Jasper Afman joined Betty Blocks (formerly known as Holder) in October 2017, while still working at a local IT company. He was immediately drawn to Betty Blocks' visionary approach to software development, which had already gained recognition and praise from industry analysts like Gartner and Forrester. Jasper strongly believed - and still does - that Betty Blocks' product has the potential to revolutionize the software development industry. Moreover, he was attracted to the opportunity to work with diverse international clients, and impressed by the positive and inclusive culture at Betty Blocks, which he could sense even before he started working there.
Jasper initially joined Betty Blocks as a project manager, responsible for overseeing the delivery of various apps for customers using the Betty Blocks platform, alongside internal development teams. He then transitioned to the role of Product Owner within the Services department, where he was able to translate client needs into tangible apps. After a brief sidestep into the Sales department as a Solution Engineer, where he demonstrated the platform's capabilities to prospects, Jasper returned to Services and helped establish the consultancy department.
Currently, Jasper holds the position of Delivery Manager, which was created to address the fact that Citizen Development involves more than just delivering an app. In this role, he works closely with customers to help them scale the platform within their organization, analyzing the current state of the software development lifecycle, identifying gaps in scalability, and enabling customers to independently deliver their own apps. Additionally, Jasper provides support to clients on how to create a business case for their stakeholders. Even after an app is completed, his work continues as he assists clients with promoting the app and ensuring that it is properly utilized by end-users.
Jasper's role requires him to have a big-picture perspective and be one step ahead of the customer in order to provide the best assistance possible. Collaboration with clients is a crucial aspect of his work, and at times it may feel as though he is working for the client's company. Being able to gain insight into many different companies from the inside is a source of energy for him. He enjoys working in an ever-changing environment that requires him to keep up-to-date at all times, which can be challenging but also provides the dynamic environment that he thrives in. Furthermore, as Citizen Development is a relatively new field, he feels that he is constantly pioneering new approaches.
Jasper particularly enjoys working at Betty Blocks because he has had the opportunity to help establish new departments within the company. He relishes the challenge of identifying and addressing internal problems, and working with his colleagues to implement effective solutions. One of Jasper's most significant projects was a global deal with law firm Mazars. Given the scale of the project, which involved selling to various international offices at once, many different teams within Betty Blocks collaborated to make it a success.
