Welcome, مرحبا

Professional life: CTO at Kepp.nl 👨🏻‍💻

I'm the CTO and co-owner of kepp.nl. Kepp started as a creative outlet alongside my full-time job.

Whatever the project, I'm always advocating for modern tech, clean code principles, and effective UX. I try never to lose sight of a project's purpose. While I love state-of-the-art solutions, I'm also a pragmatist who keeps business goals front and center, and that often means relying on established design patterns.

In my previous lead roles, I got to coach developers individually: motivating them, sharing knowledge, and helping them grow. In my spare time, I also mentor students. I find great joy in helping others reach their goals and full potential. Before this, I was a consultant at iodigital.com (formerly Frontmen) for 8 years, before committing full-time to my CTO role.

Personal development: retreats and volunteering 🤝🏼

Alongside mentoring others, I make sure I'm always learning too. I stay up to date with tech and regularly attend conferences, meetups, and workshops. I also volunteer for sabiel.nl, an organization that develops future leaders in the Muslim community. It's rewarding to use my skills for a greater purpose. As a participant, I attend weekend retreats that strengthen leadership competencies like strategic thinking and emotional intelligence, all within a spiritual context. I've also volunteered as a kickboxing instructor at a local youth center. 🥊

Growing up: nerd alert 🤓

I've always been a huge nerd. I knew I loved computers when I was 7, after my father gave me an old 286 PC he'd found on the street (this exact one). I had to learn DOS commands to use it. I spent countless hours playing games, learning how the computer worked, and eventually programming. The library became my second home, not just for the books but for the internet access. I even got banned for a few days because I hacked a PC to access the file system and install Quake III Arena. 🙈

Something similar happened later in middle school: I discovered the teachers' messaging system and spammed every user with thousands of messages, freezing the entire network. I almost got kicked out of school for that one.

Technology isn't my only interest. I love anything geeky, but I also enjoy sports, movies, and spending time with friends and family. You can talk to me about almost anything, so let's grab a coffee if you'd like 😊. Speaking of coffee: I'm a big specialty coffee enthusiast!

Personality and character 💛

As you can probably tell from those stories, I have a bit of a rebellious side 😅. It's both a strength and a pitfall: I always find a way forward, but sometimes I need to step back and accept that I can't win them all. I'm working on it.

I'm not one to get lost in details. I'm a pragmatic, quality-driven, and goal-oriented problem solver. According to the DISC analysis, I'm very red and very yellow. I can make decisions with limited (but relevant) information, take risks, and embrace conflict (red), while also being influential and people-oriented (yellow). I connect easily with anyone and like building bridges between people.

Personal life 🏡

Islam is the guiding force in my life. It shapes my values and inspires me to keep improving myself. I have four kids and a wonderful wife. They are my greatest sources of purpose, joy, and motivation.

Travel is important to me, especially to Indonesia. It's a country close to my heart because it's where my wife was born. Exploring it introduced me to breathtaking landscapes, delicious cuisine, and the warmest, most hospitable people, with remarkable manners and positivity.

I love to cook and eat good, varied food. Who doesn't, right? But have you ever had a dish that moved you to tears? Moroccan and Southeast Asian cuisines in particular hold a special place in my heart. The spicier, the better 🌶️!

Get in touch 📬

If you have any questions or would like to collaborate, feel free to reach out. Let's create something amazing together!

Contact me 💬