Making the switch: from academics to application.

What motivated you to join Zypp?

In the first years of my career, I worked as a software developer at two different universities in Amsterdam. It was a great learning environment, but I was missing two things:

1. Creating something that has a direct impact on people. Science is great, but few people are affected by it on a daily basis. This also means that anything you develop is less likely to be used intensively. Personally, I find it way more exciting to create things that people are eager to use.

2. An engaged team that I could learn from. I get a lot of energy from working as part of a team. I enjoy being able to learn from my colleagues and each other’s ideas. In my previous jobs I was always surrounded by incredibly smart people, but I often felt like I missed out on a lot of opportunities to learn from them. The mentality was just not really focused on working as a team.

Throughout my conversations with Erfan and Melvin, it became clear that their mentality really aligned well with what I was looking for. So I joined Zypp to grow as a software developer and data engineer. And so far, I believe it’s going quite well.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

I usually come in 10 minutes later than planned, grab a cup of coffee – the espressos here are quite good! – and get behind my desk. Often, I jump right into coding. There’s usually plenty to do, and I am often excited to add some new features to a project. Some mornings involve answering emails or having a call with a client about progress or implementation details. I enjoy having some diversity throughout my days. Some days are more meeting-heavy, either with clients or with the team to brainstorm data models, API designs, etc.

Around 12 we always have a great lunch with a nice fresh salad and some sandwiches. I am glad we don’t have the classic Dutch company lunch where everyone brings their own sad lunchbox with ‘bammetjes’. After lunch I get another espresso and usually get back to coding. I end the day by checking my open tasks, moving anything I didn’t get to and updating team members.

How would you describe working at Zypp?

Good, challenging – I need a little challenge sometimes – and rewarding. I can honestly say I am very thankful for the team we have. Everyone has their own expertise, but everyone is open to learning and sharing knowledge, and they really are all people you can count on.

Work at Zypp is dynamic, but the workload is managed very well. I’d say Zypp is really a place where you get to grow and develop while also having immediate impact on people.

Another thing I really appreciate about Zypp is that we try to stay at the forefront of new techniques and developments, while also being directly involved in society. That’s quite a unique combination and I am happy to be a part of it.

Can you share a challenge you have faced in your role and how you overcame it?

At the start, I had quite some adjustments to make. I wasn’t used to getting my code reviewed, working on multiple projects in parallel or communicating regularly and clearly. It took me a while to become confident in what I was doing. I had to learn to stay strict on the quality of my work and ask for help when needed. Clear and open communication really was the key to getting past this.

Are there any specific projects or accomplishments that you are particularly proud of?

There are a lot of projects that I expect to be proud of soon. I’m currently working on projects that I’m really excited about, but they’re not finished yet. One example is Zypper, one of Zypp’s oldest projects. I am working on some powerful new functionality, alongside a completely new UI. For the development of this functionality, we work closely with both specialists in the field (Bob van Leeuwen) and experts on the more theoretical side (Paul van Batenburg).

It was nice to get challenged again when it comes to my statistical skills while developing this. It’s also quite special to be in a place where we already have active users and are now expanding the product into a really complete platform. I think these new features are going to make a real difference for our users.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career at Zypp?

I think if you are passionate about delivering high quality work and having a direct impact on people, Zypp is really a good place to be. There are plenty of opportunities to learn and develop yourself. The mentality is very open. If you have good ideas, Melvin and Erfan are always receptive to input. These are exciting times in the world of software development. I, for one, am happy to be in the middle of it.