Coffee Break with Stian Enger

September 29, 2022

Ladies and gents, today we’ll enjoy our coffee break with the one and only Stian Enger. Let’s get a glimpse into his professional and personal life and habits.

How did your career in EveryMatrix start? What’s your favourite thing about working here?

In 2012 I was hired as a part-time consultant (10 hours a week) to manage Jetbull.com, which EveryMatrix back then had recently acquired from a white label client. Part-time turned into full-time, and a few years later, I moved from B2C to B2B as product manager for CasinoEngine. I’ve been with CasinoEngine since.

My favorite thing about working here is that we are a diverse group of people from around the world, with different cultural backgrounds and mother tongues, collaborating to achieve common goals. And frankly speaking, we are really good at it.

What was your first job?

Besides various odd jobs as a kid, like being a paperboy and harvesting potatoes at a nearby farm, my first proper job was at a hardware store when I was 17. I worked there on Saturdays, weekday evenings, and during school breaks.

Fun fact – I have three kids, and two of them have worked at the very same hardware store. They better hire my youngest as well, once he is old enough.

What’s one of your biggest work pet peeves?

I will come off as a nitpicker here, but I would have to say poorly formatted work. With the Format Painter feature in Microsoft apps, it only takes a minute to turn chaos into order. Don’t forward that job to the recipient of your work.

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Give us your top productivity piece of advice.

I get up in the morning, but not by choice. I am a genuine night owl, and people I collaborate with often comment when they receive my email as in way past midnight.

Productivity advice – Do not work on large or complex tasks in between other work. You will waste time getting into “the zone” and frequently derail your train of thought. Set aside sufficient time to dig in, and don’t let yourself be disturbed or distracted. Graveyard shifts are perfect for that. Hoot.

What personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?

Success is a big word, but I know what has helped me the most in my work – having the mindset of the end-user, the player because I like games of all sorts and always did. That came in handy when working in B2C because, as in any industry, you need to know and understand your customer. As follows, having worked in B2C is very valuable when working in B2B because you get the best feel for an operator’s needs and pain points if you have first-hand experience.

What would you tell your younger self?

I would convey to my younger self a universal piece of advice from Britney Spears:

Want a hot body? Want a Bugatti?
Want a Maserati? You better work, b…uddy

What is your biggest guilty pleasure?

As far as my kids know, I quit smoking in 2014. I’ll leave it at that.

Name one thing everyone should add to their Bucket List.

As an avid Coffee Break reader, I know this has been mentioned before, but my bucket list tip must be to live and work or study abroad. I studied a couple of semesters in the US, and I studied one semester and worked a few years in Thailand. Exciting, enlightening, and rewarding experiences.

What would you do if you were gifted a million dollars, no strings attached?

I would buy a fancy car, take my entire family on the vacation of a lifetime, and then treat myself and some friends to a trip to Las Vegas to play WSOP Main Event (it’s a poker tournament with a $10 000 entry fee). Don’t get me started on how I would spend the prize money!

Share a photo of your favourite pet!

I grew up in a home where there was always at least one dog and one cat, and I consider myself a dog and cat person. Sadly, we haven’t had a pet at home since my daughter’s hamster went to live on a farm a few years back, so I’m sharing a picture of Fia, my mom’s dog. She is a bundle of joy!