I hold a professional bread baker's degree so naturally I love to think of myself as a real baker. I highly respect the craft and enjoy kneading dough with my hands. I specialize in _sourdough bread_, as you can read at my [bread baking blog](https://redzuurdesem.be). I've written a book on [the science of sourdough bread](https://redzuurdesem.be/het-boek) (in Dutch).
I am a PhD researcher at the Faculty of Engineering Technology, KU Leuven. My academic research focuses on identifying and amplifying non-technical skills in software engineering education, primarily targetting _creative problem solving_. I sometimes [blog about my work](/tags/phd).
I'm an experienced software engineer and took on various roles from agile coaching to technical lead. I hold a Master of Computer Science. I also dabble in open source, have a peek at https://git.brainbaking.com/. I’m a big Test Driven Development advocate. I teach software engineering techniques in both industry and academia.
I like fountain pens and [<svg class='icon icon-text'><use xlink:href='#book'></use></svg>journaling](/tags/journaling/). I love jotting down stuff and possibly converting that into blog posts, academic articles, books, or any other medium where I can express my enthusiasm.
Transforming knowledge into well-digestible material is my mission. As they say: _the best way to learn something is to teach it_ - I couldn't agree more. Besides various formal teaching assignments at KU Leuven, I've also coached software developers in different companies, and occasionally organize bread baking workshops.
If you found my work amusing and/or helpful, you can [buy me a coffee](https://ko-fi.com/woutergroeneveld) - if you don't mind I'll use it to drink a cup of tea instead. I also like to hear your feedback via:
[Multiclassing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_class_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)#Multiclassing) in Dungeons & Dragons (yes, I'm also a nerd) allows your character to advance in more than one class. Instead of playing as the conventional mage or fighter, you can be both. This concept neatly summarizes my vision of a profession.
- Emilie Wapnick uses the term [multipotentialite](https://puttylike.com/terminology/). A multipotentialite is _someone with many interests and creative pursuits_.
- Philosopher Johann von Wowern wrote in 1603 about [_polymaths_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath): _knowledge of various matters, drawn from all kinds of studies [...] ranging freely through all the fields of the disciplines, as far as the human mind, with unwearied industry, is able to pursue them_.
- Another lovely term is _renaissance men_: _a person with many talents or areas of knowledge_. Da Vinci is the prime example of such a man. Of course I couldn't possibly live up to these expectations. The notion of a [homo universalis](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uomo_universale) might also be stretching it a bit too far.
I used to be only good at programming because I thought, as a Computer Scientist, you specialize instead of generalize. But the more I worked with computers, the more my hands itched to do something else. So nowadays I love to go wide and pass on that enthusiasm for knowledge on any level.
I keep an active <ahref="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5451893-wouter"target="_blank"><svgclass='icon'><usexlink:href='#goodreads'></use></svg>Goodreads</a> account where I manage everything I've read and want to read. I invite you to join the community there. Marking a book as read and writing a (short) review never was that satisfying...
I used to be almost exclusively a fantasy reader. Now I mostly read non-fiction on the most diverse topics, but I do have a soft spot for things like philosophy, art, mindful food and software engineering.
