Hi! I'm Jan van Thoor.

i'm very good at:

• PHP (Symfony)
• Javascript / Typescript
• Python
• Compiled languages
• Cloud Ops
• OOP
• databases
• system / software design
• algorithms
• refactoring
• debugging

i love:

• 🚐 van life
• 🚲 biking
• 🏃 running
• 🏂 snowboarding
• 🗺 traveling
• 💻 tech meet-ups
• 🐶 my dog

i'm quite good with:

• UNIX command line
• server administration
• data engineering
• process optimization
• continuous deployment
• infrastructure as code

i "do":

• cloud

  • AWS: expert.
    • EC2, Fargate, S3, SQS, Kinesis, DynamoDB, RDS, Cloudformation - lots of experience, from trivial to extremely large scale.
    • Expert at IAC using Cloudformation or Terraform.
    • Strong grasp of networking, security, performance and cost control optimization.
    • Strong grasp of highly-automated, large scale infrastructures.
    • Exposure to most other services.
  • Google Cloud: basics.
  • Azure: basics.
  • Digital Ocean: intermediate.
    • Solid grasp of compute, storage, networking, security, backup.
    • Maintain various full stack sites.

• containers

  • Docker: expert.
  • Kubernetes: basics.
  • Development: Experience with Vagrant, Virtual Box, Docker.
  • Provisioning: Puppet, Chef, Salt, Ansible, Cloudformation.

• dev-ops

  • I run my own shit in production.
  • Always promoting more collaboration and understanding between developers and ops.
  • Always lowering feedback cycle times, for tests, releases, system and business metrics.
  • Always pushing for reproducibility in code, tests, releases, and infrastructure.
  • Always automating all the things.

i speak fluent:

• english
• german
• enthusiasm

i do some speaking and writing:

• Open Heart Surgery (In Production):

  • Abstract: Refactoring trivago's "heart beat" - the main endpoint of the hotel search: 8 months of work, 60+ refactoring cycles, decoupling 5000 lines of "business logic", from un-testable to 100% test coverage.
  • Slides: Speakerdeck
  • trivago Tech Days 2015
  • PHPUNCONF 2015 in Hamburg
  • PHP User Group 2016 in Dusseldorf
  • SymfonyLive 2016 in Cologne (German video: Youtube)
  • Amsterdam PHP October Meetup 2016 in Amsterdam

• A Stupidly Simple Introduction to Stupidly Complicated Stuff:

  • Abstract: An introduction to machine learning.
  • trivago Tech Days 2016

• Creating a Culture of Quality:

  • Abstract: Article on software quality and team growth
  • Link: trivago Tech Blog

• Beyond the To-Do List:

  • Abstract: A talk on advanced Javascript architecture patterns, above and beyond the standard To-Do list tutorials.
  • Slides: Speakerdeck
  • FOSDEM 2014 in Brussels
  • JSUNCONF 2014 in Hamburg

i have some side projects:

• roks.gg

  • Technologies: PHP, Symfony, PostgreSQL, Docker, Python, tesseract
  • Site for player management and data collection for the mobile game Rise of Kingdoms.
  • OCR (tesseract) scripts for reading game screenshots and updating player data.
  • Responsible for all aspects of design, development and deployment.

• Pack Shakedown

  • Technologies: PHP, SQLite, Javascript, Docker, Elasticsearch
  • Site for creating, improving and sharing pack lists.
  • Responsible for all aspects of design, development and deployment.

i have worked at:

• Geek Cell from March 2023 to April 2024

  • Technologies: PHP, Python, Javascript / Typescript, Terraform, Terragrunt
  • AWS: Lambda, RDS, S3, ECS, Fargate
  • Developing / maintaining / deploying Symfony applications.
  • Open Source development of PHP libraries and Symfony bundles.
  • Open Source development of Terraform modules.
  • Development of a Symfony application for generating Terraform IAC with a web UI.
  • Cloud Ops consulting for external customers.

• Nira from May 2022 to December 2022:

  • Technologies: Python, GoLang, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, Redis
  • AWS: Lambda, Kinesis, SQS, S3, ECS, Fargate, Elasticache, OpenSearch, RDS
  • Green field development of a complex document metadata ingestion pipeline in GoLang.
  • Building and running complex, triggered GoLang Lambdas to update computed counts and aggregations.
  • Creating monitoring for throughput and system reliability.
  • Tuning pipeline components and queues performance, identifying and removing bottlenecks.
  • Handling scale of millions of ingested documents and collaborators.
  • Finding sweet spot between serverless vs dedicated infrastructure to improve throughput and reduce cost.

• GRID from November 2020 to April 2022:

  • Technologies: Javascript, Typescript, MongoDB, React Native
  • AWS: Fargate, Cloudformation, MongoDB Atlas, CloudFront, Route53
  • Designing, coding and maintaining a Node.js backend for React Native apps.
  • Porting Javascript backend to Typescript while maintaining feature velocity.
  • Building and maintaining a GraphQL interface for multiple frontends.
  • Scaling and designing cloud systems.
  • Porting legacy backend deployments to a modern, infra-as-code services.

• FYI from February 2020 to September 2020:

  • Technologies: Python, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, Terraform, GraphQL
  • AWS: Lambda, RDS, Kinesis, ECS, Fargate, CodeBuild
  • Designing, coding and maintaining a Chalice backend app for a React application.
  • Designing, coding and maintaining Lambda-based data pipelines for document ingestion.
  • Porting backend from lambdas to microservices when scale made serverless too expensive.
  • Rewrite backend database layer for 10x performance.
  • Create GraphQL layer next to old REST APIs.

