Paul de Boer, Senior Frontend Developer
Wednesday 15 April 2026 · 13:00
The Company
Zeno
Built specifically for Dutch & Belgian publishers
50+ publishers
10M+ relations · 2.1M active subscriptions
8 core modules:
Python/FastAPI backend (already exists)
No frontend engineers currently.
This is a greenfield opportunity.
The Candidate
Lead Frontend Developer @ Get Interactive
Event & Go portal rebuild leader, legacy PHP → Next.js 15/React 19
Frontend Developer @ Studio Toffolo
Creative agency work, modern web applications
Freelance Web Developer
Since 2016 · 30+ websites delivered
I've led ground-up rebuilds before.
Event & Go is proof.
Case Study
• Built entire frontend from scratch: Legacy PHP → Next.js 15 / React 19
• Multi-tenant SaaS platform serving festivals, venues, municipalities
• Two modern frontend repositories: Portals (ticket sales) + OSP (digital tickets)
• Proposed architecture, led technical decisions, executed solo
Same challenge as Zeno: I saw the legacy limitations, proposed a greenfield rebuild, and led the execution.
Topic 1: Modernizing Legacy
Map the 8 modules with the Oracle team, understand which has highest ROI and lowest risk, document current workflows and pain points
Build one small feature end-to-end in React/TypeScript, connect to Python/FastAPI backend, deploy to staging for team feedback
Set up React component library (atoms/molecules), define folder structure and TypeScript patterns, document everything for the Oracle team
Rebuild lowest-risk, highest-value module (likely Relaties or Events), run parallel with Oracle Apex, gradual user migration
Repeat for remaining 7 modules, train Oracle team on React through pairing, continuous feedback loop with publishers
This is exactly how I rebuilt Event & Go. It works.
Topic 2: AI-Assisted Development
Boilerplate and component structures
Refactoring suggestions and best practices
Generate interfaces from API responses
Write tests and component documentation
Ship React features faster together
Learn React patterns through pairing
AI-assisted PR review workflows
Not a replacement for thinking, a tool to ship faster and teach better.
I built this presentation with Claude Code.
Topic 3: Working with the Oracle Team
• 25 years of domain knowledge
Subscriptions, royalties, distribution logic built over decades
• Client relationships and business logic expertise
They know what publishers need better than anyone
• Bob Horst + Marco Clerx (founders) still present
Team loyalty runs deep
Additive, not replacement
"I'm building a new layer on top of what they know"
Involve team early
Architecture decisions that touch their domain need their input
Upskill through pairing
Show them React patterns, don't lecture
Jard is navigating this same dynamic as new director
For You
→ What does success look like after 6 months in this role?
→ Which module would you want rebuilt first, and why?
→ How involved will the Oracle team be in frontend decisions?
→ What's the current state of the API layer, is FastAPI already exposing endpoints or is that part of the rebuild?
→ How do you see the balance between speed of delivery and bringing the team along?
→ Is there a design system or UI library preference, or is that an open decision?
Tech stack