Inside dvo Software’s TechLead-Story: Scrum, product proximity, and a modernizing stack with Richard Theiß and Horst Brandel

Why this TechLead-Story stands out

In the session “TechLead-Story: Richard Theiß, Geschäftsführung & Horst Brandel, Leitung Development von DVO” by dvo Software, one theme consistently emerged: a compact, cross-functional team is shaping a complex accounting product while navigating a long-term technology modernization. For engineers, that means tangible impact, close collaboration with Product Owners, and a stack that spans from deep legacy to modern web.

Our take from hearing Richard Theiß and Horst Brandel: dvo Software combines product proximity with pragmatic engineering. The development team works in the accounting domain, folds regulatory needs into the roadmap, and still protects meaningful autonomy for engineers to craft technically sound solutions.

The domain: accounting with embedded subject-matter expertise

The company builds software for the accounting space. That domain comes with depth and regulatory change—so dvo Software has placed domain experts directly inside the team. The current setup features approximately eleven developers and five domain experts who actively shape the product.

These experts continuously contribute new ideas, point out where legal changes require updates, and support the engineering team with hands-on guidance. For engineers, this means real-world clarity: questions get resolved quickly and concretely.

Organization: Scrum by design, not by habit

dvo Software deliberately chose Scrum as the organizing framework to keep Product Owners and developers tightly aligned. It is not a checkbox exercise but a working model that energizes collaboration.

In practice, the team works with user stories. Product Owners prepare the functional side as clearly as possible. Once discussed with the developers, the team gets significant creative space to craft the best technical approach and make the solution “round.”

No “requirements over the wall”—instead, real debate

The contrast with many large organizations is explicit: requirements are not dumped into development. The team talks it through—often back and forth—until they reach a solution that is strong both functionally and technically for the customer.

The takeaway for culture: quality is a shared responsibility. Product Owners and developers aren’t opposing camps but partners shaping the best outcome together.

Hiring: transparent, practical, and focused on mutual fit

Horst Brandel outlines a hiring flow built on transparency and practical exposure. It starts with a review of the application and skills on paper. Then comes a personal conversation designed to understand the candidate’s expectations and aspirations—what they want from their next employer and where they see themselves in five years. In return, the team is open about technologies and collaboration, so both sides share a realistic picture.

If that aligns, there is a follow-up session with a team member lasting several hours. It is intentionally hands-on:

• The candidate sees the codebase.
• The team walks through the tools, the Scrum boards, and supporting workflows.
• A small coding exercise follows to check key competencies: navigating the code, answering understanding questions, and reasoning clearly.

When it clicks, they start a trial month. That practical start is consistent with the transparency of the process: both sides can validate fit under real conditions.

Beyond hard skills: personality, humor, and a team-first attitude

Technical skills matter—but the human side matters just as much. Richard Theiß stresses that the team is a diverse mix of personalities and a new member should be a “benefit” for the group. That hinges on more than what’s listed in a CV.

Humor helps. So does a hands-on, get-things-done attitude. Both boost team morale—especially in demanding phases of delivery and iteration.

The tech landscape: three decades of evolution toward today’s target stack

dvo Software’s technical backdrop reflects decades of product history—over 20, likely closer to 30 years—across multiple locations and teams. That naturally produced a diverse set of technologies and languages. For engineers, this is fertile ground: migration challenges, system design across eras, and the craft of connecting legacy with modern stacks.

The major waypoints include:

• Visual Basic 6 in the early platform
• C++ as a substantial component
• A consolidation phase onto .NET with C# for ongoing development
• Web applications built with HTML, JavaScript, and Razor
• A further stack added via “Klinga,” where Delphi was used

The current direction is clearly stated:

• Going forward, Java becomes a primary focus, while .NET remains in use.
• Access databases are being phased out.
• SQL Server and PostgreSQL are in active use.
• For web apps, the target is HTML, Vue.js, and TypeScript.

This spectrum offers the best of both worlds: the stability and depth of proven systems and the momentum of modern web technologies.

Day-to-day engineering: user stories, iterations, and shared responsibility

A recurring theme is balance: clarity plus autonomy. Product Owners provide well-prepared functional inputs via user stories. Engineering takes ownership of the technical approach—using creative freedom to ensure solutions are robust.