• Teleboy (myTV AG) from September 2018 to December 2019:

  • Technologies: PHP, MySQL, Elasticsearch, Rabbit MQ
  • Software:Symfony 3 / 4, Jetbrains IDEs, Linux, Vagrant
  • Designing, coding and maintaining a service-based landscape of Symfony applications.
  • Designing, coding and maintaining a large, complex and versioned API used by Android, iOS, web and other consumers.
  • Maintaining and improving subscription and payment handling.
  • Switching external streaming providers with no customer outages.

• ARTACK WebLab GmbH from October 2017 to June 2018:

  • Technologies: PHP, MySQL, Javascript, React
  • Software: Symfony 3 / 4, Jetbrains IDEs, Linux, Vagrant, mailXpert
  • Designing, coding and maintaining a large, legacy PHP application.
  • Development of email automation feature for mailXpert application.
  • Designing, coding and maintaining a large, complex React application.
  • Developing new applications in PHP7 / Symfony 4.

• GetYourGuide (Zürich) from April to July, 2017:

  • Technologies: PHP, MySQL, ElasticSearch
  • Software: Jetbrains IDEs, Linux, Docker, DataDog, New Relic, DroneCI
  • Designing, coding and maintaining a large, legacy PHP application.
  • Porting legacy applications to Symfony 3.
  • Improving test coverage and CI, promoting testing across company.
  • Support / solving bug ticket for large legacy application.

• Nectar Financial from January to March, 2017:

  • Technologies: Javascript, ES6, Node.js, Docker, Couchbase, ElasticSearch
  • Software: Jetbrains IDEs, Linux, Docker, CircleCI
  • Designing, coding and maintaining a multiple component Node.js finance application.
  • Coding a financial math library for consumption by main application.
  • Tuning and maintaining a full-text search across a full database replica in ElasticSearch.

• trivago (Amsterdam office) from 2016 to 2017:

  • Technologies: Python, EC2, Lambda, SQS, Kinesis, DynamoDB, ElasticSearch, Cloudformation
  • Software: Jetbrains IDEs, Linux, OSX, AWS Command Line, GoCD
  • Designing, coding and maintaining large-scale data pipelines.
  • Setting up monitoring and alarming systems.
  • Semantic analysis.
  • Creating, automating and maintaining large infrastructures "as code".
  • Work with Amazon Web Services at scale.
  • Cost optimization of cloud infrastructures.

• trivago from 2012 to 2016:

  • Technologies: PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS, Javascript, Puppet, SALT, Redis, memcached, Kafka
  • Software: Mantis, Jira, Jetbrains IDEs, Linux, OSX
  • Development and maintenance of trivago's main Hotel Search product.
  • Developer in 8-month complete platform re-write to Symfony 2.
  • Lead Developer on multiple product development and refactoring projects.
  • Scaling web traffic to ~120 million visitors a month and ~4 million search queries a day.
  • Supporting massive team growth with work on recruiting, processes and culture.
  • Converted release process from bi-weekly to multiple releases per day.
  • Lead Developer / Team Lead of multiple product development and support teams.
  • Release Maintainer responsible for release coordination and chasing down release and scaling issues.
  • Mastering complex, high-scale, multi-datacenter infrastructures.

• Globalpark AG (now Questback) from 2009 to 2012:

  • Technologies: PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS, Javascript, C#, Java
  • Software: Zend Studio, Linux, VIM, Jira, Enterprise Feedback Suite (online market research software)
  • PHP / MySQL development in various versions of a large online market research software application.
  • Customer support and training for same application (over 6 major release versions).
  • Development and support for large amounts of customized code (online diary for consumer information) for one major client on 80 live installations.
  • Linux server administration (multiple frontends, multiple master / slave databases, complex cronjob systems, mailing systems).
  • Work with massive-scale CSV imports / exports: debugging, customer support, analysis.
  • Creating websites with custom CMS system.
  • Critical upgrades over up to 6 major software versions, including migration of complex, customized code and large data quantities.
  • Large scale data correction / recoding via scripts.
  • Code refactoring / standardization.
  • Building up test suites with PHP unit tests and Selenium / WebDriver click tests.

• modus High-Tech electronics GmbH from 2006 to 2009:

  • Completed Ausbildung zum Fachinformatiker.
  • Technologies: C / C++ / C# / Assembler / Labview
  • Software: Microsoft Visual Studio (2005, 2008), Labview Visual Instruments
  • C/ C++ development of the modusAOI software (automatic optical inspection of PCBs).
  • Development, debugging and support for various ActiveX components.
  • Algorithm / code optimization using Assembler / SSE2.
  • Developing, debugging, improving and testing image analysis and image filter algorithms.
  • Construction and on-site installation / maintenance of modusAOI systems.
  • Translation of modusAOI software manual (German to English).

• Photography:

  • freelancer (event, portrait, studio, sport photography) from 2011 to present
  • virtual nights (event and party photography) from 2011 to 2013
  • tonight.de (event and party photography) from 2013 to 2015
  • Sportograf (sport photography) from 2014 to 2016

• SCUBA Diving:

  • Dive Master at Ban's Diving Resort in December, 2016 and July to September, 2017.