Full-Stack over Silos: How hilarion 5 wins engineers with trust, agility, and a modern stack — insights from Alexander Peinsipp, CEO & Senior Solution Architect at hilarion 5

What we learned from “Alexander Peinsipp, CEO & Senior Solution Architect bei hilarion 5”

From our DevJobs.at editorial lens, the session with Alexander Peinsipp offered a clear view into how a compact engineering company builds a strong employer brand: eight years post‑founding, hilarion 5 has grown to eleven people, runs on very short decision paths, and embraces a full‑stack mindset. The culture centers on trust, autonomy, and practical, technology‑neutral problem solving: understand the problem, design the solution, and only then pick the tech to implement it.

Peinsipp opened up about how hilarion 5 works — from two‑week sprints and “Remote-Café” knowledge sharing to a blend of client projects and in‑house products. He also detailed the tech choices (Vue.js, Node.js/Java with Spring, relational and MongoDB, Docker, Flutter, Solidity), the hiring flow, onboarding practices, and the benefits that empower teams: trust‑based hours, no core time, freedom to choose hardware, and the option for workation.

Literally: who works when and where doesn’t matter. Outcomes and healthy collaboration do.

Team structure: small, fast, and genuinely full‑stack

hilarion 5 is “a small company with very short decision paths and very flat hierarchies.” The team has grown to eleven people and continues to hire developers year over year. Unlike many organizations split into dedicated frontend, backend, and DevOps units, hilarion 5 keeps everyone full‑stack:

That does not mean everybody does everything all the time. Peinsipp was explicit that the company knows each person’s strengths and interests and assigns work accordingly. The result is a structure that stays cross‑functional while allowing engineers to lean into their preferred areas.

What the culture expects — and enables

Three capabilities matter highly at hilarion 5:

• Self‑reliance
• Communication skills
• Organizational skills

These are essential because engineers have “direct contact with customers.” For people who want ownership and tight feedback loops, the setup is compelling: short lines of communication, clear responsibility, and a team that helps each other move quickly.

Agile rhythm and remote inclusion: two‑week sprints, short paths, “Remote-Café”

Work runs in two‑week sprints: the team starts together with sprint planning and closes with a sprint review. Collaboration happens “on short paths,” a good fit for a small, flat team.

And remote colleagues aren’t an afterthought. hilarion 5 schedules online “Remote-Café” sessions to support people working from home and foster knowledge exchange across the team:

It’s a simple ritual that keeps remote engineers connected, technically and socially.

Products and projects: from consulting to DevOps, plus in‑house solutions

hilarion 5 operates in two modes:

1. Client engagements ranging from consulting and implementation to DevOps.
2. In‑house products, notably “Herb” and “die Anmeldeliste,” which the team maintains and evolves continuously.

This mix creates both variety and stability. Products offer a steady base and a sandbox for new technology trials; client work brings diverse problem spaces and real‑world constraints. As Peinsipp put it, own products give the “possibility and flexibility to evaluate, test, implement, and use modern technologies or frameworks.”

Staying current: helping companies transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0

A current focus area is how to support companies moving from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0. hilarion 5 has already delivered initial projects “on the blockchain and with NFTs,” and more are in planning. The takeaway is clear: new tech isn’t just observed — it’s piloted in practice.

Benefits and work model: trust first, workation possible, office welcomed

Peinsipp distilled the work model into a few practical points:

• Flexible working hours
• No core hours
• “Everything is based on trust” — working time is trust‑based
• Motto: “Wer wann wo arbeitet, ist egal.”

That level of trust also enables workation — blending time off and work “in a foreign country,” as Peinsipp described it. At the same time, the team appreciates the new office in Antering and uses it frequently. The principle remains: people do their best when they feel comfortable — and it’s the company’s job to provide the conditions for that.

Hiring: direct and uncomplicated — no cover letter required

The hiring path mirrors the operating style: simple and direct with leadership involved (“with Daniel and with me, without detours”). Applications can be sent by email with a CV attached or a link to an online profile (LinkedIn or Xing). No motivation letter is needed.

What matters most mirrors the culture:

• Self‑reliance
• Communication skills
• Organizational skills

Because engineers engage directly with customers, team fit is critical. The team spirit is tangible in social activities — “Tagspielen” and “Wurzeln,” as Peinsipp casually mentioned.

Two conversations, mutual clarity — and hardware freedom

The process starts with an initial conversation — remote, by phone, or onsite. hilarion 5 takes “a lot of time” to answer questions, check team fit, and assess whether the role aligns with the candidate’s expectations. A final interview follows (again remote or onsite), with one especially important focus:

Hardware choice is left to the person doing the work — a strong sign of trust and a commitment to productivity.

