Digital platform for on-the-job training

Second Company’s approach

Working Agile

Peter den Ouden is the product owner for the online Talent ON project. He came in contact with Second Company through the grapevine and after a first meeting there was a click to build a platform for talent management together. “We had the same ideas about how to work together in an Agile way,” says Peter.

Pilot first

Second Company proposed a pilot, a one-month collaboration for a fixed price. After that month, the reference architecture and a large part of the front-end were delivered. It was then up to Peter to decide whether to continue or to invest in another party. But for Peter there was no doubt and the cooperation continued. “IT is always complicated, but the most important thing is that we have a good way to develop a product successfully. That went very well from the start.” 

Neat software environment

Peter is also enthusiastic about the software environment. “A developer is only as good as the environment he works in. I can rely on the environment as set up by SC based on the whole code methodology through Agile working. I know it won’t become spaghetti. Also, this way, the process does not hang on one person, but on the process.”

A developer is only as good as the environment in which he works

Predictability in software development

Talent ON works in weekly sprints, which makes it predictable, according to Peter. “That predictability is increasing all the time because we keep the sprints small and that way the expectations remain correct. That is also the merit of Second Company. I always want more and more and harder and harder. You then need a party who is kind enough to slow you down.” 

You then need a party that will kindly slow you down

Product owner on the customer side

For customers of Second Company it is important to know that the role of product owner is always on the customer side. In that way you also create involvement in the organisation. Peter: “You have to educate your customers in this respect, which is what Second Company did for me. And that is a good thing, because you have to pull the process together. We are a start-up with limited resources and with us it is always about operating ‘on the edge’ and that means constantly making choices. This leads to more involvement on our part, because we want to stay on top of the ball.”

This is the first time that I can really just be a product owner, without having to wear all these other hats

Second Company as a partner

According to Peter the combination of the Dutch team with the remote team makes Second Company unique. “I also believe that it can only work that way. I have a lot of experience with remote and if it is too much, it doesn’t work. But because I do Talent ON with Second Company here in the Netherlands, with a remote team behind it, it works. Second Company has a lot of experience in managing remote projects and they know how to attract good IT people. In addition, they are able to develop entrepreneurially with you. So it is not a time factory, but a real development partner. I also have experience with a party that consisted of an entire Dutch team, but that party did not work Agile and did not think along, so it didn’t work in the end.”

I also believe that working with remote developers is only possible if you also have developers in the Netherlands.

Second Company has a lot of experience in managing remote projects and they know how to get good IT people on board quickly. In addition, they are able to develop entrepreneurially with you.