The Coen & Xander show - no... not the one from radio 538

Coen's first months at TeamValue

Coen started as a Data Engineer at TeamValue on March 1. The first few weeks were quiet, but he has since changed his mind. In the beginning he had to get used to the transition from a large company to a scale-up. For Coen, it was mainly getting used to the communication among themselves, the direct feedback and the impact of the actions you take. At TeamValue and its clients you really make significant impact. What really appeals to Coen about TeamValue? What great projects we do, the philosophy behind TeamValue and how Anton and colleagues set up projects from the personal approach and value axis. 'And of course the fact that I can 'play' aka develop with Xander again!'

Biggest differences between a corporate and a scale-up

Coen & Xander have both worked at large companies. Now that they both work at a scale-up, they can clearly see the differences and advantages. What Xander likes about a smaller company? The moment something succeeds, you've done it all by yourself. This also applies to when something goes wrong, you can't blame anyone else. You are responsible for your successes. There is a lot of transparency, which makes you much more visible to your colleagues. If things are not going well, this is also very visible but at the same time everyone has this from time to time. We are there for each other. The well-known TeamValue and not I-Value. Coen adds: "At TeamValue you really feel the Ohana culture. The attention that is paid to you as a person. Coen also really appreciates the 'Who are you gonna call?' meeting that is planned twice a week. Here, colleagues talk about their day, weekend and how they are doing. Sometimes they also share news or successes in the work field. You're not a number here, you choose your own path. Together'.

Coen & Xander fly into the new year together

Last November, TeamValue communicated a promotion in which you could fly into the new year if you, as a team member, recommended a new colleague. At the time, Xander introduced Coen as a referral. When asked why Xander recommended Coen, his first reaction was: "Why only now?". Coen moved from Brabant to North Holland. This made the office in Zwolle a more feasible place and it was also a more logical location because many clients are located in North Holland. Initially, Coen did not recognize himself in the vacancies that were open. These were more focused on data visualization. Then, over the weekend, Xander and Malique created a new vacancy for the position of Data Engineer and forwarded it to Coen with the question: ''So what? ''The dimes all fell into the right place,'' Coen said. And the rest is history.

Wondering which action it was? Tickets helicopter flight action. Check out the blog here.

The paths of two professional idiots who nevertheless cross again

Coen & Xander both left their former employer. Whether or not - after some excursions - and projects, the men then went their separate ways. Coen worked for several companies and Xander joined TeamValue as a second employee next to owner Anton. Xander has now been working for TeamValue for 7 years. However, this does not mean that the two have stopped working together. Xander was at one point on a project at KPMG where he needed someone, yes you guessed it, like Coen! Coen knew that Xander was working on this project because a few of Coen's colleagues were also working on this at the time. Someone had to guide the BI people on data architecture. Xander then advised Coen for this role at the company where Coen was working at the time. Together, Coen and Xander went all over the country for KPMG. Until the project was halted by the corona crisis and eventually cancelled. So even though Xander has been working at TeamValue for 7 years, the last big project he worked on together with Coen was only a year and a half ago!

7 years of service at TeamValue. A magical number for Xander. Check out the blog here with his milestones, among others.

Coen on Xander: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Xander on Coen: "Almost everything is doable, but everything is a lot.

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Goals for the future

Coen & Xander have already built up quite a history with each other. But what are their goals, both personally and professionally? Coen would eventually like to end up more on the 'think and rule jobs'. More than the actual doing. And not as a Scrum Master, for example, but as a Data Architect. But at the moment he still really enjoys doing things. While smiling, Coen tells us that Xander's goal is to work less than 8 hours a day. Xander has always let his career in the data field be guided by things he came across in projects, where he thought: why isn't the rest of the world doing this? Because it's really super important that you do this'. Then he talks about Data Security, building Data Lakes, etc., among other things. Currently Xander is not so much on the data architecture side anymore. He's more concerned with how we can do things in a secure way. And how we make sure it stays secure for our customers as well. 'These days I'm more on the data management and security side. Making sure everyone's work environment is secure and no one is hindered in their work.' Xander finds this super interesting and wants to crown it with a certificate this year. The Microsoft AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions Certification. That means another certificate on our wall of learning!

Development, lame jokes and the love of SQL

Over the past 15 years that Coen & Xander have known each other, they have both developed considerably. They describe in summary what they have seen in the development of the other. Coen says that the talking IT person has started to talk even more. Xander has always been the talking IT person and has never been quiet for long. What strikes him most is that Xander has become less into the code and even more into talking, but about different things than before. Also, Xander can never be found far from a whiteboard and markers. These days he even has a 'whiteboard notebook', in which he draws out all his ideas. Xander explains that when he met Coen he was already hobbying with databases. After that he went much more in the service, delivery and management direction. Coen was always on the side of the customer's problem. The solution and the result that counts. Actually always oriented from 'something is incredibly broken or nobody knows how to do it anymore', then you call Coen. He dives in, doesn't let go and solves it. Coen still has this but is now more on the creative side. So now he makes the products himself that function well from the start. There is a basis in the cloud that is stable and agile.'

Besides the serious hard work, there is also room for jokes. Coen & Xander still like to trump each other with all kinds of nonsense facts about how a database works. Did you know that...? In addition, SQL remains an old love of Coen & Xander. We are and remain very much fans of the SQL language - and how we deal with data. It's about the little things that are very effective and the whole way of thinking.'

Such a long blog.... and we haven't even talked about music yet.... Want to hear what they're playing in the office? Check out our Spotify list and find out which team members are listening and adding to it daily!