About
The short version
I'm Mario Vanhecke. I've been building software since 2005, mostly in the .NET world. I run Devchild BV, a freelance consultancy based in Belgium.
Over the years I've worked on some interesting things: the IBIS paperless system for train conductors at NMBS, contactless payment infrastructure for Brussels public transport at STIB/MIVB, CNC machines with computer vision at Unilin, and logistics systems for ArcelorMittal's European mills. I've also spent plenty of time on the less glamorous stuff, like untangling legacy codebases and getting systems to talk to each other.
Why freelance
I wanted to do good work for interesting companies without the overhead that comes with agencies. No sales teams, no bench warmers, no billing by the PowerPoint slide. When a client hires me, they get exactly one person: a senior developer who actually does the work.
That's it, really. I write code, I solve problems, and I'm honest about what I can and can't do.
What I'm like to work with
I'm direct. If something is a bad idea, I'll tell you, but I'll also tell you why and what I'd do instead. I prefer working closely with whoever owns the product. Short feedback loops, no middlemen, no surprises.
I care about code quality, but I'm not precious about it. The goal is always software that works, that's maintainable, and that solves a real problem. Architecture astronautics isn't my thing.
Background
Bachelor's in Computer Science. Certified Scrum Master and Kanban Foundation. Microsoft certified (MCPD Windows Developer, MCTS .NET Framework 2.0). Over 20 years of professional experience across transport, manufacturing, utilities, HR, sales, healthcare, and finance. I've worked with companies like NMBS, STIB/MIVB, ArcelorMittal, Unilin, Novasoft, IWT, Delhaize, Attentia, and Electrabel.