Setapp is all about including everyone’s voice and talents. We are a diverse team, and we cherish our differences by creating an inclusive workplace. As we are proud of our team members, we would like to share their passions with you!

Meet Rafał – one of our software developers. At Setapp, Rafał does the front-end, back-end and infrastructure of the apps. Apart from that, he also gets involved with regular activities linked to our projects, which are always done as a team. For example, estimating the resources, analysing the requirements and conducting research to ensure that we find the most suitable solution for our clients’ needs.

Before we start to talk about your passion – climbing – tell us why you decided to become a software developer?

Mainly because it gives me great satisfaction as I solve real problems. And the problems in this industry are never-ending, and often need to be solved with creative thinking. That’s why every day at this job is unique and absolutely fascinating!

Your hobby – climbing – is also very unique! How did you get into it? Did someone inspire you?

I was convinced by my girlfriend to go on my first climbing session. She is a more experienced climber, and she also has a climbing blog. I thought it was quite interesting – that’s why I decided to give it a go. I tried it, I liked it, and I wanted more!

When did that happen?

About a year ago.

Tell us a little bit more about your first climbing experience!

My first professional climbing experience was at a climbing course in Spain. Ironically, it turned out that I have a slight fear of heights, so the first climb up to around 30 meters was a real mental challenge for me!

In the beginning, our instructor took care of us. The path was quite simple, but climbing that high was a new, extreme experience. The following climbs were also quite stressful, yet the views of Spanish coast after successfully getting to the top of the rock, and the feeling of achieving the goal were the reasons I wanted more and more!

What do you consider your biggest success in your climbing adventure so far?

Definitely going beyond my own limits.

And the biggest failure?

When it comes to climbing, I try to not look at anything as a failure.

What do you like most about climbing?

The Adrenalin boost, overcoming my own limits and, obviously, climbing awesome rocks!

Is this the kind of sport you do by yourself, or you do it with other people?

It depends on the type of climbing. To climb some smaller rocks (bouldering), you don’t need anyone to help you. You can do it by yourself, especially on an artificial climbing wall. To climb with a rope, you need at least two people – a climber and a belayer (a person that safeguards the climber).

Usually, people go climbing in a group so that the time at the rockface is much more fun. Personally, I usually go with 2-3 people. As for the artificial climbing wall, I like to climb by myself from time to time.

How does your passion look on a daily basis?

I try to climb 3-4 times a week. Once a week I go for climbing training. At the moment, I am spending a lot of time in the Czech Republic as there are quite a lot of good rocks there. We go there with my girlfriend when we have some free time and the weather is good. We also go for longer climbing trips – so far I’ve done that twice in Spain.

How do you stay in shape?

By training! Before that, I was regularly hitting the gym. Recently, I have been trying to move towards a specific climbing training plan. I climb on an artificial climbing wall a lot. I’m also doing yoga, mainly to stretch the muscles and regenerate quicker.

Is climbing something that you have to do regularly or you can take some longer breaks from it?

I don’t have so much experience, but I think climbing requires quite a complex set of skills and it takes a lot of practice to do it properly. But if you treat it as a fun recreational activity, it doesn’t require huge engagement. I have friends that go to a climbing wall recreationally and they also have a lot of fun!

How about equipment? What do you need to start your climbing journey?

It depends on the type of climbing. As a bare minimum, you need climbing shoes and a bag for chalk. For sports climbing, you need a harness, your personal kit and someone else at the ground with the rest of the team’s equipment. If you want the full equipment, you also need rope and quickdraws. Dynamic rope is the most significant cost of them all.

And to sum it all up – do you have any tips for someone who wants to start climbing?

I think it’s best to go for a free taster course for beginners at a climbing wall to check if it’s something that works for you. If you want to start climbing on rocks, it’s good to sign up to a climbing course. In this way, you can make sure that you do everything correctly with someone experienced as your coach.