People of Bakken & Bæck: Marijn
In our digital world, it’s still about the people. In these blog posts, we’ve gone behind the scenes and invited the people of B&B to share their personal stories.
iOS developer Marijn Schilling is the model for one of the world’s first curly-haired emojis, and claims her way of handling code mirrors her way of life. She dreams of an author’s life in a small village in Ireland — writing code.
Tell us about yourself.
I live in a shared house with three others in the middle of Amsterdam. The whole apartment complex is a living community, after being occupied by squatters in the 80s. I work hard, but I’m not some power-driven career woman. I try to enjoy the life that Amsterdam has to offer just as much. But I think I handle code the same way I handle a lot of other things in life, like cooking or walking routes; very methodological. I always iterate, aiming to find the best combination for a dish or finding the best route. I think I can be a pain for my friends sometimes. They can’t even surprise me with a nice cup of tea for example, I have to do it myself because they’ll be doing it all wrong!
I think I handle code the same way I handle a lot of other things in life, like cooking or walking routes; very methodological.
Why did you decide to become an iOS developer and how did you go about it?
I studied AI at the University of Utrecht, but I quit because I found it too theoretical. Then I went on to study digital media technology at the art school Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht for four years. There I could apply my theoretical knowledge into fun art projects, and I learned that making things was very satisfying. I found that writing code was my favorite tool for creating things, and so I devoted all my time to it. When I finished school, I knew I wanted to continue coding, but I wasn’t on a professional level to start working for a company yet. So I was very lucky when I met a freelance iOS developer who was looking for someone to mentor. We worked together for half a year, and he taught me everything I know about writing clean and durable code.
What does being an iOS developer at Bakken & Bæck entail?
Mostly, I write code, Swift code to be more precise. We collaborate a lot within the iOS team, both juniors and seniors review each other’s code and are open to discuss the chosen approaches. I have learned so much from my colleagues this way, and our team is growing to be really strong — and fun!
What is the most challenging part of your job?
The level of responsibility you have as a developer can be challenging. If you were to write a bug, the consequences could be quite serious. That’s why it’s important to work in teams, to share the responsibility and to have more eyes checking for possible mistakes. Within the team, we are always looking to improve our process to avoid creating bugs, but in the end the responsibility of submitting an app to the App Store can feel a little heavy sometimes. But then again, when you write an amazing feature that you know brings joy to the end users, the responsibility can be empowering.
How did you come to work for Bakken & Bæck?
I mentioned during a lunch break at my old job that I would be open to getting another job in about half a year or so. One of my co-workers suggested I should talk to her boyfriend, Daniël, who worked at B&B. I met with him for a cup of coffee and got a good feeling about it. I joined the company shortly after, and found it to be a perfect fit.
…in what way?
At my old job, I think I was headed into a negative spiral, and coming here pulled me back out before I even realized the trajectory I was in. The management structure at B&B is something I value very highly as it’s practically flat, making me fully responsible for the work I produce and the way I want to work. This enables me to be the best iOS developer version of myself. And I believe this counts for the other employees as well, making us just one big company of talented people, performing and developing to our full potential, which is very inspiring!
Another important difference is the office culture. At other companies ideas and suggestions might get shot down by the words “that’s not our culture”, but how can that be when you are part of the culture? The office culture at B&B is shaped by the people who work here rather than it being defined for us. Even the three separate offices have different cultures due to the different compositions of people.
The office culture at B&B is shaped by the people who work here rather than it being defined for us.
You lived in New Zealand for six months. Tell us everything.
During my art studies, I went on exchange to follow a semester of Creative Technologies at Auckland University of Technology. I had traveled to New Zealand before and was very excited to go back. Also, this particular study really appealed to me because it combined the theoretical basis with the practical approach of my art studies. I got to work with the newest technologies, for example 3D-printing my own design for a sea urchin lamp.
My general impression is that Kiwis are more in touch with nature than the Dutch people. Over easter break while hitchhiking around the South Island, I hitched a ride with a mother and two kids. On the way the kids taught me all about the plants and animals you can find around Mount Cook, our shared destination.
Where do you put your efforts in your spare time?
I think it’s important to keep your work life and spare time apart. I spend a lot of time with my friends, finding it healthy to surround myself with people outside the tech industry to keep a broader perspective on life. I also try to consciously reserve time to spend by myself, to keep my life balanced. And I tend to get hang ups, something sparks my interest and I want to know all about it. Like when I started working on the Toshi app, which is based on Ethereum, I went on a reading-frenzy to fully get a grasp on it. Which I’m still in the middle of by the way, it’s a very complex matter.
I spend a lot of time with my friends, finding it healthy to surround myself with people outside the tech industry to get a broader perspective on life.
If you had to choose another line of work, what would it be?
My back-up career is hairdresser. I love combing and braiding other people’s hair. And I think the systematic procedures I practice as a developer would easily transfer, trying different methods and iterating to get the best result. And of course, the awkward conversations you have with the clients would be a huge bonus.
What would you advise your 18-year-old self?
Buy Bitcoin. No, I’m joking. Money has never been a big motivation for me.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
One thing I imagine is not living in Amsterdam. It’s a beautiful city, but I think I would want a more quiet life. I love writing code, so I think I would still be doing that. But who knows if apps still exist in ten years. Maybe I would freelance, or stay on at B&B or another company, working remotely. Maybe settling down on the west coast in Ireland in some tiny village.
…sounds like you dream of an author’s life.
Yeah, having a cup of tea while looking out of the window on a cloudy morning or going to the beach in the sunshine, writing — in my case, code.
8 quick ones
Hang-up: August, one of my B&B colleagues, made an app for me that randomly selects one of the thousands of episodes of a Dutch history TV program I am watching. I absolutely love it.
Book recommendation: I love David Mitchell’s novels. He creates these amazing worlds and mixes different literary genres, and the language is almost poetic at times. I appreciate the clear devotion that has been put into creating a reading experience that is compelling on all those different levels.
Latest stream: Re-watching Twin Peaks to prepare for the new season.
Work tools: AppCode, I value efficiency very highly and I can work really fast with it. And I created a lot of live templates for Swift and my own color scheme for the syntax to make it look prettier.
Favorite emoji: 🆒 because it’s so uncool.
Office fun fact: This spring we got seeds to grow our own vegetables to go along with our lunch orders. I’ve been tending to them ever since. Right now we are growing very tiny, but very real cucumbers in the Amsterdam office.
Personal fun fact: Most people in the company don’t really know how to correctly pronounce my very Dutch name. They either say Ma-rain, Mar-en, Margin or Merengue. I like Merengue!
Comfort food of choice: Indian food. Or anything with whipped cream, or just pure whipped cream really.
