Meet our Team: Dimitar Atanasov

As part of our ongoing spotlight series, we’re profiling colleagues who inspire us.

Dimitar is a Principal Software Engineer based in Sofia, Bulgaria. He guides our development team through project delivery.

Working closely with our client delivery team, Dim and his team plan engineering strategies that keep our client’s products ahead of the technology curve.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I enjoy waking up early in the morning, typically at 6:30 am. I spend the time before my first meetings reading articles on the latest tech developments and planning the day.. Around 9 am I usually start with my first client meetings and stand ups – I try to keep these scheduled in the mornings.

If time allows, I split my day with some physical activity – it’s good to get away from the screen and allow the ideas to come to the surface. My afternoon would be a mix of internal meetings, coding and writing

How did you get into the principal engineering role?

I have been into software development for almost 20 years now. Through these years I’ve explored different areas of the software development stack. I’ve always loved to experiment with a variety of technologies and to inspire others to do the same. This has placed me in a position to lead tech teams, influence the process and to prove that our approach solves real life problems.

This role didn’t exist in Athlon a few years ago but it was a reflection of the team’s growth and my constant efforts to help the team to improve and deliver better experiences.

What’s the best thing about working with Athlon?

The culture behind our team fosters experimentation & learning. Athlon’s environment encourages creativity, curiosity and collaboration. This philosophy led us through many different technologies and exciting projects over the years. It motivates us to enjoy our work and to enjoy the people that we work with.

What inspires you?

My biggest inspiration is Nature – the biggest engineering project in the world and it’s fascinating to feel it and watch it. It has the magical power to recharge me and spending a few hours out there brings back my energy & strength.

Career highlight so far

I have been with Athlon for 13 years now, and it’s been rewarding to be part of the studio’s growth – not just in size as the team has grown and matured, but also as as a technology stack and an innovator.

There could be many individual projects or achievements that people may see as highlights but actually building up a team over the years, keeping the focus and constantly improving while seeing the results of it is my career highlight so far.

What do you geek out on?

Human behaviour in a social environment can keep me up in a bar till early hours!

What do you get up to when you’re not plugged in?

Mostly spending time outside, whether on a bike, splashing in the snow or in the water. I like breathing 🙂.

What would your superpower be?

Making people have fun and bringing a bit of fresh air in a difficult situation.