Datadog User Group Amsterdam Meetup

We’re excited to welcome you to the next Datadog User Group on Thursday, September 25th at our Amsterdam HQ!

Expect an evening of inspiring talks, food, drinks, and the chance to connect with fellow community members. Come join us for insights, conversation, and networking in a relaxed setting.

Date: Thursday September 25th, 2025
Location: Datadog HQ Amsterdam, 1017 CE, Herengracht 601
Time: 18:00 - 21:30

Agenda:
18.00 - Doors Open: Walk-in + Food & Drinks!
18:30 - Kick-off
18:35 - Talk 1: Chasing Operational Excellence in an Inherited Environment: Knowing What Good Looks Like Doesn’t Always Make It So
by Brent McLean (ex-CPTO at eBay & Group CTO at AVIV Group)
19:20 - Quick Break
19:30 - Talk 2: From vibe coding to spec-driven development
by Gunnar Grosch (Principal Developer Advocate at AWS)
20:15 - Closing comments
20:20 - Networking & Drinks
21:30 - The End!

About the talks:

• Talk 1: Chasing Operational Excellence in an Inherited Environment: Knowing What Good Looks Like Doesn’t Always Make It So

After years of building teams from the ground up and successfully empowering autonomy, what happens when you inherit two decades of a "simple business"? How do you transform every aspect of that organization—while keeping it running smoothly and driving profitability at the same time? This talk explores the challenges, lessons, and opportunities of leading large-scale transformation in a legacy environment.

• Talk 2: From vibe coding to spec-driven development

Vibe coding, rapidly prototyping based on intuition, is gaining significant attention in software development. This session explores how developers can move beyond vibe coding to generate more consistent and repeatable outcomes through spec-driven development.

Speaker Bio's:
1. Brent McLean is a commercially driven and strategic technology executive with over 20 years of experience leading product and platform transformations in online marketplaces, spanning horizontal classifieds, real estate, and automotive. He is recognized for delivering both top- and bottom-line impact through deep digital transformation and large-scale replatforming initiatives.

Brent began his journey as Technology Director for online classifieds at Fairfax Digital in Sydney before relocating to the Netherlands in 2010 to become CTO of Marktplaats. He later rose to CPTO of eBay Classifieds Group, where he led global product and technology teams across more than 10 countries. Following the group’s highly valued sale to Adevinta in 2021, Brent took on the role of Group CTO at Aviv Group, an Axel Springer company backed by KKR. Over four years, he guided the business through intensive transformation—an experience that tested every lesson from his career to date.

2. Gunnar Grosch is a Principal Developer Advocate at AWS. A developer and engineer for over 25 years, and a former AWS Serverless Hero and AWS User Group Leader, he connects with developers worldwide to understand their needs and bring their voices into AWS, sharing code, insights, and lessons from the field.

Important notes:

• Please inform us on any allergies or dietary restrictions so we can ensure everyone enjoys the food.
• Keep your RSVP up to date, we're counting on you to be there and share in the excitement.
• Your hosts for the evening: Tim Meijer (Datadog), Mart Noten (DD User Group Co-Organiser)