Meet Lander
Lander studied Computer Science at VUB on the Web and Information System Engineering track, with electives ranging from game theory to natural language processing and AI. He started at Telenet as a big data engineer on a Cloudera platform that later migrated to AWS and Snowflake, then moved towards analytics engineering, translating business needs into data flow diagrams for technical datasets like in-home connectivity and network data. He is most energised by the moment data stops being just data and starts creating real value. His evenings go to building keyboards from scratch and, more surprisingly, acrylic painting.
We asked Lander some thoughtful questions
Lander, how did you discover your passion for data?
Honestly, it was by chance. I'd always been interested in technology and science, and my first real taste of programming came in secondary school, writing simple TI-Basic programs on my TI-84 calculator during math class. That's where my interest in development started. The data side came much later, during my studies. I kept my electives deliberately broad because I was interested in a lot of different fields, and I ended up starting as a Big Data Engineer simply because I had the right courses under my belt. It was only once I was actually on the job that it clicked. Seeing how data can turn into insights that create real value and impact is what turned it into a genuine passion, rather than just a job I happened to be qualified for.
Why specifically did you choose Plainsight?
It really came down to timing. I'd had pleasant conversations with Plainsight before. I was interested in the company, but I wasn't actively looking for a new challenge yet. About half a year later, I was, and by chance, Plainsight reached out again. At that point I was talking to several companies, but with Plainsight it was a gut feeling. The conversations gave me the feeling that this was the right move. Plainsight felt like a genuinely professional environment, without feeling like it was going to be an old-fashioned consultancy with a rigid structure. That feeling is what made the decision easy.
What was your first month at Plainsight like?
Fair warning, I'm only one week in, but it's already been a packed one! I started on a Monday, straight at my client's office, before my official Plainsight onboarding even happened. My laptop wasn't quite ready on their side yet, so day one was filled with knowledge transfer from my new colleagues, captured the old-fashioned way: pen and paper. Day two took me to the Plainsight office for onboarding, getting the admin sorted and finally setting up my own laptop. Day three brought more technical knowledge transfer, this time from my Plainsight colleague Neil, who'll be rolling off to a different project soon, so I've been trying to absorb as much as I can while I have the chance. The rest of the week was spent turning notes into documentation, getting familiar with the systems, and already jumping in to help colleagues get unstuck. One week down, and I'm ready for what's next.
What’s your favorite hobby or activity outside of work?
Outside of work, my evenings are usually full of projects. My main hobby is building keyboards completely from scratch: 3D modeling the case, designing the PCB, soldering it together, and writing the firmware. My current build is a keyboard specifically for my media server, complete with a custom module that sends IR pulses to turn the TV on and off, plus a trackpad and a few buttons for media controls. The more surprising side of my evening projects though, is painting. I recently showed one of my former colleagues a series of acrylic paintings I'd made. She already knew about the keyboards, but the paintings genuinely caught her off guard. Turns out the "creative keyboard guy" has more than one outlet.
Eager to join our team?
We're always looking for talented people who share our passion for data & AI. Check out our open positions or drop us a message. We'd love to hear from you.
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