Jan_Wilmake's digital nomad period spanned roughly 2016 to 2023, during which he combined software development work with extensive international travel. This lifestyle fundamentally shaped both his technical projects — particularly Communify and Code_From_Anywhere — and his professional philosophy.
The lifestyle involved working as a remote freelance developer while traveling through Southeast Asia, South Asia, South America, and Europe, rarely remaining in one location for more than a few months. Income came from client contracts, independent products, and in-game revenue from MasterCrimeZ.
A defining characteristic was the integration of physical activities (kitesurfing, hiking) with intensive work in unconventional environments: co-working spaces, mountain villages, hostels, and outdoor locations.
Following graduation, Wilmake invested his savings into traveling through Nepal and Southeast Asia. He decided during this journey to pursue an entrepreneurial, location-independent career.
Extended stays across Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia), Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Bansko, and Lisbon. Key milestones:
January–April 2018 in Canggu, Bali at the Dojo co-working space, developing Communify. He subsequently returned to the Netherlands and took on conventional employment roles for a period.
Extended stay (September–December 2020) at La Cocotera hostel in Tarifa, kitesurfing, working remotely. Development of EAT CODE KITE REPEAT and BackpackingTribe.
The most geographically intensive phase:
Although largely settled in Groningen by 2024, traces of nomadic working persisted. After his Slimmer.ai contract ended in July 2024, Wilmake worked full-time on ActionSchema from outdoor locations around Groningen — the Zeegse duinen, the Gieten heath, cafés, and parks — running on a laptop and powerbank during summer months.
By late 2024, the nomadic phase gave way to a more stable Groningen-based existence. In 2025, Wilmake began planning a potential relocation to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Key principles from the nomadic period: