Why I’m Building Basekick (And What Comes Next)

After years building products across data, AI, and infrastructure, I’m starting a new chapter, one focused on value, not billable hours. This is Basekick.

Ignacio Van Droogenbroeck

05 Sep 2025 — 3 min read

For the last three years, I’ve been building things.

Some related to data at ExyData, others like SSL Guardian, and all of them with real-world usage across the US, Europe, and Latam. That feels great. Building something that solves real problems, not just MVPs that never see daylight.

In the process, I learned a lot. About having cofounders. About what works. About what needs to change if you want to avoid the same mistakes again.

On Data

Data is on me. It’s powerful.

Having access to real data allows you to keep going. It gives you clarity, context, and the ability to move forward with insight, not guesswork.

Data helps us understand what’s happening, what’s changing, and what could be better. It has the power to improve entire communities. To make them safer, more efficient, and more citizen-focused.

On Infrastructure

Infra is a big part of who I am too.

If you scroll through this blog, you’ll find 200+ posts about it:

Cloud, Kubernetes, code, automation, DevOps tricks, and a lot of “how I fixed this at 2am” stories. I love making things work, making them faster, and making them easier for others.

Providing services is something I genuinely enjoy. Not because it’s billable, but because it lets me say:

“Hey, this thing you’re using… I helped make it better.”

It’s meaningful. I own a small piece of that progress.

On Machine Learning & AI

I haven’t written much here about my ML and GenAI work… but I’ve been deep in it.

From license plate detection to crack detection on roads, from anomaly detection on time series to intelligent pipelines, I’ve built systems that go beyond dashboards. When you combine traditional AI with generative models, data stops being reactive and starts being predictive.

And that’s where the real magic happens:

You don’t just learn from the past, you anticipate the future.

Why Basekick

That’s what led me here.

To this new thing I’m building: Basekick.

Still deciding where it’ll be headquartered. But I’m clear about its purpose:

Basekick is not about selling hours.

It’s about adding value, helping you do more for your customers, which ultimately grows your revenue.

We’re focused on helping data-driven and AI-first teams, but also working with governments and public agencies to build sovereign, secure, and citizen-centric solutions that don’t break the bank.

Infrastructure and AI can (and should) serve people first.