The story of Lesley

From Military Dreams to Backend RealitiesHey, I’m Lesley. I’m 30, a twin, and a backend developer here at Pionect. Fun fact: I never actually set out to become a programmer. When I was younger, I had my sights set on joining the elite military forces, but I didn’t pass the exams. Since I had to wait a whole year to reapply, I figured I’d tag along with my friends and enroll in a Creative Media and Game Technologies program. They all bailed within a year though … but I stuck it out. Looking back, that detour led me into the world of code and to where I am now in life.

The Path to PionectBefore Pionect, I worked at the same company for seven years. But over time, I noticed that I was looking for more of a new challenge with new/other projects, so I started looking for another job. Through a recruiter, I ended up talking to Pionect. The application process was smooth, the people were welcoming, and I appreciated the relaxed but focused vibe. What keeps me engaged here is the technical depth of the work, especially the legacy code challenges. I’m currently working on projects that were built with older technology that really limits what we can do today, especially when clients have modern feature requests. It’s tricky, but it also pushes me to problem-solve creatively, which is something I enjoy. 

Growing into the RoleI didn’t grow up coding. I was more the guy fixing consoles and helping people play illegally downloaded games (don’t ask). During my studies, I had no clue what I was doing at first, but somewhere in year three, it all clicked. That’s when I developed what I call the “programmer mindset.” Once you understand how programming works conceptually, switching languages becomes the easy part. My first real job in tech was as a software tester: basically trying to break things that other people built. That taught me a lot about how systems fail, which turns out to be a great way to learn how to build them better. 

Outside the CodeWhen I’m not working, I’m probably gaming, watching movies with my girlfriend, or scuba diving. I got my diving license when I was 11, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I mostly dive on vacations in tropical water with good visibility. None of that freezing, can’t-see-anything Dutch lake stuff. I’m a big fan of anything involving water and adrenaline. I even used to fly gliders with my old roommate who was a pilot, he’d let me take over the controls mid-air. I’m also a cat person. We’ve got Salt, a white cat, and used to have his brother Pepper, who sadly never came back one day. There’s also a leopard gecko in the mix. 