Building Industrial High‑Tech in a Four‑Person Team: Michael Rössler on btec mechatronics’ .NET Stack, Hiring Rigor, and Ownership Culture

Context: Highlights from “Michael Rössler, Geschäftsführer von btec mechatronics” (btec mechatronics gmbh & co kg)

In the session “Michael Rössler, Geschäftsführer von btec mechatronics,” Michael Rössler offers a candid look at how a tiny, highly specialized team builds demanding mechatronic systems for industry—with software at the core. The company has four people including Rössler, works with flexible schedules and a flat hierarchy, and tackles work ranging from PLC layers to modern Windows applications using .NET. We listened closely and distilled the key takeaways for engineering talent and employer branding.

That idea underpins btec’s approach: while the team does sensor engineering, the daily focus is overwhelmingly on software—often mathematically complex and technologically high-end.

Mission and Value Proposition: Mechatronic System Solutions, Software First

btec mechatronics builds “smaller system solutions” for industrial customers—small in organizational footprint, big in technical ambition. The systems are described as high-tech and, in many cases, mathematically demanding. People who join are expected to ship production-grade software used in industrial environments. Quality is achieved through solid engineering rather than a large QA organization.

The message is clear: btec does hardware-adjacent engineering where needed, but the main stage is software.

Team Size, Structure, Leadership: Flat, Flexible, Focused

btec mechatronics is four people, including the founder. The team works out of a small office; work conditions are “relatively relaxed,” and working hours are flexible. Hierarchy is flat. Rössler “wears the hat” on strategic and technical decisions, and he remains hands-on: he has developed core components of their systems himself.

This setup shapes the culture in tangible ways:

• Decisions are fast and direct.
• Engineers work close to the product and customer value.
• Responsibility can’t be offloaded; it sits with the team and the individual.

If you prefer building over bureaucracy, this environment is tailored for you.

Engineering Culture: Quality via Ownership, Not via Heavy Process

btec emphasizes personal responsibility. The team uses automated tests, but there is no separate QA department “catching everything” and sending it back. That means:

• Quality is created at the source, in the code.
• Clean architecture and attention to detail are non-negotiable.
• Engineers decide—and own the consequences of those decisions.

Rössler articulates the desired profile as “high self-motivation,” “a drive for independence,” and “self-confidence to a certain degree.” Flexibility in day-to-day work comes with accountability. A visible “push to the goal” is explicitly valued.

Technology Landscape: From PLCs to Windows, from MFC/C++ to .NET 9

btec spans a broad spectrum. On one side lies the PLC world (Siemens S7, Beckhoff) with Structured Text. On the other side, Windows-based systems with modern .NET and C#.

• PLC/control layer: Siemens S7 and Beckhoff, programmed in Structured Text. This accounts for roughly “10–20 percent” of the work. btec is not looking for a pure PLC programmer; that work is often delegated to partner firms. One colleague does program S7 and Beckhoff in-house.
• Windows/PC layer: “Everything” on the PC side is Windows-based—that’s where the software focus lies.

The stack reflects both history and modernization:

• Legacy and longevity: Software components dating back to 1998 remain in production. Many older parts use Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) in C++. Mathematical components are largely implemented in C++.
• Modernization: The team is “clearly .NET-focused” with C#; UIs built with WPF and, for newer components, WinUI 3 and MAUI. btec started shifting to these newer technologies two years ago, creating new components on this stack. They are also moving to .NET 9.

The combination is attractive for engineers who like to connect “old and new” pragmatically: maintaining proven C++/MFC pieces while building modern .NET components with up-to-date UI frameworks.

System Breadth: From the PLC Layer up to “Level 1, 2, 3”

Rössler situates btec’s systems across the industrial stack, from PLCs at the bottom “up to Level 1, 2, 3.” The essentials for engineering talent:

• End-to-end understanding across industrial layers is valuable.
• Interface fluency between control and PC application layers pays off.
• The team operates across signal-level realities and application/UI concerns—a compelling blend for pragmatic builders.

Hiring at btec mechatronics: Small, Structured, and Very Precise

The entire recruiting process runs through Michael Rössler. He is the sole HR function and follows a three-step process.

Step 1: Mutual Fit Conversation

• Format: Initial interview—sometimes online; otherwise in-person at the office.
• Goal: A two-way “feel test”—sympathy, chemistry, and a light technical exchange without formal testing.
• Tone: Relaxed and interest-driven.

Step 2: A Very Small Software Task—Easy to Do, Strictly Assessed

• Nature: A “very small” development task designed to be “very easy” and not time-consuming.
• Assessment focus:
• Precision in following the brief—do candidates treat a simple task casually or still execute with rigor?
• A UI element: Are controls placed deliberately or arbitrarily?
• Underlying architecture: Is there an object-oriented approach?
• Care in packaging the result: Does the format make sense? Are there notes or comments?

