careers Archives - XABLU

Meet the Developer: 5 questions for our newest developer Luuk Jongebloet

Sabine Alberts — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 08:24:29 +0000

A few weeks ago, Luuk Jongebloet, officialy became a team member of Xablu’s Xamarin Development team. We’ve asked Luuk to answer a few questions. Curious about Luuk? See his interview below!

What brought you to Xamarin development and where do you want to go with it?

For me it all started some time ago, in 2015, with the development of a smartwatch application. This whole process of creating fascinated me. Seeing something rise and evolve every time you adjust the code makes my job fun and lively.

As a developer I want to be able to create many iOS and Android applications which result in an easier and beneficial life for the end-user.

What’s the coolest thing you have ever been working on regarding development?

That must be the creation of an AI robot car which is able to imitate a train! This specific “train” is following a set track, and while it goes, it is picking up people from set stations. That sounds like some cool stuff right?!

What has your experience at XABLU been like so far?

Xablu, in its essence, is a group of carefully handpicked Xamarin professionals. All with very high expertise in my opinion. Being a part of this team is great. Next to that, being a team member, also enables to learn a bunch of new things from my colleagues all the time.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I like to spend my free time with either gaming, working out in the gym, and of course some quality time with friends has never hurt anybody.

What’s your favourite food?!

I can’t say for certain since I like á LOT of food! But lately I do like to eat ramen. Ramen is a Japanese dish, very salty, and mainly consisting of wheat noodles.

Good luck to Luuk from the whole team!

We’re always happy to grow our team with eager developers interested in working their hand at real app projects.

Curious how Xablu can help your organization ?

The post Meet the Developer: 5 questions for our newest developer Luuk Jongebloet appeared first on XABLU.

Introducing Ivo Krugers, Xamarin developer

Kasia Krzyzanowski — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 09:35:31 +0000

This week we’re happy to introduce Ivo Krugers, a Senior Xamarin developer who joined our team this month.

1. What brought you to Xamarin development and where do you want to go with it?

I’ve been a software developer all my life. Reusing code is always something we developers yearn for, so having decided to move into mobile development, Xamarin was the logical choice. I love what I’m doing and just go with the opportunities that arise.

2. What will you do at XABLU?

At XABLU, I’ll do a lot of app development (I’m currently part of the MiniBrew app project) but also provide Xamarin training to inspire others.

3. What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time I like to relax and spend time with my family.

Interested in joining our team?

We’re currently looking for new developers from Junior to Senior. If you’re interested in or experienced with Microsoft Xamarin and want to be part of awesome projects, check out our open positions!

Curious how Xablu can help your organization ?

The post Introducing Ivo Krugers, Xamarin developer appeared first on XABLU.

Welcome to Damiano Patane, our newest developer!

Kasia Krzyzanowski — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 09:45:18 +0000

We’re happy to have a great new developer join our team, Damiano! We asked him a few questions to get to know him better…

1. Tell me a bit about yourself as a developer:

I’m Damiano Patane, 25 years old, and I am from Alkmaar but will soon be living in Amsterdam. Since childhood I’ve had a passion for technology and computers, so I logically started studying Computer Science. I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Haarlem, where I did a specialization in Mobile Development and Game Development (games for smartphones).

I then did an internship in China where I developed mobile applications that helped with the care of elderly people, followed by my graduation thesis where I did security research for the Gentzz dating application on Android.

After completing my studies, I discovered my passion for creating mobile applications and launched myself as a Mobile Developer. Mobile applications can have a huge impact on daily life, for example, how Uber has had a major impact on the taxi industry. With the belief that in the future everything will become more mobile and we will be less and less bound to computers or laptops, I want to continue to focus my passion on creating mobile applications.

2. What do you like to do in your free time?

After work I’m usually running/jogging or working out in the gym, almost daily. Sitting behind a PC all day writing code is a physically lazy job, so I want to make up for that. If I have any time left I usually like watching shows and movies or playing some games. On the weekend I’m always out with friends.

3. What will you be doing for XABLU?

I’m a Junior Mobile Developer with experience in both native and cross-platform development. Currently, I’m helping out Minibrew with their Xamarin iOS application alongside my colleague Bart Kuipers and in the future I’ll be taking on other projects as well.

4. What has your experience at XABLU been like so far? What are you looking forward to?

I started a month ago and have been having a great experience so far! I like my colleagues at XABLU and I feel I fit right in at Minibrew. I love that I’m learning a lot, not just from creating their app, but also about communicating with the Minibrew machines, which is a more complex architecture than usual.

Interested in joining our team?

Curious how Xablu can help your organization ?

The post Welcome to Damiano Patane, our newest developer! appeared first on XABLU.

What is a Product Owner?

