Christian Knobloch





About Me

I'm Christian Knobloch, a software developer with a deep passion for technology. Over the years, I working my way up to team lead at PUMA SE in the IT Product & Sourcing department. In my spare time, I worked on my personal software projects like the SoundWave MediaPlayer, available in the Microsoft Store. And I’m running my own game studio, Super Laser Freunde, with one title already released on Steam.



Birthday 16.08.1983
Family Married, 2 Children
Address Forsthube 4, 91054 Buckenhof
Phone +49 172 / 8622027


Websites

https://www.der-knob.de
https://github.com/DerKnob

Languages

German (mother tongue) English

Programming Languages

Java C# C/C++ PHP JavaScript

IT Technologies

SpringBoot JPA Vaadin Unity Gaming Network Engines HTML CSS SQL WPF WinAPI BeAPI Microservices REST GIT Docker Java Application Server JIRA Confluence Cloud Knowledge

Operating Systems

Windows Linux MacOS

Trainings (selection)

  • IHK trainer certificate (IHK Ausbilderschein)
  • International Leadership Program (ILP), ILP² and ILP Focus at PUMA
  • Different Unity Trainings
  • Project management Training
  • Presentation Training

Hobbies

  • Playing Guitar / Bass Guitar
  • Reading books (novels and technical books)
  • Pen & Paper and Board Games
  • Playing computer games
  • Homeassistant and Smart Home
  • Hiking

Work


Solo-Game Developer

11.2022 – now

Super Laser Freunde, Buckenhof

Teamhead IT Development Product & Sourcing

07.2015 – now

PUMA SE, Herzogenaurach

IT Trainee Instructor (Ausbilder)

01.2013 – now

PUMA SE, Herzogenaurach

Developer IT Customs Solutions

08.2010 – 06.2015

PUMA SE, Herzogenaurach

Junior Java Developer

09.2003 – 07.2010

PUMA SE, Herzogenaurach



Projects / Products at PUMA SE

Over the years at PUMA, I’ve worked on a variety of products. Many of which we continue to support today. My role has evolved across projects: in some, I still contribute as a developer, while in others I take on responsibilities as an architect or lead developer.

Successfully established and developed the engineer/architect team in the PLM area

07.2015 – now

I built up and shaped my team over the years to meet PUMA’s evolving needs. For larger modules, we oversee up to 120 external developers, while smaller applications are developed in-house by my team.

PLM System

09.2003 – now

Over the past 23 years, my team and I have developed and continuously evolved PUMA’s in-house product lifecycle management system. Our most recent major milestone was the successful migration of the system’s oldest module to its modern successor.

JAVA JEE Microservice Cloud DB2 PostgreSQL Angular Vaadin

PISA Imageserver

02.2005 – now

The PUMA Image Server Application (PISA) originated over 15 years ago as a quick overnight project with a colleague. Initially built to convert designer files (EPS/AI) into web-friendly formats, it quickly evolved into a full-fledged product. Over time, it gained powerful front ends with search capabilities for articles, reports, and department-specific toolboxes. Today, even PUMA’s own online store delivers images through a dedicated installation of the PISA server.

Java Vaadin Microservice Jenkins MySQL

Internal Tools

09.2003 – now

My team and I have developed a wide range of internal tools over the years. These include everything from prototypes like the iDJ Kids shoe with integrated MP3 playback, to practical IT utilities such as an AppReg Vault, a Deployment Log, and a Certificate Checker.

Java Vaadin C# C/C++ MySQL MsSQL

IT Trainee Instructor (Ausbilder)

01.2013 – now

Apprenticeship has always played an important role at PUMA. Many of our current IT team members began their careers as apprentices and have since advanced into vital roles within the company. In my department, I’m responsible for recruiting, hands-on training, and also managing projects for apprentices specializing in application development (“Fachinformatiker – Fachrichtung Anwendungsentwicklung”).

Photocube / Photocube Mobile

11.2017 – now

Photocube is a photo booth with specialized lights and a high-quality camera. The main purpose is, to send product images from the factories to the HQ, so that the designers can have a first look at it, without the need to send a product sample across the world (cost and time saving). The mobile version is a lightweight android app to shoot the images directly in the production line.

C# Thick Client Android (Java)

Cobra Clubmaker

01.2011 – now

After PUMA acquired the golf club company COBRA, we developed an application to customize the clubs to the needs of the golfer. This application is used in reseller in-store to perform the fittings and directly place the order in the system.

Java Vaadin Cloud MySQL

PUMA Online Store

01.2005 – 10.2009

Together with two colleagues, we built the initial version of the PUMA online stores for Europe and America and were also responsible for operations.

Java JSP MySQL

Digital Catalogue

07.2011 – 09.2024

The costs for the printed catalogues were quite huge at PUMA and also sustainability was – and is – a big topic. That’s why we create a Digital Catalogue solution for our sales team, to generate quickly PDFs specifically for customers they are visiting today.

This solution consisted of a client build on the Eclipse RPC framework (the requirement was offline functionality), a communication server and a management server.

Java Eclipse RPC JSF MySQL


Christian Knobloch - Super Laser Freunde

In 2023 I founded my own game development company as solo / part time developer.

A Short Horror Story (working title)

05.2025 – now

New project I started to work on.
Currently, it's in the POC phase and gameplay tests are going on.

Unity C#

Smells Like Burnt Rubber

01.2023 – 08.2025

Smells Like Burnt Rubber is an arcade racer width 4 Player Splitscreen, Internet and LAN Support, weekly / monthly global leaderboard events and much more.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2194840/Smells_Like_Burnt_Rubber

Unity C# Photon PUN2 Fishnet Networking


Private Projects (some)

SoundWave MediaPlayer

02.2014 – 09.2020

A Windows Media Player enhanced with a guitar toolbox, playlist support, and several useful features. I had the opportunity to collaborate with Microsoft to test the then-new Desktop Bridge and help improve the developer experience.

http://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9nm2x9m7gw9m

C# WPF libVLC Microsoft Desktop Bridge

Sally Project

10.2007 – 07.2012

Sally Project is a smart touchscreen application that also supports mouse input. It's available as Freeware and Open Source. It features a custom API for application integration, a fully developed theming system, and multilingual support. Additionally, the popular adventure game engine SCUMM VM was successfully ported to run within Sally.

C++ DirectX WinAPI

Homepages

since beginning of 2000 – now

I host several websites for friends, all built using my custom framework. Each site includes an admin area and is tailored to meet specific individual needs.

Examples:
https://www.der-knob.de
https://www.super-laser-freunde.de
https://www.feuerschmiede.com