About Ben Zatrok
I'm Ben Zatrok, a Fractional CTO who specializes in one thing: breaking companies free from Legacy Lock-In.
Since 2014, I've helped 20+ European companies escape dying platforms that were bleeding money and blocking growth. I've seen the same pattern repeatedly - companies start with platforms that work at €1M revenue, but become anchors at €5M and crises at €10M.
Why I Focus on Legacy Lock-In
After watching too many profitable companies struggle with platforms that should enable growth but instead constrain it, I decided to specialize in the migration problem. Not just any technology consulting - specifically helping companies escape Legacy Lock-In and transform their operations.
I've personally led migrations from Magento 1, old WooCommerce, custom PHP, and outdated .NET to modern platforms. Every migration taught me something new about what actually breaks, what costs pile up, and how to minimize the pain.
My Background & Experience
10+ years scaling technology teams and platforms
Former Senior Developer at companies like Intershop Communications, FirstFocus, and multiple startups
Healthcare Tech Pioneer - built AR treatment applications and elderly monitoring systems
Enterprise Architecture - designed multi-tenant systems serving millions of queries
Team Builder - scaled engineering teams from 3 to 10+ engineers while doubling productivity
Education
Marketing Management - Fontys University of Applied Sciences
Global Business Engineering - VIA University College
The Legacy Lock-In Specialist Approach
Brutal Honesty: I tell you upfront what will break during migration and how much it will cost
Direct Execution: No project managers padding hours - I write the code myself
Proven Process: 20+ migrations completed with documented results and timelines
Cost Efficient: Half what agencies charge because I don't have their overhead
European Focus: Based in the Netherlands, serving €1-10M revenue companies globally
Specific Expertise in Breaking Legacy Lock-In
Platform migrations (Magento 1, WooCommerce, custom PHP → modern SaaS)
ERP integration during migration (SAP B1, custom systems)
Zero-downtime migration strategies
Team training on new platforms
Post-migration optimization and support
What Clients Say About Breaking Free from Legacy Lock-In
"Ben managed me during my internship and employment at FirstFocus. He is a gifted software developer with a wide skillset, as well as a quick learner with a good ability to tackle problems."
"The transformation exceeded our expectations. What once required constant maintenance now runs automatically, allowing us to focus on growing the business."
My Track Record
Real results from 10+ years of scaling technology teams and transforming business operations
Scart Kft. - ECommerce Integration Lead
Led digital transformation from legacy ecommerce to modern SaaS platform
Intershop Communications - Tech Lead
Multi-tenant search architecture serving millions of queries
FirstFocus B.V. - Chief Technology Officer
Platform modernization and team scaling from 3 to 10+ engineers
