Eddie De Jong

In my teenage years, I was an extreme introvert with no social skills whatsoever. My reality existed only in my head and, although I lived in an external world, it had very little impact on me. If I think back today, there is actually very little that I remember from my school days. At the same time, I was an avid reader. My mother would take us to the public library once a week, and we were all allowed to borrow three books.

This love of books and learning has stayed with me throughout my life. Computers weren’t around during my school days, but when I ‘discovered’ them, I taught myself how to program using books. What started as a hobby became a career, and I soon ran my own software development company – not bad for someone without any formal training in computers or programming!

How did I manage to go from an introvert to owning a company that developed strategically important software for large Petrochemical companies? Yes, you guessed it – by setting goals and sticking to them, learning about time management and developing good habits.