Hi, I’m Bastiaan. I’m into baking, climbing, and helping teams build beautiful software with passion and compassion – currently as Chief Technology Officer at Relive.
From a background in software engienering, product design and product management to being a founder and leader of teams, my professional experience spans the full breadth of making digital products.
I currently lead engineering at Relive where we’re building the best app for people with a passion for the outdoors.
On the side, I run my own coaching and advisory practice at Map × Territory. If you happen to be an engineering leader seeking guidance or a startup/scaleup in need of an advisor or non-executive director (NED), don’t hesitate to reach out.
Prior to my role at Relive, I was the Chief Technology Officer at WeTransfer for 7 years. During my tenure, I played a pivotal role in scaling the engineering team from 7 to 100+ people. This experience allowed me to gain valuable insights into the intricacies of rapidly expanding a high-growth business.
At WeTransfer, I was deeply involved in fostering a strong team culture, spearheading significant technical refactoring initiatives, and implementing process improvements to support the organization’s growth. In addition to product engineering, I successfully introduced and established critical functions such as SRE, Security, Trust & Safety, and Compliance. Recognizing the need for product management, I initiated and led the introduction of this function in the company.
In my capacity as CTO, I actively participated in shaping the company’s strategy, attending board meetings, and playing a key role in several acquisitions and funding rounds, including leading the due diligence processes. Furthermore, I contributed to preparing the company for an initial public offering (IPO). It was a wild ride!
While I love technology and the magical feeling of making something, my true passion is to bring people together in ways that lets them do their best work. Engineering as a field is not particularly known for empathy or compassion, yet I believe these qualities to be crucial to building cohesive, high-performing teams. I am fascinated by organisational design and the future of work. I love coaching people and helping them find confidence and purpose. I enjoy writing and speaking about my work.
I hold a Bachelor of Design in animation from the Willem de Kooning Academy and a Master of Science in Media Technology from Leiden University. Following my graduation and prior to joining WeTransfer, I co-founded Perceptor in 2008: a design studio that seamlessly blended strategy, design, and code to craft captivating experiences.
Besides work for clients like Wacom, Apple, Shell and World Press Photo, we did a lot of self-initiated projects showcasing our passion for innovation and experimentation.
One of my biggest achievements at Perceptor is the creation of Perloo, an excruciatingly hard iPhone puzzle game released in 2014. Within its first week, Perloo garnered over 1 million downloads. The old Perceptor website is still available and a continuing source of personal nostalgia.
I also love not working. For some time now I’ve been baking the bread we eat at home, and it has become a (usually) fulfilling routine. Mastering the complexity and depth of sourdough bread will surely keep me entertained for the rest of my life. I am also an avid rock climber of over 20 years. I’ve been mostly into bouldering but have recently gotten back into lead and top-roping. There is nothing more flow-inducing for me than doing a long multi-pitch route. But all of this would not be worth anything without the woman of my dreams, and my two sons. She helps me cut through the bullshit life can sometimes be riddled with, and reminds me of what really matters. Together, they are the center of my universe.