Meet our hosts – Tomislav and Aleksandar

We’re days away from our first WordCamp Croatia and now the time has come to tell you more about our hosts, Croatian designers and stand up comedians – Tomislav (Koza) Kozačinski and Aleksandar (Aleks) Curać Šarić. For those of you who don’t know them, we conducted an interview with them so you could know them better.

Can you tell us more about yourself in a few words?

Aleks: Level no-lifer troll, somewhat experienced designer but only when it comes to porn, stand up comedian first, human being second, wannabe Terry Crews abs. The last thing doesn’t mean I want abs like Terry has but I want to be one of those abs myself.

Koza: Experienced designer and entrepreneur by day, stand up comedian (a$$hole) by night. Ninja, Power Ranger, Biker, and some more cool
words as well…

So, you are stand up comedians and designers. It seems like a big difference?

Koza: Yes. It is. You are very perceptive.

Aleks: Both professions are about pleasing a large number of people you will never meet so in fact it’s not so different as you might think.

Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 bought a theme and asked 6 to modify it.

What is the status of standup comedy in Croatia, are Croatians funny? People often say that we don’t have a very good sense of humor?

Koza: Stand up in Croatia has been active for 10 years now, it’s growing – but it could be better. Croatians are funny people, they just need a nudge in a right direction from time to time.

Aleks: As Koza said, 10 years might seem a long time but think of it as a 10 year old person. That little guy is nowhere ready for the real world and has lots more lessons to learn and so does the crowd that comes to see our shows.

Is it easier to be a standup comedian or a designer, are there any problems similar to both professions and how do you deal with them?

Aleks: The biggest problem is as in any other profession – lots of people who have never tried to do what you do, think they know how to do it better than you. For me it’s easier to be a comedian as you can’t afford to be more misunderstood then my designer side which has to follow certain trends. Being a comedian made me more decisive when dealing with clients and give less fucks.

Koza: Both has it’s advantages. But in order to be good at it, yo need to enjoy it from the heart. My experience with clients helped me with my interaction with audience and vice versa. But, let me tell you a little secret: Design pays waaaaay better.

How many plugins do you need to change a lightbulb in WordPress?
— WordPress is written with a capital P.

Is there a future for web industry in Croatia and the region?

Koza: Hell yes. We are well educated and very resourceful people prone to problem solving, when it comes to digital industries we are already a big part of it, and that will not change any time soon.

Aleks: Another hell yeah from me! Croatian designers are kicking asses all over. Some, me included, are still not giving up on Croatian clients but more and more we are all present in the international market.

What can we expect from you hosting first WordCamp Croatia? 

Koza: Only the unexpected – of course.

Aleks: Nudity. No seriously, I will get naked. And by get naked I mean get naked in the hotel and already greet everyone with hugs when they pick up their passes.

Please note: quoted jokes are not from these guys, but from Lucijan Blagonic. Koza and Aleks are hiding their material like the snake hides their feet.

Have you bought your ticket? Tickets are only $20 for a full day conference + the afterparty. Lunch and drinks are on the house with afterparty drinks being sponsored as well. You will get a T-shirt and an awesome experience. Buy your tickets today.