Alexander splits his professional time and energy between two roles – Head of Engineering at Sideby, and Founder of Garber Squared LLC, a software consultancy that offers a range of solutions that free you from repetitive tasks, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: growing your business. During the work day, he can reliably be found diligently typing his way through timed work sprints, using the pomodoro technique.
If Alexander is telling the story, what you see is what you get with him; “but people see and hear lots of different things,” he says. He is well-traveled, well-educated, fluent in multiple languages, a dedicated family man, and a big proponent of life balance and healthy habits – not to mention, creative when the need arises! All of those pieces of the equation really come down to his focus and persistence.
Extracurriculars
When Alexander is not plugged in to work, he is truly invested in his family and spending time with them. His life is almost entirely dedicated to serving them and others, but he also intentionally carves out time for himself! You can find Alexander regularly exercising, woodworking, pistol shooting, and reading. Anyone who knows Alexander knows that perpetual learning is a joy and a priority of his!
Why we love Alexander
Lifelong learners tend to be eager educators, and Alexander is no exception! He is always ready to discuss his latest endeavor with a crazy amount of energy, and if someone expresses interest in learning more, he pursues it with them! It’s become a regular occurrence to see Alexander in the backyard teaching someone the ins and outs of a rope workout. He’s even scheduled early morning workout sessions with members in Baker Park! His new role as Head of Engineering occupies much of his time now, but until a few weeks ago, we often saw him teaming up with other members of Cowork Frederick to create software solutions for their businesses. Oh, and let’s not forget the times he brought his carpenter skills to help build shelves and such for our workspace. As a Cowork Frederick resident polyglot, he’s a go-to source for foreign language translation, as well as motivation and encouragement for those of us in the throes of learning a new language.
Q&A with Alexander
How did you get into software engineering?
I got into software because I wanted to get married, and having a family requires both time and money. I taught myself to code and have built upon those skills in the industry over time.
Author’s Note: Alexander has shared in the past that his affinity for learning languages played a huge role in being a self-taught coder!
What inspires you and keeps you going?
Providing for and protecting my family, coupled with a personal desire to realize potential, and the understanding that life is fleeting and precious.
Cowork Frederick members tend to be a little unconventional. How does that apply to you?
My view is that my children are my wealth and money is the means. As such my life is dedicated almost entirely to serving others, with enough time carved out for me to stay fit and healthy and pursue my own interests.
My [wife] does the truly meaningful and important work of raising our children and homeschooling, and my work largely derives meaning from making that possible.
Which of the guiding values defined by Cowork Frederick members speaks to you?
Tenacity. The world is not fair and it is a lot easier to fail than to succeed; to choose life, liberty, and happiness means to accept personal responsibility and to always stay in the fight. I have endured considerable hardship, but giving up was never an option.
Any tips for someone wanting to enter the same line of work/business to help ensure their success?
Learn to write clean code without AI, even by hand with pen and paper (as I did), then learn how to build rock-solid projects with AI. Fail fast and learn. Make it your business to be easy to work with and eminently teachable. If you think you suffer from imposter syndrome, you are an imposter.
Why Cowork Frederick?
I can get my work done in peace; my best clients have come from Cowork; and I have made friends here who help me continue improving.
For those who want to learn more, how can you be reached?
Links, in order: LinkedIn, Blog, Business Website