“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” —Steve Jobs

Not long ago, I came across a slide from Sequoia Capital. It charts the evolution of tech through the decades—from semiconductors in the 1960s to AI in the 2020s. It’s more than just a timeline. It’s a map of how each wave of innovation builds on the one before.

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And it hit me:

I’ve been riding that curve all my life.

From compilers and chips to cloud and communications—and now to AI—I’ve spent the past 35+ years not just watching these waves but working within them.

Every 7-10 years, a new chapter.

Each one aligned with a shift in technology.

Each one teaching me more about what I’m really here to build.

Let me walk you through those chapters—and how they led to the work I’m doing today in platform strategy, ecosystem design, and AI infrastructure.

Chapter 1 — The System Years (1985–1992)

The rise of systems computing – from metal to logic

This was my explorer phase. In high school, I was already reverse-engineering systems and writing low-level software. I earned my way through school by coding hacking early Apple Macintosh computers, and during my time at Delft University, I dove deep into C compilers, parallel computing, transputers, and language design—co-developing what would later be standardized as Parallel C.

I launched my first company while still in school, PACT (Parallel Architecture and Compiler Technology), to build compiler tools for transputer-based systems. It was the age of real-time software, embedded systems, and (massively parallel) high-performance compute.

What I learned: How to build things that no one had built before. And to always say yes to a new challenge.

Chapter 2 — Building the Compiler Platform (1993–2001)

The rise of networks, mobile chips, and embedded logic

I sold PACT to ACE (Associated Compiler Experts) and stepped in as Managing Director. There, I helped turn a research-driven compiler project into a commercial platform used globally by chip designers.

We developed the CoSy compiler development system, licensed our tech to dozens of silicon developers like Philips Semiconductors (now NXP), Infineon, Siemens, Ericsson, Nokia, Zilog and many many more, and built partnerships with system-on-chip platforms like Cadence. We participated in pan-European R&D consortia (COMPARE, PREPARE) with research groups like CWI, INRIA, and universities across Europe to build the technology needed to power the next generation of silicon for the mobile era.

What I learned: How to scale innovation. How to build platforms, partnerships, and ecosystems. And also… I met my wife.

Chapter 3 — Cloud, Telco & Family (2002–2011)

The shift to the cloud, SIP, and real-world communications

Leaving ACE a decade later, I wanted to move faster. I was tired of 5–10 year chip R&D roadmaps. I wanted tangible change. So I did some interim consulting projects as White Rabbit, focused on leadership development and innovation, and a few years later co-founded Voipro, one of the first SIP-based hosted voice platforms in Europe.

We were ahead of our time—evangelizing “hosted voice” and SIP before UCaaS was even a term. We found the investors, built the tech, navigated regulatory, signed early adopters, and survived the 2008 crisis with a small, overworked team. I learned the hard way about timing, resourcing, and scaling under pressure.

Meanwhile, I was raising four kids. Building a family and a startup at the same time. Sleep is overrated.

What I learned: How to tell the story of something new—and survive the valley of doubt.

Chapter 4 — Strategy, Startups & Scale (2012–2019)

From SaaS to CPaaS—connecting the dots in cloud communications

After Voipro, I founded The Next Cloud—a platform for consulting, advisory, and go-to-market acceleration in the era of cloud.

I mentored dozens of startups through Startupbootcamp and co-founded InnoLeaps to bring startup thinking into corporates. I also helped scale the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA) from 12 to 40+ members, worked with Cavell Group on cloud comms research, and co-created ApiDays Amsterdam as a space where APIs and telcos could meet to accelerate innovation.

During this time, I advised telcos like KPN and iBASIS on early API monetization strategies and helped shape the GTM motion for next-gen CPaaS players.

What I learned: That I’m not a corporate soldier—I’m a coalition builder. A weaver of unlikely connections. A startup guy with a platform mindset.

Chapter 5 — Ecosystems & Acceleration (2019–2025)

The programmable communications era arrives

By 2019, I saw CPaaS evolving into something bigger. The old vendor-buyer model was breaking. And we needed a new industry-wide forum. I launched the CPaaS Acceleration Alliance (CPaaSAA) with the first gathering scheduled for MWC 2020—until COVID hit.

Quickly, I created Smartcom Summit, a digital talk show to keep momentum alive. When the world opened up again and partners joined we had the chance to build CPaaSAA as we know it today: a member-powered alliance with 100+ companies, focused on real-world use cases and actionable acceleration, with a team of almost 10 running it.

What we built:

  • The first ever State of CPaaS report, a 2030/€100B North Star
  • The CASA event series (CPaaSAA Summit for insiders)
  • The Service Provider Playbook (90+ real use cases and growing)
  • Working groups on Network APIs, AI & Data, Security & Trust
  • Dozens of partnerships across telco, tech, and cloud platforms
  • CAVE, the CPaaS Acceleration Visionary Exchange, where CPaaS thought leaders meet

What I learned: That stories scale ecosystems. And ecosystems beat strategies—every time.

Chapter 6 — The AI Era (2025–?)

Now begins the biggest wave of all

With the kids mostly grown and the foundations laid, I now have the freedom and focus to dive into what I believe is the most transformative shift since the Industrial Revolution.

This next chapter is different.

AI is not another wave—it’s the wave.

It’s the industrialization of thinking. It changes how decisions are made, how platforms operate, and how we create value. I believe this shift will redefine infrastructure, organizations, and social structures.

At CPaaSAA and through The Next Cloud, I’m now working on:

  • Agentic AI platforms
  • AI-ready telco infrastructure
  • Ecosystem acceleration for startups & scaleups
  • Strategic advisory and fractional leadership for a handful of ambitious players

What I bring now: 35 years of pattern recognition. Platform intuition. Deep roots. A clear voice.

What I’ve Learned

  • I hate the status quo.
  • I love proving that complex things can be done.
  • I thrive on building the bridges no one else sees—between markets, sectors, and people.
  • I’m not a manager—I’m a builder of ecosystems.
  • I don’t chase hype—but I know when something’s real.
  • I don’t do well with hierarchy—but I do thrive in coalitions of the willing.
  • And I’ve learned that when you think happy thoughts… you can fly.

What Comes Next

This next chapter is different.

Not just bigger—but truly new.

AI isn’t a continuation. It’s a reset.

The rules are being rewritten, the infrastructure reimagined, and the pace is accelerating.

This wave has never been ridden before—and it won’t succeed through silos or single players. It demands a coalition. A network of builders, thinkers, creators, and platforms who are willing to co-design the next foundation of technology, business, and society.

At the edge of telco, cloud, and AI.

That’s the work I want to do now:

Not to follow, or repeat—

But to help shape the coalition that makes the AI era work.

If you’re building something bold, weird, deep, and new—

Let’s talk.

Because none of us can build this alone.

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”― Steve Jobs