How it started & how it’s going at Faktion: Laurens Lavaert

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Laurens Lavaert

Head of Software Engineering

As one of the team leads at Faktion, he leverages together with his team the latest technologies to develop challenging AI and Machine Learning applications for our clients. We’ve asked Laurens about his experiences so far. Let’s listen to this talented guy.

Hey Laurens, thank you for your time! First of all, we would like to know how the start of your career at Faktion went. Can you tell us a bit more about this?

Of course. About four years ago, I started at Faktion at the same time as my good friend Jonathan 'Johnny' Callewaert. Although we found it a bit scary to become part of such a talented team, we felt comfortable and appreciated from the very first day. Since then, I have never regretted my choice to become part of the Faktion team.

That’s clear. Why Faktion? As we all know, in the tech and AI industry it is often harder to retain talent than to hire. So what differentiates Faktion from other employers in this industry?

Undoubtedly the unique opportunities and growth possibilities that Faktion offers you. To begin with, I have grown from a Junior Software Developer to an experienced Senior Full Stack Developer in just four years, whereas in other AI companies it takes you at least ten years to achieve this.

Sounds crazy right? And yet it is.

The reason why starters at Faktion go through an exponential learning curve is because of the intensive coaching and mentoring they receive. How the founder and CTO of Faktion, Joeri van Steen, guided us through the code of Chatlayer (Chatbot platform and spinoff company of Faktion, since 2021 part of Sinch, a Nasdaq listed international telecom group) like a full-fledged expert is one of the memories that stuck with me the most. Literally every piece of code was reviewed by experienced developers! I'm glad the senior developers at Faktion are eager to take you to the next level with them.

You talked about the unique opportunities at Faktion. Could you maybe give us a concrete example?

Yeah, sure. I can even give you multiple examples if you want.

First, at Faktion you get the chance to participate in the entire development process of end-to-end products. So it's not like you're limited to just the front-end or back-end development, which is often the case at other AI companies. Additionally, I work intensively with different technical profiles such as Machine Learning engineers, DevOps engineers, data architects and UX/UI designers. This collaborative way of working allows us to learn a lot from each other.

Second, at Faktion we often work with large companies and industry leaders. For example, we have integrated our AI solutions with leading banks such as AXA and Belfius. In such complex and highly regulated environments, we as developers have to take into account many parameters, which makes the projects at Faktion all the more challenging. As a result, a boring day at Faktion is rather a rare thing.

Third, we often write algorithms that control machines. It's pretty cool to see how a machine moves thanks to your code. In this way, we as a development team feel that our efforts do have an impact.

Do I have to go further?

No, that's fine. Finally, we were wondering how you experience the atmosphere in the Faktion team. Why do you love working at Faktion?

When I came on board the Faktion rocket, I was amazed by the close bond within the Faktion team. Young or old, everyone's input counts and every team member is equally dedicated to making each AI project a success story.

While working from home is perfectly accepted at Faktion, I personally choose to drive 200 kilometers to and from the Faktion headquarter every day. After all, I don't want to miss a minute of the office vibe. In our team we do work hard, but we laugh hard as well. When I’m working at the office, time flies by.

Above all, I really appreciate the combination of ambition and teamwork within the Faktion team. It’s a pleasure to see with how much rapidity, precision and quality each project is completed.

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