Shows
Building the DreamElectrifying EuropeIn this 11th episode of Building the Dream, my co-host Gideon van Kleij and I had a conversation with Bart Lubbers, co-founder of Fastned – Europe’s fast-charging network for electric vehicles, fully powered by 100% renewable energy.Bart shares the full story: from bootstrapping Fastned with 200 highway locations and zero capital, to growing it into a 350+ station network across Europe with €100M+ in annual revenue.We talked about:How Bart and his co-founder turned a bold idea into reality – starting with nothing but timing and belief.Why infrastructure is really about location, and how they secured...2025-03-281h 14
Building the DreamSeenons and BeyondJorn Eiting has carved out a unique path in the world of entrepreneurship and business. With a career spanning diverse industries, Jorn eventually co-founded Seenons, a groundbreaking company dedicated to making waste streams more sustainable. After leading the company to success, Jorn decided to take a step back, entrusting Joost to steer the business as he transitioned to a new role. Today, Jorn continues to make an impact as an advisor and investor at ROM InWest, where he supports innovative startups and ventures.In this episode, Jorn shares his journey from a varied career to launching and...2025-01-2049 min
Building the DreamEngineering Earth's CO2 FutureI’m thrilled to continue our podcast series with Rob van Straten, CEO of Skytree, a leader in Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. 🚀Skytree, originally founded by Max Beaumont started as a spinoff from the European Space Agency (ESA) and is leveraging its space-inspired tech to revolutionize carbon capture here on Earth. In this episode, Rob shares his remarkable career journey, from his leadership experiences to his passion for innovative technology. We also dive into the cutting-edge DAC system Skytree is building, designed to capture CO₂ directly from the air at an efficiency level that’s putting them on t...2024-10-201h 03
Building the DreamTurning ESG Data into Business PowerAs we gear up for the Climate Tech Summit on October 22 in Amsterdam, I’m excited to launch a special podcast series featuring five incredible entrepreneurs who are driving real impact through their ventures.In this first episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with Lenny van Klink, the visionary co-founder of Salacia Solutions. 🧜♀️Is ESG data or the CSRD just a compliance burden for your organization? 💡 Think again! Lenny explains how rethinking these insights can actually unlock massive business opportunities. 🌱📊We dove deep into his career journey, spanning consultancy and gove...2024-10-0946 min
The First CustomerThe First Customer - The Importance of Taking Risks and Making Mistakes with CEO Leopold van OostenIn this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Leopold van Oosten, the CEO and Founder of Amsterdam Standard. Leopold recounts his entrepreneurial journey, which began in a small, unremarkable town in the Netherlands. Initially studying hotel management with aspirations of entering the hospitality industry, his path took a dramatic turn during an internship in London in 2001. There, he was exposed to the potential of online services, particularly the burgeoning online ticketing industry. Inspired by the innovation he witnessed in London, Leopold and his friend launched the first local online ticket service in the Netherlands. This venture...2024-08-3019 min
Ondernemers in het MKBIn gesprek met Monique Delsink: het verkopen van een bedrijf - een emotionele rollercoaster - S2-16In plaats van uitzinnig van vreugde te proosten met de bubbels die ze van alle kanten ontvingen na de verkoop van hun bedrijf, gingen de flessen champagne linea recta naar de kelder. Voor Monique en haar man voelde die eerste periode niet als iets om te vieren, maar als een rouwfase.
Monique Delsink, adviseur, spreker en auteur van “Verkoopgeluk”, vertelt in deze aflevering haar persoonlijke verhaal over de emotionele impact van het verkopen van haar bedrijf.
