BOL Techlab Feed

• The moment you have to stop coding and start coaching • The surprising amount of administration (so many spreadsheets! 📊) • How to build trust when your former peers are now your direct reports • The #1 tip for new managers: walking meetings • What no one tells you: office politics and the art of influence

• What Enterprise Architecture actually is at bol.com • From chaos to clarity: How ADRs (Architecture Decision Records) stop the "Who decided this?!" debates • Measuring architecture fitness: Using data to score encapsulation and reduce team coupling • The RAPID model: How we make big, enterprise-level decisions in weeks, not months • AI as the 6th team member: How we use AI to automate documentation and create podcasts

The story behind Space Summit: From auditorium talks to a 1,100-person conference. By colleagues, for colleagues: How a volunteer crew of 10 pulls off a pro-level conference. 80+ talk submissions: From Tesla hacks to personal burnout stories. The secret sauce: How Space Summit builds community, trust, and even career-defining moments

Meet Gerda, the alter ego from bolA day in the life of a community managerLots of fun stories and anekdotesHow to stay relevant in a fast paces environment

The YP Program structure: From onboarding to graduation Work-life balance in your first tech job How Bol.com supports relocation and housing The application process decoded (no leetcode nightmares!) Transitioning from student to professional mindset Leadership opportunities within the program

The sprint mindset: Why constraining time unlocks creativityDay-by-day breakdown: How to scope, sketch, prototype, and test in 4 daysReal Bol.com case studies: From the "Branded Shelves" success to ideas that flopped (and why that’s good)Pro tips: Facilitator tricks, stakeholder buy-in, and why candy is non-negotiableTools & resources: Where to start your own sprint

🔍 What you’ll learn:✅ Why "good enough" data beats perfect (but late) analysis✅ How a fake door test saved months of wasted engineering time✅ The 4 key skills every product analyst needs✅ Why failed experiments are secretly wins

• How Queer Bol started – from a simple question to a beautiful community • Why workplace inclusion matters – for employees, companies, and society• The impact of visibility – pins, posters, and safe spaces • Personal stories – overcoming challenges and fostering allyship • What’s next? – Pride collaborations, education, and expanding outreach

What is Chaos Engineering and why it matters How Bol.com runs Chaos Days twice a year Real-world examples of chaos experiments and their outcomesTips for starting your own Chaos Engineering initiatives The importance of preparation and community involvement

Why Bol.com embarked on the GraphQL journeyOvercoming challenges in a large-scale organizationBuilding a GraphQL stewardship programTools and strategies for successful adoptionFuture plans and community contributions

Get ready to explore the essentials of Cloud FinOps! This episode dives into why managing cloud expenses is a must and reveals tips for monitoring and scaling effectively. Packed with insights and humor, it’s a perfect blend of knowledge and fun. Tune in and join the conversation!

In this episode, we’re joined by our talented friends from the design community, Cansu and Wendy! The dynamic between engineers and designers is endlessly fascinating—and sometimes, a little chaotic. How can these two worlds collaborate more effectively? What are the biggest challenges (and funniest moments) that arise? We dig into the details, share some laughs, and uncover insights to help bridge the gap. Tune in and enjoy the ride!

Join us for an inspiring and in-depth conversation with Ronald van Rijn, Senior Director of Engineering at bol.com (http://bol.com/), as he reflects on his first 100 days in the role. Ronald shares insights from his journey—starting as a passionate programmer with a Commodore 64 to becoming a leader of over 900 engineers. Discover how his experience as a former CTO, volleyball athlete, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast shapes his leadership style and problem-solving approach. Learn how he tackles challenges like scaling technology teams, fostering impactful innovation, and creating an environment where engineers thrive. Tune in to hear about his plans for bol.com (http://bol.com/)'s future and valuable lessons in navigating discomfort and change.

In this episode, we dive into the world of canary releases—a modern deployment strategy that minimizes risk while delivering new features to users. Joined by Sonja Nesic and Diego Lira, we explore how tools like Argo Rollouts empower teams to test in production safely, offering seamless integration with Kubernetes environments. Learn how automatic rollbacks can safeguard your deployments and why progressive delivery is becoming a must-have for agile teams. Whether you're new to canary releases or looking to refine your strategy, this conversation is packed with insights and best practices to elevate your DevOps game.

In this episode of TechLab, we're diving deep into the world of data engineering! Join us as we chat with Robin, a data scientist from bol.com, who shares how his team tackled complex data pipeline challenges by using layered approaches and innovative solutions like Apache Airflow. Robin makes it easy to understand by comparing data workflows to baking bread (yes, really!) and highlights how his team built a robust, reliable system to handle critical logistics data for bol.com. Tune in for insights, laughs, and some surprising analogies that bring data science to life!

On this episode, Lee September joins us to tell his inspiring story on Neurodiversity and Leadership. He shares his personal journey from engineer to management and how being neurodivergent played a role within this story. From personal growth to being inclusive to anyone. Knowing when to read the room and adjusting accordingly to put everyone in their strengths.

In this episode, we explore distributed tracing in microservices architecture, covering how it enhances observability and helps quickly identify issues in large-scale systems. We discuss the basics of distributed tracing, practical tips for implementation, and the benefits of tools like Google Cloud Trace. Perfect for developers looking to improve system performance and streamline their debugging process.