Onboarding: structured ramp‑up and pairing as safety net

Day one is classic: onboarding, meeting the team, getting set up. In Jira, “easy tasks” are typically prepared so new colleagues can start right away and get acquainted with the system landscape. Help is readily available — the team is eager to support early steps.

A notable practice: hilarion 5 “works in two‑person teams,” whether on client projects or products. Pairing ensures backup for open questions and keeps knowledge flowing. It’s a pragmatic alternative to large specialized groups: compact units that carry responsibility and cover for each other.

Engineering philosophy: problem first, then solution, then technology

Peinsipp described a clear progression in technical decision‑making:

Technology matters, but it’s not the goal. The best solution for the problem and the customer comes first — tools follow.

The stack: Vue.js, Node.js/Java with Spring, Docker, MongoDB, Flutter, Solidity

Even with a problem‑first mindset, hilarion 5 has clearly coalesced around certain technologies.

Frontend: JavaScript as the default, Vue.js emerging as the favorite

“For web apps, JavaScript is the ‘Platzhirsch,’ number one.” Depending on the project, the team uses Angular, React, or Vue.js — with Vue.js having “crystallized” as the current preference. The effect: familiar patterns across projects without losing flexibility to meet client needs.

Backend: Node.js or Java — Spring as the product mainstay

On the backend, hilarion 5 uses “either Node.js or Java.” For in‑house products, Spring is used “classically,” particularly for persistence. In short: stable ecosystems for products; flexibility for client contexts.

Datastores: relational and NoSQL side by side

Persistence spans both paradigms:

• Relational: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle
• NoSQL: MongoDB

Choice follows the problem — not habit.

Operations and deployment: from WAR on Tomcat to Docker

“Earlier, we deployed WAR packages on Tomcat.” Today, hilarion 5 runs its products “all on Docker.” Client landscapes vary — not every company has moved to Docker yet — “but you can see it’s going that way.” Engineers get modern tooling while staying adaptable to client environments.

Mobile: Flutter

For mobile apps, “Flutter is the suitable framework” for hilarion 5 — a clear, opinionated choice that simplifies consistency and quality.

Web3: Solidity

Because the company helps customers move toward Web 3.0, it uses the “Solidity framework” for smart‑contract development — in line with the blockchain and NFT projects already delivered.

Learning, growth, and experimentation in practice

Peinsipp underscored that many things are possible at hilarion 5 — especially regarding benefits, learning, and flexibility. In‑house products, in particular, create room to “evaluate, test, implement, and use” modern technologies and frameworks. For engineers eager to grow, there are real chances to try new ideas and ship them.

What new engineers can expect

• Full‑stack ownership rather than silo roles — with room to double down on strengths and interests.
• Two‑week sprints with a steady rhythm (planning and review) and short communication paths.
• Direct customer contact — technically and communicatively demanding, with genuine influence.
• Pairing structures across projects and products that ensure backup and knowledge sharing.
• A modern yet pragmatic stack — Vue.js in the frontend; Node.js/Java with Spring on the backend; Docker for product deployment; MongoDB plus relational databases; Flutter for mobile; Solidity for Web3 use cases.
• Flexibility through trust‑based working hours, no core time, and the option for workation.
• Self‑determined tooling: freedom to choose the hardware that makes you most effective.

Why hilarion 5 stands out for tech talent

• Ownership welcomed: short lines, customer proximity, and the autonomy to drive outcomes.
• Variety with focus: client work plus in‑house products offers breadth without chaos.
• Modern technology used for the right reasons: problem first, then tools — with Vue.js, Spring, Docker, and Solidity in play.
• Culture that walks the talk: “everything is based on trust,” from time models to hardware choice.
• Knowledge‑sharing habits: Remote‑Café, pairing, and teammates eager to help.
• Real team spirit: felt in day‑to‑day collaboration and social activities (“Tagspielen” and “Wurzeln”).
• Structured onboarding: Jira tasks ready from day one to help you get productive fast.

Closing thoughts: small company, big levers — and a culture that enables excellence

“Alexander Peinsipp, CEO & Senior Solution Architect bei hilarion 5” showed how a compact organization can deliver scalable software by putting people and pragmatism first. The formula: full‑stack teams over rigid silos, trust over control, crisp agile practices, pairing for resilience, continuous learning via products and projects — and a thoughtful tech strategy spanning Vue.js to Solidity.

For engineers who want to make a real impact, hilarion 5 offers the right environment: responsibility, flexibility, modern tools, and a team that ensures people feel comfortable enough to do their best work. That combination is exactly what makes hilarion 5 an appealing destination for developers who want to build — and shape — what comes next.

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