ELLEN KÖNIG
ELLEN KÖNIG
Curious Explorations In Data Engineering

10-second bio



Lead Data Engineer, currently at ThoughtWorks, and explorer of rabbit holes.

Former Data Engineer and Data Scientist at WhereIsMyTransport, SoundCloud, Data Science for Social Good Berlin, TolaData, TechSoup, and others.



Curiosity-driven. If I am not learning something right now, I am probably sick.

Exploring the rabbit hole

Some of my favorite rabbit holes are

  • The human side of data technology

  • Life as a software engineer and engineering manager

  • How we can avoid a climate catastrophe

Connecting distant topics, cultures and worldviews

University lover. I have studied computer science, environmental science, philosophy, business, psychology, sociology and political science. So far.

Lived in five countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Native Berliner.

CURIOUS EXPLORATIONS: The Human side of Engineering

I get out of bed every day to learn something new. From my job as a Lead Data Engineer at ThoughtWorks. From studying environmental science at Fernuni Hagen. From exploring shared fascinations with friends. And from reading, dancing, volunteering, and traveling.

Since learning is more fun when we do it together, I share some of my explorations of the human side of engineering here.

popular blog posts

Blog
How I learned to love touchy political discussions at the family table
How I learned to love touchy political discussions at the family table

My grandma grew up in Nazi Germany. She was, like most German girls at the time, a member of the BDM, the Nazi youth organization for girls. My mom grew up in socialist East Germany. She was, like most East German girls at the time, a member of the FDJ, the communist youth organization. I grew up in democratic reunified Germany. I was not a member of any youth organization.

I love both of them dearly, but our politics to this day diverge widely. For decades, every family gathering would turn into a political fight. Until I tried something different.

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Can we cancel the climate apocalypse? Pt 1: Scaling clean tech and clean energy
Can we cancel the climate apocalypse? Pt 1: Scaling clean tech and clean energy

It's been too hot for the last few months. The drought scares me. The unstable temperatures scare me.

Until recently, I felt that we were heading towards unavoidable climate doom. I used to believe that the efforts needed to cut our carbon emissions were too hard to achieve, and thus futile. Until recently.

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How to Influence Software Engineers
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How to Influence Software Engineers
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“Are there good rules of communication I should be aware of when I'm communicating with engineers?” I recently got this question from a designer, a new subscriber to my newsletter. It is a question I keep asking myself as well.

Influencing is a crucial part of collaborating with others effectively. Without it, we would rarely arrive at the same page and head in the same direction. We cannot not influence, we can just do it more or less effectively. Here I share some of my observations on how to influence developers.

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Don’t Worry About AI Taking Over the World One Day. Worry About How It Is Used Today
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Don’t Worry About AI Taking Over the World One Day. Worry About How It Is Used Today
English

Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, Steve Wozniak, and many others have famously raised alarm about AI posing an existential risk to humanity. That sounds dramatic.

However, I believe this whole debate about existential risks to humanity coming from AI is a huge distraction.

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English