Neos developers at sitegeist

You’re a Neos developer – what does that mean exactly?

I work on the backend of Neos websites – that means the layer between server administration and the actual HTML. I’m responsible for connecting APIs and working with databases (which Neos calls the Content Repository), but I also care deeply about how editors interact with content – in other words, the usability of the editing interface.

The usability of the public website, though, is more in the hands of frontend developers and designers.

In parallel, I also contribute to the Neos open source project and get two days a month officially dedicated to that work.

Why Neos and not TYPO3?

I worked with TYPO3 for several years before I got into Neos – and it just blew me away. The flexibility, the consistent focus on user-friendliness, even at the system level – that’s what convinced me. It’s also how I ended up joining sitegeist: I simply wanted to work more with Neos.

And let’s be honest – the Neos community is just amazing. The people are so open-minded and curious. We’ve proposed some bold changes from the sitegeist side over the years – and quite a few of them have become part of the Neos core or are now considered official best practices.

Since agility is one of sitegeist’s core values, it just fits. Other communities take forever to adopt new ideas because “it’s always worked this way.” I’ve never encountered that mindset in the Neos community – or in the Neos teams at sitegeist.

Describe Neos in three words:

Friendly, curious and sometimes a little nerdy.

What do you love most about your job? What fascinates you about Neos?

I love when something that seemed complicated suddenly becomes “simple” – usually after a lot of thinking. Those are often the insights that make it into core improvements or new Neos features and packages we release.

Personally, I find working on open source the most fulfilling – whether it’s the Neos core or our custom sitegeist packages. But working on real-world client projects gives everything meaning. That’s where I notice what needs improving. The two worlds really complement each other.

Do you think coding is a form of art?

Well, art is defined as being free of purpose – so programming is more like craftsmanship than pure art. But it’s definitely creative, just in a slightly nerdy way.