Life as a keyboard

Goffert, I hear you studied computer science. Was it a childhood dream?

Actually my fascination with computers started in my childhood indeed. At that time Intel 286 was state of the art, games were saved on multiple floppy discs and computers had no graphic interfaces. So, in order to share large files I needed to learn to pack and unpack them. I found it quite a thrilling exercise as a young boy. It was also back then that I learned to do some very basic programming. 

Then, during my high school years I experimented with writing programs on the graphic calculator. I have to say it came in quite handy during the tests! But it didn’t stop me from learning maths - after all, you can’t write a working code if you don’t understand the problem thoroughly. 

I remember my final assignment at school was the Enigma - a program which would encrypt and decrypt messages on the calculator. I never really liked school, though. I only made sure to get passing grades, and that’s it. Computers were much more fascinating.

So you went to university and you immediately found your “thing”?

No, in fact. I’ve never been a big fan of Java, which was what we studied at university. To me Java seemed too abstract and excessively verbose. So it wasn’t until I came into contact with Ruby that I found “my thing” as you call it. Ruby is a language created in Japan and it was very popular with Silicon Valley start-ups. It completely redefined website making. It is fun and straightforward. And it got me my first serious job while I was still at university. 

Which company was that?

At 24, I got hired by Phusion, a Dutch start-up making server software based on Ruby. I was their second employee in fact. It was a good period for Ruby-based applications — soon our products were used by large high-tech companies, including Facebook, Apple and Twitter. We made frequent trips to their headquarters in the U.S. and grew a considerable network. These were great times. 

But you finally decided to quit nevertheless? Why?

With time, as it often goes, the company became kind of “revenue-obsessed” and I found myself doing more sales support than programming. I felt I was drifting away from what I loved so I decided to quit and start my own consulting business.

As I like to share my expertise with a larger public I often appeared as a speaker at various IT-related events. This is how I got into contact with Willem and Maureen who told me about Flock.. It sounded like a cool company with a very fresh approach to doing business, so when they asked me to join, I said yes.

You’ve been with Flock. for two years now. Can you say it’s a good match? 

Yes. At Flock. I found a tribe of like-minded people — we share a keen interest in problem solving and complex systems. Nowadays, in the corona-times, what I miss the most are those casual encounters with my colleagues. We should never underestimate them as far as inspiration goes. 

What is it you do at Flock.?

My first assignment was for ING (ING Touchpoint): standardising the bank’s IT structure so that the various local branches could keep using their own systems while maintaining easy access to all ING functionalities. It is a very complex and extensive project. You need to really understand the problem domains and make sure the products are aligned with the requirements. 

Is programming your biggest passion?

I love programming but it’s only a tool. In the end what matters most is the end-product. I like to write programs people will actually use. Also, for my own development, I tend to pick up a topic which could use some improvement. For example, in order to investigate what is possible on the web I attempted to create a website that looks and works like a computer game. Because it has a spatial aspect to it and a 3D way of interaction it is nothing like a regular website. 

Another project I did for my own use as a speaker was to design a slide-deck system allowing me to create slides from the web. It is interactive, programmable and works quite differently from Powerpoint.

Would you agree that exciting things happen primarily in the digital realm?

Not at all. It’s a misconception that software engineers live in the digital. Myself in fact, I’ve always been very product-oriented — I love to make things with my hands. For example, I create my own keyboards.

You create your own keyboards? Why?

Wood is a great material, I love the touch of it and the way it lends itself to processing. The base of my current keyboard is carved from coco-bolo, a type of hardwood from South America, but I also experimented with olive (see photo) and other types of timber, too. 

Before I made the one I’m using currently I built at least two prototypes. I hand-soldered the keys and the controller and, to make it ergonomic, I designed my own keyboard layout. After all, a keyboard is to a programmer like a piano to a pianist: an extension of themselves. 

Don’t tell me you made the keys, too.

No, I bought them online. Making them by myself would be like reinventing the wheel. Come to think of it, my keyboard is like my job at Flock.. The wooden base is writing code and problem solving - things I enjoy the most. The ready-made keys are the business side which isn’t exactly my cup of tea. 

So I guess I can call myself extremely lucky. Flock. takes care of the tedious side and I get to do the things I love. Together, we’re very ergonomic (laughs).

That’s a good metaphor, Goffert. Thanks for the interview.