About the Founder
I’m not interested in building a brand around myself.
But if I’m asking people to trust Qool, then I owe them honesty about who I am and how I work.
At my core, I’m driven by curiosity — about people, ideas, systems, and how things come together into something meaningful.
Open source, collaboration, and values
I believe deeply in open source software. Not just as a technical model, but as a social one.
Open source is free, collaborative, and grounded in the idea that anyone can contribute — not only by writing code, but by reviewing, testing, translating, improving documentation, offering UI feedback, or simply using the software and caring about its quality.
That belief is also the only way I can justify working in sales for an American technology company. I’m comfortable helping sell software when that software genuinely contributes to a shared, open ecosystem and makes better tools available to everyone.
I’m not interested in extracting value without giving something back.
Food, honesty, and memory
I love cooking, though I’m not a professional chef. My approach is simple: fresh, honest, and minimal.
Sometimes it’s seasonal and intentional. Sometimes it’s “whatever is in the house, throw it together, let it stew, add spices until it tastes right.” Summer and winter demand different moods, different rhythms.
Food should be healthy and as unprocessed as possible — though I’ll happily admit to the occasional two-minute noodles. I grew up with them. Food is memory as much as nutrition, and I’m a melancholic eater. I eat to remember.
Alcohol with food only makes sense when it actually adds something. A proper wine pairing can elevate a dish; otherwise, it just gets in the way. Beer and pizza? Not for me. I try to reduce gluten and carbs as I get older. I don’t always succeed.
I’m human.
Meaning, thinking, and conversation
I care about the meaning of life — not in a dramatic or religious way, but through conversation.
I enjoy exchanging views with friends, family, and people I trust. Not to convince or to win, but out of genuine curiosity. I’m not religious, but I’m not an atheist either. Stoicism resonates with me for its practical clarity and grounded approach to living.
I read philosophy and listen to podcasts about human thinking and behaviour. Before I went into computers, I studied psychology. Later, after years of being deeply technical — writing Perl, shell scripts, some C and Python on Unix and Linux systems — I started focusing more on the human side.
Sales, teaching, coaching, mentoring.
Not manipulation — perspective.
People, culture, and identity
I’m both Dutch and Indonesian — not just by descent, but through the layered cultural history of Indo families shaped by colonialism, Christianity, migration, and displacement.
That background made me sensitive to cultural nuance early on. It’s why I care about how people communicate, make decisions, disagree, and collaborate. Erin Meyer’s The Culture Map and Geert Hofstede’s work deeply influenced how I think about culture, power, and context.
There is no single “right” way to work or live — only ways that fit, or don’t.
Music and flow
Music has been a constant in my life.
I play drums, bass, guitar, and piano. I work with music theory and use digital audio workstations to compose and produce. I don’t have a narrow taste — classical, jazz, metal, prog, contemporary, polished or raw — as long as it’s genuine.
Pop music as entertainment is fine. As a goal, it’s not for me.
I’m not a master of any instrument, but I care about understanding each one’s perspective:
- piano for harmony laid out clearly
- drums for rhythm and movement
- bass for shaping mood without being seen
- guitar for versatility — and because it was the first instrument I ever picked up
I started playing guitar at eleven, studied classical guitar, and made it to the preparatory year of the Rotterdam Conservatorium. That’s where I built my foundation in harmony, notation, and theory. I lacked the discipline to follow through — another honest truth — but the knowledge stayed.
I’ve played in bands, mostly original music or open jams. What I love most is flow: the moment where the collective becomes more than the sum of its parts.
How I work with people
I’m observant and empathetic. I give feedback without sugarcoating — unsalted, honest, but never careless.
I get excited easily when something matters to me. Recently, that includes motorcycling — especially during and after my cancer diagnosis and treatment. Riding puts me in a state of flow. The zen of movement, focus, corners. Auckland West offers plenty of practice.
I also joined a local Toastmasters club recently. Not because I want to perform, but because I want to become a better speaker, help others grow, and step more consciously into leadership.
I was shy as a teenager. I’m still an introvert. My self-talk isn’t always kind. But with kids growing up and responsibilities increasing, I know it’s time to step forward.
Others have seen leadership in me before I did.
Now it’s time to trust that perspective — and occasionally step into the light.
Why Qool exists
Qool is not just about music.
It’s about ideas created by humans, supported with honesty, structure, and care — whether that’s music, coaching, teaching, or other services I can offer.
No hype.
No pretending to be perfect.
Just real work, done thoughtfully, with people who care.
QOOL 