Meet Katalin Haverinen-Varga, Product Documentation Writer at Kisi

Name: Katalin Haverinen-Varga

Department: Product

Title: Product Documentation & GTM

Location: Romania

Describe your role at Kisi.

I work as a technical documentation writer at Kisi. My work may come in the form of user guides, API integration guides, but also in the form of a blog, product newsletter, or education materials. Kisi is evolving at the speed of light, so I'm continuously editing and revising product content to ensure customers are up-to-date with the latest functionalities and have the best possible experience with Kisi.

What has been your favorite project to work on at Kisi so far?

Launching our new product documentation portal, of course. This involved mapping out the user journey, from the moment the installer drills the first hole in the wall, till the moment when an end user unlocks a door with Kisi on their Apple watch. Between these two scenarios there are thousands of possibilities in Kisi that both internal and external users should know about. With the docs portal, we wanted to have a central place for all the possible answers to a single question: "What can Kisi do?". Just like the Kisi products, the docs portal is also a continuous work in progress, and that's something I really like about it as well.

What aspect of Kisi’s culture do you enjoy the most?

As someone who has been working remotely since day 1 at Kisi, I can say that Kisi isn't just another remote company. They go the extra mile to provide internationals and remote employees everything so they feel fully integrated and part of the team. But I'd also highlight one of the four company values - Human - since I experience it daily in that everyone is helpful, nice and respectful with everyone, and striving to find solutions that fit not just one team but the entire company.

How do you stay up to date with different industry trends?

I joined the Write the Docs community, a global community of documentation writers. There is a Slack channel where I follow the main topics and discussions and sometimes ask for advice. Also, they regularly organize on- and offline conferences that later get uploaded to YouTube, so everyone can watch them.

Tell us something most people don’t know about you.

During the COVID-19 pandemic I started to create audiobooks for the blind and visually impaired. There is a small non-profit organization that has set out to create a free audiobook library for people with visual disabilities. They were looking for volunteers, and I like to read anyway, so I decided that I'll give it a try. I can read whatever they don't have in their library yet, or there is a wishlist where I can pick a title from. After having the book recorded, cut and edited, I send it over to them for review. I like it because it's time well spent, and it's always a good feeling to hear people's feedback after they've listened to it.

What is your current favorite podcast?

Last year I became a fan of the Ten Percent Happier podcast with Dan Harris. He interviews scientists and meditation teachers around topics such as mindfulness, anxiety, relationships, productivity, and well-being practices.

What can you typically be found doing on the weekend?

That depends pretty much on the weather. If it's nice outside, I usually go on a long hike in the amazing Transylvanian mountains. If it's cold, I'd mostly be found reading, watering plants, or trying out recipes that look amazing on Instagram but somehow never turn out so great in reality. (WHY?! :-))