This is not about algorithmic fireworks. It’s about professionalism, structure, and care on seemingly simple work.

Step 3: Meet the Team and Start

• Next, candidates meet the colleagues. Team chemistry matters.
• If fit and chemistry align: “We try it together—let’s start.”

Speed and immediacy are deliberate. When it clicks, btec moves quickly from evaluation to execution.

Onboarding: Productive from Day One—with Tight Alignment

The entry is pragmatic by design—a “jump into cold water.” There is no formal onboarding phase or job rotation in a team of four. Instead:

• New hires take on a “smaller task” inside a running project.
• Early collaboration is tighter than it will be later, but the work is “immediately productive.”
• Sometimes the first iteration is intentionally discarded and reimplemented—learning by doing—while the overarching goal remains: integrate “immediately” into the productive development process.

This suits people who grow by shipping, adjusting, and shipping again.

Candidate Qualities: Self‑Motivation, Independence, and “Push to Goal”

Rössler’s ideal traits are explicit:

• Strong self-motivation: initiative without constant prompting.
• Independence and grounded self-confidence: making decisions and owning responsibility.
• Results orientation: staying on target rather than getting lost in the weeds—the “push to the goal.”
• Care without a QA safety net: while there are automated tests, there is no separate QA department. Quality is a team responsibility.

If you thrive in small, decisive teams and prefer responsibility to ceremony, you’ll likely enjoy this setup.

Why btec mechatronics is compelling for engineers

Several reasons stand out from the session:

• Direct impact: In a four-person company, your work is visible and consequential—without endless handoffs.
• Breadth over silos: PLCs and Windows, C++ and C#, WPF and WinUI 3/MAUI—sharpen a broad, industry-relevant skillset.
• Modernization with pragmatism: Keep proven MFC/C++ where it works; build new on .NET—now moving to .NET 9.
• Hiring pragmatism: A crisp, three-step process emphasizing precision, architecture, and UI sensibility.
• Learning by doing: Early productivity, close alignment, and willingness to redo early work for a better result.
• Flat structure, short paths: The founder is both decision-maker and contributor—communication is direct.
• Flexible hours: Described as “relatively relaxed,” paired with responsibility and outcomes.

Day‑to‑day collaboration: Proximity over process overhead

The team works the way small teams do best: direct communication, tight early alignment, lateral responsibility instead of heavy formal handoffs. The absence of a large QA function compels clean engineering practices—tests, care, and early peer review rather than throwing work over a wall.

Chemistry is a formal checkpoint in the process: meeting the colleagues is the final step before starting. In a four-person team, interpersonal fit is inseparable from engineering effectiveness.

Working on long‑lived systems—and building the future

btec runs software that has been in the field since 1998—a marker of industrial robustness. In parallel, they modernize: C#, .NET, WPF, WinUI 3, MAUI, and a shift to .NET 9. If you appreciate longevity while pushing modern frameworks into production, this is a rare chance to do both: responsible maintenance and greenfield components on a current stack.

Even the tiny take-home task hints at btec’s core engineering values: precision, structure, and UX care. Those are the same values that make industrial software durable and maintainable over years.

What makes the role demanding—and rewarding

• No big apparatus behind you: Without a separate QA department, quality must be built into the implementation.
• Broad system levels: From PLC signals to application UIs—end-to-end thinking yields better solutions.
• Legacy and leading edge: MFC/C++ alongside .NET 9; WPF with WinUI 3/MAUI—bridging these worlds is real engineering.
• Immediate productivity: Early impact requires fast context-building and decisive action—and it pays off in visible results.

Who will thrive at btec mechatronics

• Engineers who prefer a small, focused team to a large bureaucracy.
• People who want responsibility—and are motivated by building quality at the source.
• Talent eager to apply .NET/C# in industrial contexts while understanding PLC layers (without being a pure PLC specialist).
• Developers who enjoy modern UI stacks (WPF, WinUI 3, MAUI) alongside C++‑based math components under the hood.

Conclusion: btec mechatronics blends industrial reality with modern .NET engineering

From “Michael Rössler, Geschäftsführer von btec mechatronics,” we get the clarity of a team that knows its strengths and what it expects from new colleagues. The blend of high ownership, broad system scope, and a modernizing .NET stack makes btec mechatronics a compelling place for engineers who want to move fast and ship in a small setting.

If precision, ownership, and immediate impact appeal to you—and if a “simple task, strict evaluation” sounds like a fair filter—you’ll likely appreciate btec’s environment: demanding industrial software, real responsibility, and a stack that connects proven foundations with the latest generation of .NET and UI frameworks.