Looking back on it now, skybow was one of the best experiences of my life. I am so proud that, as Director of Product Technology, I could lead and decisively influence today’s leading and most complete low-code/no-code platform for the development of business apps on top of SharePoint.
This was groundbreaking work. skybow was the first to offer an integrated app-building SaaS platform inside the SharePoint Online interface. It was the first to offer seamless integration between UI, processes, reporting, and document generation, and full lifecycle management for business apps. We were the first to offer full support for building business apps on top of the SharePoint modern interface.
That was all a lot of work, but it was good work. It was the kind of work that belongs in the “One day I will tell my grandchildren about this” category.
With the restructuring and its increased focus on the European and especially DACH and BENELUX markets, skybow will do well, and will continue to thrive. As for me, I felt that my work there had come to an end, and that it was the right time to take the next step. I will for sure stay in contact with skybow and recommend their technology whenever and wherever I can – the relations I have with skybow people go well beyond business – yesterday, when I returned home from the Microsoft Network Conference, there was a bottle of Moi Primitivo Di Manduria red wine waiting for me, sent by my dear skybow friends, accompanied with a skybow veteran pen. I think I spent a good quarter of an hour just looking at it. Those of you who have dealt with skybow over the past few years will know that this is the wine we always used as an example in our demos. It was such a nice touch by my former colleagues, and I am very, very thankful for the past three and a half years.
However, it is time to move on. Today I am joining SysKit – those lovely people who have created SPDocKit, SysKit Security Manager and SysKit Insights – as Chief Strategy Officer and a management board member.
To all of you who know me well, this should not really come as a great surprise. My good relations with SysKit were never a secret. Back in the early 2010s, I worked with the SysKit team on the design of the permissions documentation and permissions management modules for SPDocKit. There is some of my code in the IIS documentation module. I have been friends with this company, and the company leadership, since… well, always, really.
That’s the reason why, when Toni and Frane asked me to join the board, I didn’t need much persuading. My role will be to plan what comes next, together with them and the rest of the leadership team. My role will also be to strengthen the enterprise side of SysKit’s product portfolio, and to form strong partnerships within the industry. What we can promise you is that the story around SPDocKit and SysKit Security Manager isn’t nearly finished – there will be plenty of great new things coming from our kitchen in Zagreb, Croatia. Our mission is to be your platform of choice for the management, security, and governance of your Microsoft 365 portfolio. We want you, when you think of governance, to think of SysKit.
On a side note, there will be no changes to my community work; I enjoy it way too much. You will still see me around at Office 365 and Azure conferences, and you might see me blogging more often. And, of course, my work on the European Collaboration Summit will not be affected.
See you around. And remember – when you think of Microsoft 365 governance, you should really be thinking of SysKit. 🙂
