Careers do not always follow a straight line. Sometimes they evolve in unexpected directions, shaped by curiosity, new challenges, and the willingness to learn something completely new.
In this interview, Márk shares how his path at Digital Factory led from a Product Owner role in the Loyalty team to becoming an Android Developer. His story highlights how curiosity, continuous learning, and a supportive environment can make even an unconventional career transition possible.
My career started as a manual tester working on specialized hardware for transportation systems, and later I moved into digital payment solutions. By the time I first connected with the Digital Factory team, I was already working on a mobile payment and loyalty app as a Product Owner. The position Digital Factory offered felt like a natural next step in my career progression. It combined my experience in mobile solutions with the innovative, startup-like culture that Digital Factory represented at the time.
As a Product Owner, I was responsible for prioritizing mobile-related tasks, managing the backlog, and coordinating developer resources while keeping up with shifting priorities and timelines. I also oversaw operational issues and played a key role in the app’s redesign. The most rewarding part for me was leading the redesign initiative. Being able to shape the product vision and then see it come to life in the final product was especially fulfilling.
I’ve actually been interested in app development since my teenage years, but my career initially took a different path. Over time, as I became more involved with digital products, this passion naturally resurfaced and motivated me to move closer to the technical side.
I’ve always been drawn to technology. Even as a child, I loved disassembling gadgets and putting them back together just to understand how they worked. Later, as a Product Owner, I noticed that this curiosity was still present in how I approached business requirements. I often looked at problems from a technical and problem-solving perspective, which gradually strengthened my interest in development.
After several years as a Product Owner, I felt the time was right to transition into a more technical role. I wanted to continue learning and expand my skill set in a new direction. I’m very grateful that Digital Factory supported this step and provided the flexibility to make it possible. It’s incredibly satisfying to see how the code I write becomes something tangible within the production app. That direct connection between effort and outcome is something I really enjoy.
The first step was finding and onboarding a suitable replacement for my previous role. During this period, I temporarily balanced both responsibilities, continuing some of my Product Owner duties while beginning my onboarding with the developer team. This overlap helped me gradually transition into my new role and allowed me to integrate into the development team step by step.
From the moment I shared my intention with my supervisor, I felt fully supported. The management team was open and encouraging, even though this was quite an unconventional move. Their trust and flexibility played a huge role in making the transition smooth and motivating.
The biggest challenge was adapting to the expectations and processes of a corporate development environment, since my previous coding experience had mostly been as a hobby. What helped me overcome this was continuous learning, proactive feedback from my teammates, and the strong support from the team. That environment made it much easier to grow into the new role.
If you feel that a change could support your personal or professional growth, it’s worth taking that leap. Since moving into my new role, I continue to learn every day and feel more motivated than I have in a long time. I consider myself very fortunate to have made this transition within Digital Factory, an environment that truly values growth, curiosity, and flexibility.
