Since the very beginning, the Numendo family has kept on growing. So it was only natural that we decided to introduce you to the talented people who make Numendo what it is today: a company where commitment goes hand in hand with passion! For this first portrait, it is Mehdi, senior full-stack developer, who agreed to take part in the interview. He tells us more about his career path and his experience within Numendo’s tech team.
Hello Mehdi! Let’s start with you telling us a little about yourself. Who are you?
My name is Mehdi and I’m 38. I’ve done a lot of jobs connected with IT. I was on a conventional path that I ended up not following! My passion for IT developed largely in a self-taught way; it’s a calling that has been close to my heart since I was little.
What was your professional career before joining the Numendo team?
I’ve been developing for around fifteen years. I started out professionally in Geneva maintaining and deploying IT estates. That period revealed one constant: all the clients I dealt with needed websites built, at a time when the sector was still taking shape. I then spent three years at a Geneva-based company. That was my first official job in IT.
How did you move towards web development?
It happened naturally. As I met different clients and networks, particularly in the cultural sector, I balanced my activity between building websites — mainly on WordPress and Drupal — a little e-commerce, Linux system administration, intranets and tools aimed mainly at SMEs. That also included team management software and mail servers; the spectrum was very broad. My goal has always been to aim for more professional, more structured work, with the adoption of DevOps practices. I’ve been able to follow the whole shift towards greater automation, in particular through the use of LXC, Docker, Terraform, Kubernetes and other technologies that make it possible to deliver more ambitious projects.
… and then you joined Numendo?
That’s right! After a sabbatical year in 2022, I felt the need for a change. That led me to work on a big project for an IT services company over a seven-month period. The aim was to develop the new version of an application for searching the media archives of a television channel going all the way back to its beginnings.
I really enjoyed working on such a large-scale project, but that company had a very large headcount, which made the working atmosphere somewhat impersonal. What made the difference at Numendo was the human contact, the supportive atmosphere. I think everyone says that, so there’s really no doubt about it!
You are a full-stack developer at Numendo — can you tell us more about your experience and your assignments?
I’ve been working on an assignment for the EBU since June 2023, which is when I was hired. Historically, the EBU’s roots go back to the 1920s, when European broadcasters were seeking to collaborate and share new technologies.
Today the focus is on developing software and services, used in particular by the major television channels and often drawing on artificial intelligence.
Can you give us an example of a project you are working on?
At the moment I’m working on EuroVOX, an open platform designed to make content accessible in all European languages. This tool makes it possible to reduce the cost and complexity of transcribing and translating content into multiple languages.
EuroVOX includes a web application that allows users to upload video and audio so that the spoken content is transcribed into text, then translated on request into more than 140 languages. It is then possible to re-export the content, with the option of automatically cutting the audio track or doing revoicing — in other words dubbing the content into another language while identifying the different speakers.
This studio also makes it possible to edit the translations, have them checked and re-export them. Everything relies on a main API that, on request, transcribes speech into text or translates it. The content is sent to the API, which returns the result in real time or later.
A second, more recent piece of software came out of the concept phase in February, and I contributed to it as soon as I arrived in June. It is used in real time, in particular during the large conferences organised by the EBU, both internally and externally, and it will soon be used for live transcription and translation on television channels. It offers the ability to look back through the history and switch language on the fly, among other features.
Which aspects of your current assignment do you find most rewarding?
I particularly appreciate the innovation side, which is very rewarding. The tasks are extremely varied. Then there is the way the team works, which is another strong point. We have already experimented with many different approaches to organisation… At the moment we’re in “no-estimate” mode. It’s an agile method — or rather a philosophy — that questions the real value of estimates. Instead of spending time estimating how long a task will take, you focus on actually getting it done. In terms of productivity, our results are excellent!
What do you appreciate most about Numendo?
The first thing that comes to mind is the social events. They’re an opportunity to talk more, and they always take place in a friendly atmosphere. That’s rather nice. But beyond that, what I particularly like is the connection with everyone, including with Christophe [Lemerle]. Despite our busy schedules, it’s always possible to get in touch if you have questions. I’ve always been curious to understand how an IT services company works, specifically in Geneva. Christophe was very open about that during our interview, which I found really interesting. It gives you a sense of how things actually work. I really appreciate the openness and the supportiveness you find here.
Was there an event that stood out for you in 2023?
The company seminar was a highlight for me. Getting everyone together was a great experience! Meeting some people I had only known through Slack or by video was particularly memorable. The spirit of cohesion was pretty incredible. And of course, good humour was everywhere. It’s a fairly rare atmosphere, one I had never experienced anywhere else.
Three words to describe Numendo: what comes to mind first?
Interesting! If I had to describe Numendo in three words, the first that come to mind would be: sincerity, support and technology. In that order. They perfectly reflect the essence of the company.
Finally, how do you see Numendo evolving over the next three to five years?
That’s a good question! I see potential in creating practices centred on open source and certain specific technologies. Open source has exploded and will continue to diversify. I also imagine the company getting more involved in organising meet-ups and promoting a technology culture, as well as strengthening exchanges within the local community. Geneva already provides a setting for such initiatives, but I think there is still a great deal to develop.
Personally, I’m playing my part: I’m planning to organise a meet-up around Nuxt, a web development framework based on Vue.js, some time in May or June.
We’ve added one last question: what are your passions in life?
I’m a big fan of films and video games, and I also love reading. Skiing was one of my passions for a long time too. I’d been skiing since the age of two, but for various reasons I had to take a break over the past five years. Skiing is starting to take up a place in my life again. And of course there’s development, a field I’m deeply passionate about!
