5 Minutes with Chris Baeuchle

"What appeals to me most about my role is the opportunity to make a positive impact on multiple levels."

I was born in Germany but moved to West Cork, Ireland when I was very young. All these years I've lived in Ireland, I love it for its beautiful wild coastline, mystical landscapes and the daily challenge of selecting the right attire for going outside (and getting it wrong).

Outside of work, I am passionate about bouldering and rock climbing. I recently visited Fontainebleau for the first time, a beautiful area near Paris that is well known for its many highly technical bouldering areas. It was a great experience for me because of the massive variety of climbs, one more challenging than the next. One could move there and have new bouldering projects for the rest of their life, with the amount of fantastic options there.

What's a fun fact that most people don't know about you?  

I'm currently pursuing a Master's degree in coaching psychology to learn how I can better support my team. I'm really interested in psychology and enjoy learning about theories such as transactional analysis in my spare time. I recently came across a book called "Games People Play", and I found it fascinating to explore how unconscious patterns influence our interactions. The course has deepened my understanding of communication and leadership, skills I bring into my role every day to better support my team and the company's growth.

What does a typical day at komoot look like for you?  

Honestly, no day looks the same, but here are a few key areas:

• Driving projects to optimise Support processes, such as bug reporting
• Understanding how AI can make Customer Support better in an authentic way
• Helping the team thrive and our users get great responses to their support tickets
• Answering complicated product questions
• OKR planning and regular reporting 
• Leading team meetings, discussions and brainstorming sessions 

What do you enjoy most about your role? 

As a people manager, I help my team grow and thrive; as a Support Lead, I collaborate with my team to support our user base; and as a komoot employee, I contribute to empowering our users to enjoy great outdoor adventures. What appeals to me most about my role is the opportunity to make a positive impact on multiple levels.

You've been at komoot for 18 months; what's been a highlight at komoot during that time?  

A big highlight for me was the great hiring we did last year. We have a great team for support, and we recently all met for a virtual end-of-year call to reflect on 2024 and to have some team-building time. This call was a great reminder of the amazing people we brought into the team and what we managed to achieve together.

Also, the komoot Rome-ing Gathering was unbelievable. I have so many great memories from the Tuscan countryside and the incredible adventures with my colleagues. Spending 3 days cycling through what looked exactly like the Tuscan postcards, soaking in the sun from the comfort of pools (I don't see a lot of sun in Ireland) and having laughs over authentic Italian food; A work trip can't get much better than that.

Aside from your Masters degree, are you working towards any other goals?

I'm working on reaching the next bouldering grade by becoming a better climber. Some recent injuries have caused setbacks but have motivated me even more as I've learned a lot about injury prevention, body awareness and pacing myself. I hope to reach my goal in 2025, but even if I don't, I'll continue growing and learning along the way.

How would you describe komoot's culture in three words?

Dynamic. Purposeful. Vibrant.