New Roadie Arrivals 4/24

Welcome to Columbia Road, Rohit!

Rohit Toshniwal

Managing Consultant, Development

Hi Rohit, How did you get good at what you do?

During my teenage years, I became more inquisitive about things and did not shy away from asking questions. I always wanted to solve different kinds of problems, and acquiring the engineering skills that will enable me to do so was something that I wanted for myself. When I did my Bachelor’s of Engineering in Computer Science, the studies, short industry internship exposure and thesis equipped me with new perspectives and knowledge about various aspects of this field.

My 12+ years of professional journey only further strengthened my interest in being a software engineer, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning the ways of working both in enterprise as well as startup companies. During this experience, I loved challenging myself in multiple domains and tried several hats. Moreover, my knack for dabbling in different things and getting my hands dirty to gain first-hand experience has helped me to become good in some of the things, but I still have a long way to go. I also feel that my strong belief in being a team player, helping and being empathetic towards my peers has also helped me to bond well and succeed together with all my teams to date.

Why Columbia Road?

I briefly knew about Columbia Road 2 years back, but I saw the name featured in The Hub’s February 2024 list as one of the top 10 fastest-growing startups and scaleups in Finland. This piqued my interest in the company which furthered during the friendly interview discussions. During the discussions and up until now, I discovered a company with a laid-back attitude, considering its people as its greatest asset in the true sense, a strong culture of trust, a talented pool of people out of which some have headed to start their own companies, and an ambience of warmth and care towards people. These are some of the reasons that made me want to be a part of this family and make CR a great workplace.

What makes your heart beat a little faster?

Currently, when my daughter runs towards me when I reach home from the office, that very moment together with her smile makes my heart beat a little faster. Besides, I enjoy and love playing badminton and table tennis, and spending time playing those sports also paces up my heartbeat. My wife bakes amazing and delicious cakes, and eating those also makes my heart beat a little faster.

The longest that I have played table tennis is for 7 hours continuously with short water breaks, so I am quite persistent and willing to improve & learn, and that is one thing that I also strive for at my workplace.