The Big Refactor - Girl Code at Sympower

The Big Refactor
It should do the same but with better, different, more efficient code. The starting point of every refactor: “This is messy or outdated, and we want, no need, something better we can then build further upon.” Where to start? Getting stakeholders on board of this big project with -in their eyes- the same result they already had? Your utopian architecture? Your new chosen tech stack? Can you make small short-term improvements, or does it need to be a big bang? In other words, what do you need for a refactor and how to wrap your own mind around it as a developer needing to do one?
From monolith to microservices, from untyped JavaScript to TypeScript, from CSS to Styled Components, from POC to long-term-project. You name it. In this fast changing field we work in: we can’t escape the refactors.
Tonight our speakers will take us through their biggest refactors and their insights on it.

Program
17.45 walk in / vegetarian dinner (vegan options available)
18.30 Intro Girl Code by Ineke Scheffers
18.35 Intro Sympower by Emilija Zlatkutė, Software Engineer @ Sympower

18.40 From monolith to microservices: Refactoring code and people
- Sonja Duijvesteijn, Software Engineering Team Lead @ Sympower
Conway's Law teaches us that an organization’s software mirrors its communication structure. In this talk, Sonja will explore how rearchitecting their monolithic platform into a microservices structure transformed not only their software but also their team dynamics.

19.00 Scaling Up: A Codebase's Journey to Sustainability
- Hanneke den Ouden, Software Engineer @ iwell
Ever wondered how to transform an MVP into an application managing the energy needs of hundreds of customers? Join Hanneke as she takes you on a journey through real-life coding examples, showing the power of refactoring.

19.20 Refactoring: How to avoid a Jenga tower collapse in your codebase
- Cindy Abelmann - Van Dooren, Frontend developer @ KVK
When deep into a refactoring session, making change after change, you'll find several problems popping up. Your project seems to be collapsing. Cindy will share mistakes during refactoring she experienced herself and some strategies to keep a codebase from toppling like a Jenga tower.

19.40 Q&A with all speakers
20.00 - 21.00 drinks, snacks, mingle

"At Sympower, we value diversity, with 43 nationalities represented in our team. That includes gender diversity especially in the energy sector, where women are even more underrepresented than in technology overall. To create the best products and solutions, we need the professionalism, expertise, and insights that women bring to the table. By providing a platform for women and showcasing role models, we make the whole system better. And for sympower this diversity means we can achieve our mission to build a truly sustainable energy system faster."
- Sonja Duijvesteijn, Sympower

Team
Ineke Scheffers - organizer and founder Girl Code
Sonja Duijvesteijn - host Sympower
Ann Ubois - host Sympower
Carmen Kloosterman - host Sympower
Kat Perzylo - host Sympower
Jayla Cosentino - host Sympower
Tomas Haviar - host Sympower
Kristen Ippolito - host Sympower

Accessibility
The Sympower office is situated on the first floor, and the building has an elevator. The front door is heavy to open, but one of Sympower's colleagues will be at the ground floor to open the door and let you in. If additional support is required in order to accommodate you we're happy to look into options, please reach out to Carmen Kloosterman ([carmen.kloosterman@sympower.net](mailto:carmen.kloosterman@sympower.net)).

How to get there
Public transport is recommended.

• Metro: Waterlooplein station (10 minutes walk)
• Bus: Kadijksplein (3 minute walk)
• Train: Amsterdam Central Station (15 minutes walk)
• Bike: A Sympower employee will open the bike-garage door for you on ground level.
• Car: Nearest parking garage is Markenhoven or Q Park Waterlooplein. Or make use of a P+R in the Amsterdam area and travel to the office from there.

Attendance policy
Our host Sympower is very much into not creating too much waste, so asked if you could make sure your status (going, not going) is known 48 hours in advance so they can take this into account for the catering.

We take attendance. If you RSVP'd but didn't show up, it will have consequences. Also be sure to cancel on time, 'cause cancelling 1 day before will be too late and count as a no-show. (Illness is of course an exception to this rule).