Tamás Dudás

Tamás Dudás

fellow of Bridge Budapest, Commsignia, Budapest, 2017

My bridge from Cologne to Budapest

I was still spending my Erasmus semester in Cologne, Germany when I heard about the fellowship. I had a great time there, the overall quality of the education, the forward-thinking mindset of the people, the international vibes made such an impact on me, that I needed a rather good reason to even consider coming back. I knew I wanted to work, I knew I wanted to be part of a community that matters and I knew I wanted start off right away as a valuable member of a team instead of being a useless intern. Luckily I found all of these in Bridge Budapest’s Fellowship. It was a no brainer for me that I should apply, so I shot the required application video and decided to give no less than a hundred percent to be one of this year’s fellow.

4 weeks and 3 rounds of interviews later I won the fellowship and became a member of the community. Now if I said I gave a 100 percent, Bridge Budapest definitely gave at least 200. Already on the first dinner I got to meet CEOs and hear how their startups succeeded or failed – no textbook can teach you this. I got to meet influencers who help the society in several ways – go work for a big company and enjoy all the benefits but you won’t experience this attitude there.  Later on the onboarding session I could learn about the startup culture, it’s do’s and don’t’s, the weird words they use and a bunch of other things. Also I was forced to do some good old self-reflection (which is a good thing!), consider my strengths and weaknesses and set my goals for the next 6 months. On another occasion I could meet some of the bridge ambassadors and listen to their stories (what you can read here but the extended and uncensored version). Not to mention this year’s fellows, who are also wonderful and inspiring people to me. At this point I have learnt and experienced so much, and work haven’t even started…

A little break in the onboarding session

My first month at Commsignia was the scariest yet the most rewarding work-experience in my life. I believe that all the articles have been written on “what it’s like to work at a startup” and “what it’s REALLY like to work at a startup”, but I’ll still try to add something new to that, my own experience.

What they say: Roles blend 
What I experienced: I was hired as a smart city salesman, in the first email I was mentioned I was referred to as an analyst and my current task is related to business development. So yes, you can try yourself out in different areas, but isn’t this what a career entrant needs?

What they say: You become an expert in the startup’s field
What I experienced: I wouldn’t consider myself an expert in V2X communication, but I can confirm that working at Commsignia means learning something new every day. And what exactly? Anything, soldering a device or creating a business plan for the next 6 years, because they all happen in my 10 meter range in the office.

While I work at my desk, I can see the devices being assembled

What they say: This is the world of countless opportunities
What I experienced: I changed emails with the innovation team of City of Las Vegas, I was invited to a workshop in Bilbao, Spain (which I unfortunately couldn’t attend) and all this only because I conducted a survey on the V2X market.  As my tasks are growing, so are the opportunities. And yes, there are many.

What they say: You get to be your own boss, you have to be proactive and creative
What I experienced: My bosses fly all over the world all the time, founders are busy you see, so I don’t always get the change to sync with them. Prepare yourself to use up all your creative energy at work and find yourself undecided on what you want to have for dinner! It is exhausting and liberating at the same time.

What they say: Expect beanbags, darts and all that 
What I experienced: We do have one beanbag and a dartboard (as you can see), but this is not what makes Commsignia great. The company is expanding, many people got hired since I’m there, that’s why we are planning to move to another office. It may or may not have a dartboard and overall an extreme setup, but the company will remain a startup for a long time, because the people’s attitude will remain the same.

This is my bridge from Cologne to Budapest, the reasons why I applied and why you should as well. In the upcoming months I’m sure I will find some other ones, and don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated!