in limited foresight and little room for error. If someone falls ill or something unexpected happens, it’s almost inevitable that the team won’t be able to complete all the tasks planned for the sprint. Unfortunately, this was exactly the case for our team.

Exploring a New Approach…

About a year ago, I came across a framework called Shape Up. The core idea behind Shape Up is to reduce micromanagement and empower teams to work autonomously.

Shape Up uses longer project cycles (six weeks) where a team is assigned one or more tasks, known as “shapes.” A shape is a task description written in plain text that outlines the scope and content of the project. From there, it’s up to the team to make the decisions necessary to complete the work. Each team is free to handle the project in a way that suits them best—whether that means breaking it down into sprints or managing it differently.

Between cycles, there’s a two-week “cooldown” period. This time is meant for tasks that often get pushed aside, like testing a new framework or learning a new skill.

We’ve just completed our first cycle and are about to start the second. Although it’s too soon to draw any definite conclusions, I consider the first cycle a success. We managed to complete nearly all items, and the team’s feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The extended project scope, compared to two-week sprints, has allowed us to build features with greater thoughtfulness and planning.

As we move into the next cycle, I’m eager to see if this positive momentum continues.

Over and out!

I tend to be quite optimistic about AI and the improvements and benefits it can ultimately bring to humanity. I believe many positive developments will emerge from AI and Machine Learning.

While it can be amusing to use AI tools like ChatGPT to generate playful texts and images, the real benefits of AI lie elsewhere. The true potential of AI likely resides in specialized, streamlined models designed for specific tasks, such as analyzing medical results or sorting through vast amounts of unstructured data. Or perhaps in applications we have yet to discover, solving problems that are not inherently human.

One reason services like ChatGPT and Gemini generate so much hype is their ability to process input and return answers in natural, human-like language. This natural language capability makes AI feel more human and reinforces the perception that we are dealing with intelligence.

Yet, amidst all the excitement, I can't help but wonder about the potential downsides of rapid AI development. I'm not referring to Terminator-like humanoid killer robots taking over the world—although not impossible, such scenarios are unlikely to be the most effective means of causing destruction.

If AI were to pose a threat, it might do so in ways we wouldn't even recognize. Imagine a super-intelligent botnet controlling the world's information. Such a botnet could steer humanity in any direction it chose, without needing to resort to violence. AI wouldn't have to kill us; we might unwittingly do that ourselves.

Although I believe we are far from creating Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), I think we will achieve it someday. Super-intelligent AGI could revolutionize science, solving problems we never knew existed. It could unlock the challenges of space travel and help us reach new planets or even galaxies.

However, this same super-intelligent AGI could also decide that humans are no longer necessary, deeming us expendable in the pursuit of more important goals.

This book I recently read emphasizes that it’s not about what will happen but what should happen.

As the creators of these AI systems, tools, and models, it is up to us to shape the future of AI. Will AI be the rise of humanity or its downfall? No one knows for sure.

I choose to remain positive, though cautiously skeptical. After all, we created AI, so we should be able to influence its outcome, right?

This book is a thought-provoking read, and I highly recommend it to everyone. It really makes you think about the future of AI and our role in shaping it.

This fall I have been given, no… I have earned the possibility to assume a new position at my current workplace. This new role forces me to look at things from a bigger perspective and requires more knowledge and insight in what makes our business work.

This is something that I am deeply thrilled to be digging into, and I am confident that I can make something great, and help the business in a meaning full way.

But I am not going to lie, even though this is close to what I have been doing before, and I know that I am qualified for the job at hand - I can't help to think, who did I fool to get here?

Imposter syndrom is real, and according to statistics around 60% of people in tech/development are feeling or has at some point been feeling like imposters.

I have always been struggling with this, but it is something that comes and goes from day to day. I have also gotten better in how to deal with it.

I use logic and reason. Have I deliberately fooled anyone? or is the case that I am actually good at what I do? I tend to land on the later and things tend to feel better again 🙂

I think that a lot of the "Imposter Feelings" comes from not being really sure of what you are doing, stepping outside of your comfort zone. But isn't that what you need to do to grow? If I would be doing exactly and only things I know how to do I would probably be bored pretty quickly...

Stepping outside of what I know and master is at least for me the best way of learning new skills, but also learning new things about your self - And I like to be learning new things!

Only time will tell, but I am stoked at what's coming ahead.

The upgrades continues

The day started early at 04:00. After a quick cleanup and packing we went down to the hotel lobby for a small breakfast, little did we know - this would not be the last breakfast today.

After getting throug check in, bagage drop and the security controll (that all and all took about 15 minutes) we headed to the airport lounge for second breakfast.

After a quick second breakfast we went to our gate, once we got there we heard them calling out our names in the speaker, that is usually not a good sign. But to our surprise they did not tell us that we hade done something wrong or that there was some trouble of sort. No, they informed us that we had been upgraded to business class and wanted to give us our new boarding passes. Third breakfast in the sky - here we go!

After indulging in a sweet and free airplane breakfast we landed in Munich with around 2 hours to kill before our connecting flight. So what do you do with 2 hours to spare? off course we went to the airport lounge for a forth breakfast, becase at this point, why not!

The city was suspicious to see us

Once we arrived at our destination we droped of our baggage at the hotel and went to town, only to discover that the city was pretty suspicious to see us.

Joke aside, the city of Sibiu is sometimes called the city of eyes due to the small windows on many of the buildings that makes them look like they have eyes.

At check in we got informed that our room had been upgraded, nice! Room upgrades happen pretty frequently but to our surprise this was on a new level - we got the biggest suite at the whole hotel.

The room had everything you could think of and more! When did you last stay in a hotel room with a multi room audio setup, a vinyl record player and included binoculars for plane spotting.

Too bad it’s only for one night. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.

I had a bit of luck and the drone landed on a small island just a few meter from the shoreline - of course not the same shoreline a was standing on.

After a bit of a rescue mission that included a pedal boat I finally had the drone in my hands and could inspect the damage.

At first glance I could see that the camera and gimbal had taken a pretty good hit, however it looked like the only thing broken was the front protective glass for the camera.

On closer inspection of the drone I could confirm that the damages was a bit more extensive. The gimbal motor was not working as it should and on further disassembly I noticed that the gimbal arm was cracked and was falling appart.

After some web searching I found a place that had a complete gimbal assembly complete with camera for a reasonable price so I ordered that.

After about a week the new part arrived in the mail, now began the rescue operation!

The drone was fairly easy to take apart, but man those screws are small. With a little help from some youtube videos the drone was taken apart and put together again within an hour or so.

When powering up the drone again after its surgery I could confirm that the gimbal and camera was now working again. However, I now had a couple of IMU Errors showing up and the gimbal view was crooked. None of the built in calibrations worked...

After some searching around on the web I found a tool that could help me. Its called DJI-Firmware-tool and is a python tool that can help with various service things on DJI Drones. This tool had a script that could perform gimbal calibration.

After some struggle to get a serial connection to the drone I finally was able to run the calibration script.

The gimbal is now straight but the IMU Data Error is still there. The drone seems to be working fine anyway (except an annoying error)

The error it self seems to be due to some kind of serial missmatch. Maybe I will keep struggling to remove that error or maybe I wont. At least the drone is operational again.