Kasia Krzyzanowski — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 09:49:15 +0000

In the world of software development, one role is central between IT, business and customer needs: the Product Owner. For teams working with Agile methodologies, especially Scrum, the Product Owner plays an essential role in driving the product vision and delivering value for both users and the business.

What does a Product Owner do?

At its core, a Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of a product through continuous collaboration with the development team, stakeholders and end users. In Agile methodology, their core job is to manage the product backlog-a dynamic list of tasks, features and solutions that the team needs to address over time.

The Product Owner ensures that the backlog aligns with the product’s long-term vision and business goals, prioritizing tasks based on value and urgency. They work closely with teams, including developers, UX designers and marketers, to ensure everyone is working toward the same goals.

In essence, the Product Owner acts as the voice of the customer within the development team. They translate customer needs into actionable user stories and ensure the team delivers features that solve real problems.

So what sort of profile do you need to become one?

A successful Product Owner often has a diverse background. While degrees in Computer Science, Business, or Marketing are a good fit, this role is mostly about skills and experience. Technical knowledge, such as understanding software development, is important, but you don’t necessarily have to be a coder. What really matters is your ability to switch between business goals and technical teams, with a keen eye for priorities and customer value. Experience with Agile and Scrum methodologies is a big plus, but the ability to communicate and make decisions effectively is essential.

Common challenges for Product Owners

Managing expectations: Balancing the sometimes conflicting demands of stakeholders.
Preventing Scope Creep: Maintaining focus and priorities despite new requests or ideas.
Pressing for Predictability: Delivering results within the flexible Agile environment while stakeholders want certainty.

How is a Product Owner different from a Product Manager?

Although there is overlap between the roles, the focus of a Product Manager is more on the strategic vision of the product, such as market research and long-term goals. The Product Owner deals with the day-to-day execution of product development, such as prioritizing tasks and collaborating with the development team. In smaller companies, the roles are sometimes combined, but in larger organizations they often remain separate.

Ready to apply?

Think you’re ready to launch yourself into this role? We’re currently looking for a Product Owner here at XABLU! If you’ve already got some experience under your belt, take a look at our Product Owner job post. If you’re a university student looking for your first position, learn more about our Internship/Graduation Assignment opportunities. Who knows, maybe next week we’ll be introducing you on the blog as our newest team member!

Curious how Xablu can help your organization ?

The post What is a Product Owner? appeared first on XABLU.

Introducing Bart Kuipers, Xamarin developer!

Kasia Krzyzanowski — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 12:13:00 +0000

We recently welcomed a new developer to our team, Bart! We asked him to introduce himself through a few questions:

1. Tell me a bit about yourself as a developer:

I’m a .NET developer with over five years of software development experience. I split my time between the Netherlands and the Philippines, where for the past two years I’ve been responsible for developing a new Xamarin.Forms app and managing a small team of Filipino developers.

Although I don’t have a pure technical education background, I fell in love with programming. What I like about the job is the journey from analyzing a complex problem to finding a solution and actually creating a useful app. This is even more fun when you have great team members who can help you along that journey. Hardly a day passes by where you do not learn anything new!

2. What do you like to do in your free time?

When I’m not programming I like traveling, eating, beach bumming and more eating!

3. What will you be doing for XABLU?

As a Xamarin Developer I’ll be contributing to different mobile app projects. I’m currently working on the Minibrew project together with my colleagues Maurice and Damiano.

4. What has your experience at XABLU been like so far? What are you looking forward to?

Although I’ve only been working for XABLU for a very short time, I have a good first impression. Very nice colleagues, Kapsalon (Dutch kebab) team lunch on Fridays, and interesting projects. What’s not to like? I’m really looking forward to working on many challenging projects and working together with the XABLU team to deliver awesome apps!

Curious how Xablu can help your organization ?

The post Introducing Bart Kuipers, Xamarin developer! appeared first on XABLU.

Meet the Intern: 5 questions for our intern Nick Wolters

Kasia Krzyzanowski — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 11:55:00 +0000

Kasia Krzyzanowski

Back in March, Nick Wolters, a student from Saxion University, started an internship at XABLU to carry out his graduation assignment. Learn more about it below!

Tell us a bit about yourself…

Of course! I currently enjoy working on my own personal embedded systems projects, which range from the creation of my own weather station to home automation projects. I also like to watch TV series and I go cycling and work out twice a week.

How did you hear about XABLU and why did you want to do an internship here?

I heard about XABLU from a former classmate who currently works here as a developer, Maurice. I looked into the company and thought it could provide me with a challenging graduation assignment.

Eventually, I was invited to have a chat about my last internship and the prospect of a new graduation assignment. After three meetings we shook hands and now I’m here, working on a project to create a planning algorithm for a client.

What is your internship project about?

