PETOŠEVIĆ PEOPLE: Q&A with Saša Radojčić

On his thirteenth anniversary in the firm, we talked to Administrative Assistant Saša Radojčić based in our Belgrade office. After studying languages and working as a translator, Saša joined PETOŠEVIĆ where he has been working as an administrator since 2009. We asked Saša about his work, his favorite pastimes, things most people don’t know about him, and much more.

1. How did you start your career in IP?

   I met someone from the PETOŠEVIĆ Belgrade office while helping my father with his work, and it turned out they had an opening, so I came in for an interview, and here I am, still!

2. What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

   Making quick decisions according to a set of rules which are not always applicable.

3. What do you most enjoy doing at work?

   I like the people I am working with. I also like the notion of protecting ideas. A friend recently asked me why I paid for a digital book by one of my favorite authors and I was surprised that I had to explain to an educated person how I wanted to support someone whose work I liked. Ideas are important.

4. What would you be working in, if you weren’t working in IP?

   I studied languages, so something that has to do with interpreting or translation, although I do translate a decent number of documents as part of my work anyway.

5. What was the first job you’ve ever had?

   I worked summers with my father because he believed in creating good working habits and teaching me the value of money, not simply giving me an allowance; I translated several novels as well. The first office job I had was at a local newspaper translating articles from foreign newspapers.

6. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working?

   I like playing video and board games. I have a big collection of board games, and have met some of my best friends in a local club playing together.

7. What book did you read last?

   I have been reading a hard science fiction book series lately, “The Expanse” by James S. A. Corey, which explores what would happen if humans met an extraterrestrial intelligence and ended up turning against each other. There is also an acclaimed Amazon series based on the books.

8. What is your favorite song/music at the moment?

   I have been listening to heavy guitar bands, but also alternative, indie, Americana, post-rock. I miss going to concerts, the energy of a group of people dancing or jumping to the same beat is something special. Covid spoiled it for me — I cannot feel relaxed in a crowd like I did before, not yet…

9. What is your favorite dish of all time?

   My childhood favorite is sarma – sour cabbage rolls with minced meat. I also love Asian cuisine, especially Japanese, and if I could, I would eat ramen and sushi every week. I also like a good steak, and Mediterranean cuisine… I like good fresh food.

10. If you could meet anyone in the world, from the past or present, who would it be and why?

    People say it’s not good to meet your idols and I tend to agree with that. I am happy being a consumer of people’s work rather than meeting them and potentially being disappointed.

11. What was your favorite subject in school and why?

    English and French were easy for me, and fun, because I got to learn about other cultures through these subjects.

12. What did you want to be when growing up?

    I wanted to grow up to be a writer. I was a voracious reader as a kid and wanted to create something that would captivate other people’s imaginations like the books I read did for me.

13. Tell us three things most people don’t know about you.

    I follow baseball. I taught myself the Japanese alphabet. I opened a board game café with two friends; it went under because of Covid, but I did meet my wife there!

14. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

    Coding is fascinating to me. Internet is a big part of our lives today and I’m curious about its building blocks and how it all works. It does seem complicated, though.

15. What is your biggest frustration about the world around you?

    I’ve always felt like a citizen of the world and will never understand how people can see our differences as dividing points.

16. What is the most important thing you have learned in the last five years?

    I have learned how rewarding but also how difficult it is to raise a small human.

17. What do you wish you could have told yourself at age 13?

    It gets better. Also, listen to that one friend who tells you to mine a bitcoin.

18. What cities/countries have you lived in?

    I have lived in several cities in what today are Croatia and Serbia. There is a certain warmth in the people of the Balkans and perseverance under the most difficult circumstances.

19. If you could live in another country of the 30+ countries where PETOŠEVIĆ operates, which would you pick and why?

    There are many interesting countries in which the Group operates. However, it would be refreshing to live in a country where everything works smoothly and you don’t really have to think about politics, so I would perhaps pick Luxembourg.

20. If someone came to your city for 24 hours, where would you take them?

    I would take them for a walk downtown to see the sights, stop to get some good food and finish the day with drinks by the river in the evening.