Gears of Comodule - Janika Liiv, the Software Product Manager, on a mission to build better solutions

You can tell that Janika is driven by curiosity, she likes to understand things to their core and it’s tricky to find something she hasn’t tried. From running an ultra-marathon to building furniture, she keeps surprising us with her skills. On a daily basis, Janika makes sure Comodule’s software is world-class. Let’s find out more about her.

Who is Janika?

“From an early age, I’ve had a keen interest in technology and the urge to understand how things work. If you ask what sparked this interest, I think it’s to do with the fact that I grew up watching my father, an engineer, disassemble and reassemble electronic devices to understand how they work.”

It’s true what they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  

“After high school, I came to a crossroads, what to do as a career - to study dramaturgy, journalism or IT. I chose the latter as it seemed like a safe choice. I studied IT systems development and got a master’s degree in Electronics and Bionics. To dive even deeper into the world of tech, during college one of my hobbies was robotics. I participated in one of the biggest robotics competitions Robotex several times and even won it once. I was also part of the first-ever team at Robotex that consisted solely of women. “

“Working as a developer I saw that there were very few women in this field and I lacked other women who I could relate to and talk to about their careers.  I founded my own non-profit association called TechSisters to introduce IT  to girls and introduce them the career options in this sector. Since then I’ve organized many networking events”.

What’s Janika’s role at Comodule?

Janika is the IoT Software Product Manager at Comodule. This means she is responsible for making the right decisions for the development of Comodule’s software products, always keeping in mind the best interest of the customers and bike riders.

“I have developed professionally at Comodule thanks to the possibility to see all the layers of a product come together: the hardware, firmware and software. It is a learning curve to see how all these teams work together. I also enjoy talking to our customers a lot, I get to see and understand the people for whom I’m building the products.“

Why Comodule?

“As a person, I’m a problem solver, I like to understand the problem and then find a solution to it. But I prefer if the outcome is practical and actually makes someone’s life better. That is why Comodule seemed like the perfect place to work. The company’s mission is heavily related to improving the lives of people and the environment. And the solution that Comodule provides is proof that the company is living up to this mission. All in all, it was the strong mission with an equally strong leader in front of it that sealed the deal for me.”

“The team is very inspiring. People take initiative, are constructive, and get things done. Trust is also a big part of the team. You don’t need to worry if someone gets things done, you just trust that they do. People are curious and benevolent.”

“I also reflect the lifestyle that Comodule is promoting. Bikes are a big part of my lifestyle, I’ve had many of them during my life. I enjoy riding them a lot and there are times when I relied on my bike to move around.” Janika says.

Enough about work, what about hobbies?

“I enjoy trying out different things. Sports has a very important role in my life and I have tried out many different fields, from belly dancing, table tennis, swimming, to soccer. I played soccer for FC Flora for about 6 years.  And once I ran 60 km at an ultra race.”

“Besides sports, I used to organize events, conferences, networking events. Now I’m more into creating things with my hands, I’ve picked up carpentry and even tried out making furniture. Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of my time planning and building a summer house.”

How do you commute daily? 

“The most sustainable way, walking.”

Thoughts about the future of mobility?

“I believe that bikes and scooters will go to the masses, especially in the big cities. It’s becoming more important for that shift to happen and luckily it’s understood by the people and authorities that it all starts with the infrastructure to support it. The culture changes together with the infrastructure. I also think there will be more different types of vehicles popping up, hybrids between bikes and cars. “