Kevin van Hattem
If I had to explain what NL-ix does to someone who has no idea, I'd tell them we are the plumbers of the Internet: We make sure all pipes stay clean
Who is NL-ix?
Behind the world of the Internet, behind the world of fibers, protocols, peers and terabytes, are actual people making it all work. But who are these people? In other words: Who is NL-ix?
Today: 🤝 Kevin van Hattem, Product Manager
Hi, I'm Kevin, a 36-year-old product manager at NL-ix. I've been with NL-ix for over seven and a half years, starting as a Software Engineer and recently transitioning to my first commercial role in October. It's a big change, but I love a good challenge.
My background is in software engineering, and within NL-ix I also picked up systems engineering. I was responsible for rebuilding and running our entire server infrastructure. Now, as a Product Manager, I'm responsible for the revenue of my products, which includes Peering, Transit, and anti-DDoS services.
One of my earliest memories of the internet was getting broadband at home for the first time. Everything suddenly went so much faster. We could download a song in a few seconds instead of a minute, or half an hour. This newfound speed opened up a world of possibilities, and at the age of 12, I started programming in Visual Basic, creating chatbots with ASCII art and experimenting with "Leetspeak" and other online trends. I'm pretty sure this early exposure to the possibilities the Internet offers sparked a fire for my passion for technology and ultimately led me to study computer science.
After graduating, I started my career at Pine Digital Security, where I worked as a Software Engineer for four years, learning everything about security. From there, I joined NL-ix and continued to grow and develop my skills, eventually transitioning into my current role as a Product Manager.
The transition from a technical role to a commercial one has been pretty smooth, thanks to my deep understanding of our technology and the needs of our customers. I understand what the customer is dealing with on a very practical level, so that helps a lot in the conversation. Sure, the commercial mindset and the less concrete nature of the work took some getting used to—it's not every day a Software Engineer steps into a commercial role—but I still find the most joy in problem-solving, which is at the heart of both roles.
My fit within the NL-ix team is "100%," as I can easily switch between any technical and commercial discussions. Having worked here for so long and helped almost everyone in the company at some point, I have a good connection with everyone. I'm kind of the glue of the company, being able to step into everything. I do enjoy that, it keeps the work super versatile and interesting.
If I had to explain what NL-ix does to someone who has no idea, I'd tell them we are the plumbers of the Internet: We make sure all the pipes stay clean.
Kevin van Hattem
To me, what makes NL-ix unique is that we do a lot ourselves, so we have all the necessary knowledge in-house. This allows us to meet the needs of any customer and make informed decisions without having to rely too much on external parties. The team is always eager to help each other, and there's a strong drive to move forward and embrace the future.
Another thing I love is that the company culture is super informal and open, which works perfectly with my personality. Everyone is encouraged to take responsibility, and there's not much micromanagement. We all take responsibility for what we do, and when something goes wrong we own up to it and try to fix it, which is super encouraging. It empowers people to go the extra mile, knowing they can make a real difference and that they're allowed to fail forward.
As a product manager, my role is to define what the internet of the future will look like. That sounds as exciting as it is. It's a big challenge, and I'm constantly working with different teams across the company to bring our vision and mission to life.
If I had to explain what NL-ix does to someone who has no idea, I'd tell them we are the plumbers of the internet. We make sure all the pipes stay clean. In more straightforward terms, we ensure that companies can manage their internet traffic effectively. We're currently focusing on the enterprise market, but we still see significant growth in our traditional market. Our mission is to serve everyone and help businesses succeed online.
Looking back on my time at NL-ix, I'm most proud of the fact that everything I've built in the past is still running smoothly. I know that in the years to come that will still be the case, and that my work from back then serves as a foundation for the work I'm doing now. And who knows what my next role will be!
