Marvelution was founded in 2008 by Mark Rekveld and is based in Assendelft (near Amsterdam), the Netherlands. What started as a personal project to explore the benefits of open-source software has grown into a product with over 2,000 customers in more than 100 countries. Marvelution provides seamless integration between Atlassian's Jira and Jenkins, offering a solution that minimizes context switching and automates workflows for DevOps teams. Despite its global presence and high-profile customers such as Rolls-Royce, Cisco Systems, and Pfizer, Marvelution remains a one-man company, with Mark taking care of product development and customer support.
My business plan is a three-letter word: 'Fun.'
The Challenge: Keeping Things 'Fun' While Meeting Growing Demands
Mark's journey might sound familiar to other developers whose passion projects evolve into widely adopted business solutions: success comes with its own set of complexities and challenges. His challenge? Maintaining the fun and creativity of coding while meeting growing demands for security and compliance.
The adventure began in 2007 when Mark took advantage of Atlassian's offer of free licenses for open-source projects to build his first version of Jenkins Integration for Jira. Originally designed to solve his own problem - streamlining the process of working with Jenkins builds within Jira -, it quickly caught on with developers around the world. The tool rapidly grew in popularity, becoming essential for many organizations that needed an easier way to manage Jenkins from within Jira.
"I built Jenkins Integration for Jira to solve my own problem," Mark recalls. "Turns out I wasn't the only one who needed it."
But as his company expanded and attracted larger organizations, so did the demands. Companies now require strict security protocols and adherence to certifications such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2, forcing Mark to shift his focus from coding solutions to ensuring compliance. During this shift, Aikido has been a helpful solution to automate parts of the compliance journey.
The good news is Aikido already helped me get ISO27001 certified, and SOC2’s on track to be completed by January 2025.
"Security has always been important to me," says Mark, "but now clients expect formal certifications like ISO and SOC 2. I have less time to focus on building new features because I have to invest it in meeting these security requirements. The good news is Aikido already helped me get ISO27001 certified, and SOC2’s on track to be completed by January 2025."
The repetitive nature of managing compliance and security audits is in stark contrast to Mark's love of problem-solving and automation. He thrives on creating solutions, and any task that is done more than once triggers his instinct to automate it. "When things get too repetitive, they stop being fun," he explains.
Determined, Mark began searching for a more efficient and affordable security solution that would allow him to regain control of his time and get back to what he loves most - building innovative solutions that solve real problems.
The Aikido Solution: Streamlining Security to Keep Things ‘Fun’
As businesses grow, it's important to ensure that the demands of expansion do not overshadow the passion that started it all. Automating repetitive tasks and improving efficiency were key to Mark to maintain the joy that inspired his project. His quest to make the security process more efficient led him to Aikido, a platform specifically designed to streamline security processes through advanced code scanning and cloud vulnerability assessments.
With Aikido, Mark discovered a solution that met his needs without breaking his budget. He successfully integrated Aikido's local scanner into his Atlassian Bitbucket pipelines, ensuring accurate and fast results. For Mark, one of Aikido's most valuable features is its ability to flag vulnerabilities based on urgency, allowing him to effectively prioritize tasks.
"The fact that Aikido helps me prioritize issues is a game changer," says Mark. "I'm not a fan of long reports - just give me two lines that tell me how critical something is, and I'll take the necessary action."
Aikido also provides the flexibility to ignore non-urgent issues, allowing Mark to focus on what's important. "Its intuitive interface and automation features allow me to maintain the required security standards, while still focusing on my passion for coding."
Aikido's intuitive interface and automation features allow me to maintain the required security standards, while still focusing on my passion for coding.
Features aside, one of the most striking aspects of Aikido for Mark is the quick and personalized support he receives from the team, who went above and beyond to help him troubleshoot and tailor the platform to his specific needs. “Within two days - less than 16 hours - I had everything running smoothly," Mark explains. "Now, if there's a security issue, I get an alert and can often fix it within minutes. That's the kind of efficiency I need to keep things fun.
"What gave me a lot of confidence was when the Aikido team helped me out late at night to help me solve a critical problem. I didn't expect that kind of service," Mark recalls. "And the communication with the Technical Support team via Slack was always fast and effective. They prioritized my issues and made sure I had everything I needed to be successful," he continues. "It's rare to find that level of commitment, and it's what convinced me that Aikido was the right choice.”
The result: Staying True to Marvelution's ‘Fun’ Business Plan
After just a few weeks with Aikido, Mark found it easier to stick to his business principle of making work fun while growing his global business. The time he saves on security management allows him to focus more on what he enjoys - building innovative solutions and automating workflows.
"Aikido takes care of the security side, so I can focus on where my true passion lies," Mark says. "And for a small business like mine, the pricing is fantastic. Aikido offers the same features as other security tools, sometimes even better, but at a much better rate for a solopreneur like me."
With Aikido handling much of the security workload, Mark feels more comfortable exploring new challenges without the constant worry of compliance or security delays.
