Dugnad: The Work That Taught Me the Most

Finding the right direction

I didn't start in frontend development. I worked with Python as a backend developer first, and that experience helped me realize something important: I'm a visual person.

I care about how things look, feel, and make sense to the people using them. That realization pushed me toward frontend, even though I knew very little about it at the time.

Learning by doing (and leading)

At a non-profit organization, I had the chance to learn fast. An old friend who worked there as a frontend developer became my mentor and helped me understand what to learn and how to approach it.

The organization didn't really have a proper website, just something put together in Google Sites. I redesigned it on my own, built a full concept in Figma, and showed it to the founder. That led to rebuilding the site from scratch using pure code.

With no defined roles, I ended up coordinating a small team of developers and teaching others while still learning myself. It was messy, challenging, and incredibly valuable.

Understanding it later

At the time, I didn't have a word for what that experience was. I was just showing up and doing the work.

After moving to Norway, I learned the word dugnad. It describes a shared effort, done together, because it matters. No spotlight, no shortcuts, no expectation of immediate reward.

That's when it clicked. That period of my life finally had a name. And it still shapes how I approach work and collaboration today.