I’m researching an algorithm that will create a schedule for engineers, by assigning them to work orders they fit best with. The end product will be a working algorithm which can be interacted with using an API. It will take into account certain factors such as:

connecting the needed qualifications of a work order to the engineers qualifications
planning the best route for the engineer

What do you hope to get out of your time at Xablu?

I hope to learn more about the creation of algorithms and look further into things like A.I. and what I might want to do after I graduate.

What are your future career goals in software/app development?

Firstly I want to work for a year, to get some more work experience. I am currently thinking that I want to either develop Xamarin applications or go more into programming for embedded systems, or maybe a combination of the two.

Afterwards, I’ll either continue working or maybe take up a pre-master in computer science or embedded systems.

Good luck to Nick from the whole team! We’re always happy to hear from new students interested in trying their hand at real app projects during an internship. Get in touch to start the conversation!

Curious how Xablu can help your organization ?

The post Meet the Intern: 5 questions for our intern Nick Wolters appeared first on XABLU.

Meet our newest intern, Laurens!

Kasia Krzyzanowski — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 12:44:00 +0000

Kasia Krzyzanowski

This week we welcomed a new intern from Saxion University of Applied Science to our team. Meet Laurens Jan van Heek!

Tell us a bit about yourself…

Sure! I have a side job at ‘Student Aan Huis’ where I help people at their homes with all sorts of technical problems with computers, etc. When I’m not busy with school or work, I’m probably binge watching Netflix, while also keeping track of latest bitcoin/altcoin technologies and rates!

On the weekends, I travel home to my parents’ place, where I play soccer with friends on our own team at the local soccer club.

How did you hear about Xablu and why did you want to do an internship here?

Xablu was listed as an internship partner on the Saxion website and after some extensive research, I felt that this was the perfect place for me to go deeper into web/app development and learn new programming languages and techniques. Especially after I saw the blogposts of the other Saxion students who did their internship here.

What is your internship project about?

At first I will be working with the team on an assignment for SafetySuite Oldenzaal. We will be building a web portal where customers can do their administrative tasks. After that, I’ll probably get deeper into app development using the likes of Xamarin, React Native or Flutter.

What do you hope to get out of your internship at Xablu?

I hope to learn new programming languages and techniques to expand my skillset. Besides that, this internship will be a look at how life will be after graduation from school.

What are your future career goals in software/app development?

Since I was young, I’ve always had plans to start my own company! With my latest interest in Artificial Intelligence, I hope to combine the two.

Good luck Laurens! Interested in applying to do your internship or graduation assignment at XABLU? Check out our Careers page for more info.

Curious how Xablu can help your organization ?

The post Meet our newest intern, Laurens! appeared first on XABLU.

React Native vs Xamarin: A XABLU internship

XABLU HQ — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 12:40:00 +0000

John Doe

By Mattijs Kuhlmann and Mads Lundgaard

After five months at XABLU, we’ve now finished our internship, which was part of our Software Engineering programme at the Saxion University of Applied Science in Enschede. We both had an amazing time here and above all, we learned a lot!

Our assignment: Xamarin vs React Native

When we started, we didn’t know exactly what our assignment was going to be. But by the end of our first day, we had already decided on our main subject: cross-platform app development, specifically focusing on React Native.

As XABLU had been mainly working with the cross-platform app development software Xamarin, we started by comparing Xamarin with React Native by building the same small mobile app with both of these platforms. This was a very fun start as we were completely free in figuring out how everything worked and how we wanted the app to work and look.

After that first assignment we were acclimatised and ready to go a step further. Our colleagues at XABLU already knew almost everything there was to know about Xamarin, but were new to React Native. So together with our internship supervisor, we came up with the idea of a bigger app, completely built with React Native. This app became our main assignment – not really building this app, but more specifically finding out as much as possible about React Native. And believe us, delving into React Native is very fun!

Freedom and hands-on learning

We spent most of our internship building this app, but in between we also did things like help XABLU organize a hackathon at Microsoft Techdays 2017 in Amsterdam. Our internship felt completely different to school, especially because we learned so much while it didn’t feel like we were learning. This was mainly because we were able to learn by making apps and solving all of the problems ourselves. In software engineering, this kind of practical knowledge is definitely the most important, and

we felt like we learned a lot!

Summed up, the technologies we learned to work with were: Xamarin, Visual Studio, React Native, ASP.NET Core, Entity Framework Core, Microsoft App Center, and Microsoft Azure, as well as common app development tools like Git and Scrum. Besides that, we learned a lot about company culture. As it was the first time for both of us working in a software company, we learned a lot about how it works in the “real world” compared to at university!

Develop yourself at XABLU

XABLU will give you complete freedom to come up with your own ideas for an assignment or the direction you want your assignment to go! Their only goals are for you to have fun and to develop yourself. You will be treated like anyone else at XABLU, so if you are looking for this kind of freedom and space to develop yourself and if you’re also up for an amazing internship, get in contact with them as soon as possible!

