How Dataminded Was Built: Kris Peeters on 11 Years of Data Engineering & Culture - The Data Playbook podcast with Kris Peeters & Pascal Brokmeier
The Data Playbook Podcast
<p>In this <strong>season finale</strong> of <strong>The Data Playbook Podcast by Dataminded</strong>, the tables turn: <strong>Kris Peeters</strong> (Host & Founder of Dataminded) is interviewed by <strong>Pascal Brokmeier</strong> (guest from the Episode 2 and former colleague).</p>
<p>Kris shares the real story behind <strong>11 years of building Dataminded -</strong> from the stress of having <strong>zero customers</strong>, to landing the first project, to scaling from a small team to a company with a leadership layer. We dive deep into what makes an <strong>engineering-first culture</strong> work: <strong>autonomy + responsibility</strong>, raising (and protecting) the <strong>hiring bar</strong>, learning from mistakes, and why <strong>timeless engineering practices</strong> (Git, CI/CD, testing, monitoring) still matter, no matter the tech hype cycle.</p>
<p>If you’re a <strong>data leader, data engineer, engineering manager, or founder</strong>, this episode is a practical playbook on building a company (and a culture) that can survive and scale.</p>
<p>✅ <strong>Subscribe and follow Dataminded for more episodes, deep dives, and real-world data engineering stories.</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Dataminded" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/@Dataminded</a></p>
<p>✅ <strong>Explore The Data Playbook Podcast archive for more conversations on data platforms, data products, AI, and cloud decisions.</strong> <a href="https://www.dataminded.com/resources/podcast" rel="nofollow">https://www.dataminded.com/resources/podcast</a></p>
<p>✅ <strong>Want to work with us?</strong> Check our open roles or reach out directly.</p>
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<p><strong>Chapters:</strong></p>
<p>00:06 - 11 Years of Dataminded: Why This Story Matters01:54 - Why Kris Founded Dataminded (Engineers First)04:12 - From Zero Clients to the First Big Win07:53 - First Hires & How Culture Was Born11:14 - Git, CI/CD & Why Engineering Discipline Wins15:59 - Growing from 6 to 20: Chaos to Structure23:30 - Autonomy, Trust & Professional Culture35:13 - COVID, Overhead & the Push to 50 People41:13 - How Dataminded Keeps the Hiring Bar High55:59 - Germany, The Netherlands & What’s Next</p>