• Story-driven, practical requirements instead of heavy specs
• Regular iterations in a Scrum rhythm
• Close alignment instead of handoffs
• Technical autonomy with accountability

This approach yields a product that gets better iteratively, and a culture in which accountability is shared—functionally and technically. Engineers are not ticket processors; they are co-creators.

Why dvo Software should be on your radar

Several concrete reasons make this environment attractive for developers, regardless of whether your home base is .NET, Java, or modern web front-end.

1) Product proximity with empowered Product Owners

• Requirements are sharpened collaboratively.
• Discussion is expected; tickets aren’t thrown over the wall.
• Functional clarity meets technical freedom.

2) Embedded domain expertise

• Five domain experts provide continuous input and clarifications.
• Regulatory changes get integrated promptly.

3) Creative ownership in implementation

• Engineers shape how to make solutions technically “round.”
• Iterative delivery makes progress visible.

4) Real modernization, thoughtfully executed

• A lineage from VB6, C++, and Delphi to .NET, Java, Vue.js, and TypeScript.
• Database evolution from Access (being replaced) to SQL Server and PostgreSQL.
• Opportunities to design and execute migration paths.

5) Transparent recruiting

• Early clarity on collaboration, technologies, and expectations—on both sides.
• Exposure to code and tools before making commitments.
• A trial month to validate mutual fit in practice.

6) Human-centered team culture

• Mutual appreciation, humor, and a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude.
• Diverse personalities—new colleagues should add to that mix.

What candidates should bring

The message from Richard Theiß and Horst Brandel is clear. A few guiding principles emerge:

• Appetite for domain depth: accounting carries detail and regulatory motion—those who enjoy that will benefit from the embedded experts.
• Comfort with debate and iteration: requirements are refined together; bring your arguments and help shape the solution.
• Technical independence: autonomy is given—use it to make solutions truly robust.
• Openness to heterogeneous stacks: the palette spans .NET/C#, Java, and web frameworks like Vue.js/TypeScript; databases are part of the conversation.
• Team fit: humor, respect, and a willingness to pitch in are explicitly valued.

The interview flow in practice: from aspirations to code

The process comes in two complementary stages. The first meeting focuses on the person—expectations, goals, and the five-year view. Candidates should be ready to articulate what they want from the next chapter and why.

The second, longer session shifts to the hands-on side: exploring the codebase and toolchain, seeing the Scrum boards, and completing a small coding exercise. The emphasis is on understanding and reasoning—navigating the code and answering questions clearly—rather than on theatrics.

When the mutual fit is evident, a trial month follows—keeping with the theme of realism and transparency.

Engineering excellence across legacy and modern systems

dvo Software’s long product history is a learning platform. Engineers who have modernized systems know the value packed into legacy stacks: lessons in data modeling, migration strategy, and operability. The stated direction—more Java while .NET remains, phasing out Access, a web trajectory of HTML with Vue.js and TypeScript, data on SQL Server and PostgreSQL—signals thoughtful evolution rather than disruption for its own sake.

For engineers, that sharpens multiple muscles:

• Evolution over big-bang rewrites: iterative change with realistic targets
• Systems thinking: anticipating impacts across product and data
• Tool and stack fluency: from C# services to Vue front-ends
• Readability and maintainability: code that bridges old and new with intent

Collaboration that fuels motivation

The emphasis on the joy of incremental progress is telling. Motivation grows when teams see frequent, meaningful improvement shipped to customers. Combined with embedded domain expertise, feedback loops accelerate—raising both speed and quality.

Conclusion: An engineering environment for co-creators

“TechLead-Story: Richard Theiß, Geschäftsführung & Horst Brandel, Leitung Development von DVO” presents dvo Software as an organization that invests in collaboration, product proximity, and steady evolution. A team of around eleven developers and five domain experts, guided by leaders who value transparency, autonomy, and mutual respect—that’s the stage.

If you enjoy working from well-prepared user stories, value debates that sharpen solutions, and want to build modern systems within a heterogeneous stack, this environment will resonate. And if you bring humor and a hands-on attitude, you’ll fit the human side just as well—as Richard Theiß and Horst Brandel describe it.

For engineers eager to create impact in the accounting domain without compromising on modernization, dvo Software offers a rare mix of domain substance, responsibility, and continuous evolution.