Curious how Xablu can help your organization ?

The post React Native vs Xamarin: A XABLU internship appeared first on XABLU.

XABLU welcomes two new interns, Mads and Mattijs!

Kasia Krzyzanowski — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 11:35:00 +0000

Kasia Krzyzanowski

This week, Mads and Mattijs officially join the XABLU team for a six-month internship. They follow in the footsteps of fellow Saxion University of Applied Science student Maurice Markvoort, who completed his graduation assignment with us and has since become a full member of the XABLU development team! We asked Mads and Mattijs, who are both studying software engineering, a few questions to get to know them better…

1. How did you hear about Xablu and why did you want to do an internship here?

Mads: We both heard about XABLU through a post by Maurice on Saxion’s HBO-ICT Facebook group.

Mattijs: Before that, I had never heard of Xablu nor Xamarin. When I looked up the company I was very excited because of the three core values: learn and share, autonomy and having fun(!). And I was excited about Xamarin because I had never heard of a cross-platform app development program before, and the idea of having to write way less code for the same result sounds amazing!

2. What is your internship project about?

Mattijs: The internship project will be done together with my Saxion colleague Mads. Together we will take a look at the possible uses and pros and cons of Xamarin.Forms and React Native.

3. What are your future career goals in software/app development?

Mattijs: I want to broaden my knowledge in these fields as much as possible in order to be able to start working for different software companies.

Mads: My future career goal would be working in cyber security. Or to start my own company – I just need a billion dollar idea first!

4. What do you hope to get out of your internship at Xablu?

Mads: I would like to learn about cross platform app development, and learn how a professional company tests their app/software to make sure that it’s good enough for the customer.

Mattijs: As I said in the previous answer, I would like to greatly broaden my level of knowledge. That’s why I’m very happy that we get to investigate new things during our internship. I will definitely learn a lot more in the field of app development with the help of Xamarin, but also C#, which I have never used before. Besides that, I will get an idea of what it’s like to work for a company and a taste of the business atmosphere, which I’m really looking forward to!

Interested in learning more about doing an internship at Xablu?

Check out our Careers page for more about working for us and get an in-depth look at the intern experience in Maurice Markvoort’s recent blog post.

Curious how Xablu can help your organization ?

The post XABLU welcomes two new interns, Mads and Mattijs! appeared first on XABLU.

careers Archives - XABLU

Meet the Developer: 5 questions for our newest developer Luuk Jongebloet

What brought you to Xamarin development and where do you want to go with it?

What’s the coolest thing you have ever been working on regarding development?

What has your experience at XABLU been like so far?

How do you like to spend your free time?

What’s your favourite food?!

Introducing Ivo Krugers, Xamarin developer

1. What brought you to Xamarin development and where do you want to go with it?

2. What will you do at XABLU?

3. What do you like to do in your free time?

Interested in joining our team?

Welcome to Damiano Patane, our newest developer!

1. Tell me a bit about yourself as a developer:

2. What do you like to do in your free time?

3. What will you be doing for XABLU?

4. What has your experience at XABLU been like so far? What are you looking forward to?

Interested in joining our team?

What is a Product Owner?

Table of Contents

What does a Product Owner do?

So what sort of profile do you need to become one?

Common challenges for Product Owners

How is a Product Owner different from a Product Manager?

Ready to apply?

Introducing Bart Kuipers, Xamarin developer!

1. Tell me a bit about yourself as a developer:

2. What do you like to do in your free time?

3. What will you be doing for XABLU?

4. What has your experience at XABLU been like so far? What are you looking forward to?

Meet the Intern: 5 questions for our intern Nick Wolters

Kasia Krzyzanowski

Tell us a bit about yourself…

How did you hear about XABLU and why did you want to do an internship here?

What is your internship project about?

What do you hope to get out of your time at Xablu?

What are your future career goals in software/app development?

Meet our newest intern, Laurens!

Kasia Krzyzanowski

Tell us a bit about yourself…

How did you hear about Xablu and why did you want to do an internship here?

What is your internship project about?

What do you hope to get out of your internship at Xablu?

What are your future career goals in software/app development?

React Native vs Xamarin: A XABLU internship

John Doe

By Mattijs Kuhlmann and Mads Lundgaard

Our assignment: Xamarin vs React Native

Freedom and hands-on learning

Develop yourself at XABLU

XABLU welcomes two new interns, Mads and Mattijs!

Kasia Krzyzanowski

1. How did you hear about Xablu and why did you want to do an internship here?

2. What is your internship project about?

3. What are your future career goals in software/app development?

4. What do you hope to get out of your internship at Xablu?

Interested in learning more about doing an internship at Xablu?