1. How do you start your working day?
I always start the day with a cup of coffee. Before I start, I try to read a meditation from “The Daily Stoic” and a chapter from the book I’m currently reading.
After this I look at my agenda and to do list to make a global schedule for the day. I fire up my laptop and start reading and answering emails. I also check which appointments I have and whether I still need to prepare anything.
2. What are your activities on a day?
I work on multiple projects and tasks throughout the day. I often try to bundle tasks for the same project or client, but that’s not always possible. I regularly switch activities because someone has a question or because several things are urgent.
The tasks I am involved in, for example, are developing specifications for new customers or making proposals to further improve our products. I also make estimates for the work. Beside, I answer many emails and phone calls in one day and I am often present at meetings. In order to know the status of our systems, I monitor the state of affairs so that I can intervene where necessary.
So I have many different activities. If I want to focus on something, I turn everything off. I always want to know everything that happens and I often have an opinion about it. I see it as a problem that there are only 24 hours in a day. There is always something to do!
3. Which project or final product to which you contributed makes you proud?
I am proud of the Optimise platform and everything around it. With this platform we support various projects of Touch and we work for many customers. It is satisfying to see something that I have co-invented work in practice.
4. What makes your job so enjoyable?
The variety and contact with customers is what makes my job so enjoyable. I like to work in width across the entire product and I can do that now. From specifications to implementation to testing. From small customers to large customers and in various sectors.
I like to understand what the customer really wants. Sometimes a customer comes up with a question, but that question isn’t always the real problem they want to solve. Finding out what the real problem is and solving it gives satisfaction and a satisfied customer.
What also gives me satisfaction is finding out the cause of a possible problem. Often it is a matter of adjusting a few lines of code after a long search. This is like detective work and that’s why solving the problem makes you feel good.