Ook staan we stil bij de vraag waarom je nu al stil moet staan bij de vraag of je bedrijf verk...2024-06-2545 min
OPEN Tech Talks: Technology worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & TipsUnlocking Startup Success: Insights from Leopold van OostenStarting a startup is a significant challenge, requiring efforts in securing funding, building a team, and navigating market demands. However, the rewards are substantial. If you get mentors and experienced colleagues, this ride can be very fruitful and amazing. On the other hand, Mentors gain personal growth, professional satisfaction, and the joy of witnessing ideas transform into successful businesses. This process fosters strong networks, brings fresh perspectives, and drives innovation and economic growth. In this episode of our podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting Leopold, the CEO and Founder of Amsterdam Standard. He brings...2024-06-0240 min
Building the DreamVision to VictoryMichel did everything to nurture his start-up for > 5 years before it could pay him a first salary. Another 7 years later (+- 3 million ARR, + 175 clients and +-3,8 million end users) he did a massive textbook exit.No external startup capitalNo sales & marketingPure focus on building the best productAnd waiting for the momentum…Listen to my latest podcast with Michel Visser, the co-founder of Eesysoft (now Instructure).We talked about his career full of commercial roles that led to the foundation of his first compant Eesysoft together with his partner Jan; how they built tha...2024-05-281h 01
Building the DreamGrowing DiamondsEver wondered what those VC’s, business angels or Private Equity guys are looking for and how they operate? Then listen to my latest podcast with Frank Appeldoorn, managing partner at Arches Capital.Arches Capital is a fast growing group of business angels that is bridging the gap between Venture Capitalist (VCs) and Business Angels, by joining the best of both worldsWhat an honor to steal some of his time and learn more about the dynamics of such financing companies!We talked about his career that led to the foundation of Arches Ca...2024-05-141h 19
SaaS DistrictScaling a SaaS company with ZERO Marketing Budget with Leopold van Oosten #230Leo is the Founder and CEO at Amsterdam Standard, a technology partner who specializes in software development, IT staffing, and user interface design, the company provides dedicated nearshore teams, UX/UI interface design services, and agile software development for projects emphasizing agility.With over two decades of professional experience Leopold is a seasoned expert in scaling development teams and sourcing top tech talent. In this episode we cover:00:00 - Intro01:21 - Journey from Enthusiast to SaaS Investor05:38 - The Best Stage for Getting Their Help08:44 - Strategies and Challenges in Scaling Amsterdam Standard13:04...2024-03-1538 min
Building the DreamEngineering E-commerce EmpiresI had the honor to sit down and interview Feike Groen, VP of Product & Tech at Channel Engine and former IT-director at Bol.com 🎙️This podcast is a MUST listen for every serious scale-up. We took a deep dive into his story, from growing up in a small village to becoming a key leader in the Dutch e-commerce industry! Our conversation covered insights you don’t want to miss:His time at the University of Twente.How he skyrocketed Bol.com headcount from 100-1k and > 1 billion revenue.The lessons of rebuilding the compl...2024-03-041h 41
Building the DreamThe Art of PersistenceWhat a pleasure to learn this time from Mees van Velzen, founder and CEO of MrWork.MrWork, based in Rotterdam, is the nr1 Recruitment Marketing Automation platform.We talked about his very inspiring journey of the last twelve years building MrWork and dealing with all the ups and downs:His motivation to start a businessWhat to do when 90% of your traffic evaporated Pitching only once; and scoring an investment deal!Hiring your first team membersHow being an entrepreneur makes him feel aliveHow covid killed their pipeline but then boosted their business a lotHow to c...2024-02-0953 min
Building the DreamFrom Freelancer to PhenomenalThis time I had the honor to dive deep with Martijn Beumer, co-founder and CPO of Producthero!Producthero currently serves >10.000 webshops and + 500 online marketing agencies, has an Ad Spend of a staggering +1.5 billion (!!) euro over their platform and works for brands like Nike, Ikea, Wehkamp, Praxis, Etos and many more.They already have + 280 million products in their database; so big chance you see their name under a Google Shopping Ad when you search for a product (anywhere in Europe)!We talked about how his career of freelancing as an online marketeer led to...2024-01-2554 minOndernemers in het MKBIn gesprek met Leopold van Oosten: never waste a good crisis - S2-5Ik ga met Leopold van Oosten van Amsterdam Standard in gesprek over zingeving in het ondernemerschap, hoe dat aan de basis staat voor zijn keuze om het hoofdkantoor in Polen 4 jaar na opening te sluiten en daarin zijn verlies te pakken en waarom hij nu alleen nog focust op het servicen van duurzame bedrijven.
Ook vertelt hij over hoe hij als student begon en eigenlijk van het ene succes in het andere rolde. Totdat ook zijn bedrijf in een crisis belandde. Van het allerbeste kwartaal ever naar het slechtste kwartaal ever. In deze aflevering hoor je hoe hij...2024-01-0959 min
Building the DreamFrom Passion to ProfitRuben scaled Ticketscript to over $100 million in revenue; earning the title of Europe's nr1. online ticketing site before he and Frans sold it in 2017 to Eventbrite. Now he spends his time as an investor and also works as the CEO of LeadingCoursesWe delved deep into his wild ride into the world of entrepreneurship. Some of the things we’ve discussed👇How his love for coding and house music led to the birth of Beatfreax.The crazy highs and lows of building a startup.The feeling of selling your company and becoming financially indepe...2023-11-0151 min
Building the DreamDaniel’s GoPhoto Conquers the USAAfter a successful launch in the United States, Daniel, CEO of GoPhoto shares some of his insights, and know-how for scaling his business. From paparazzi in the bushes to SaaS powerhouse conquering the USA: Daniel is building his dream!Growing up as the son of a successful businessmanGetting rich as a student making showbizz photosDoing the wrong investments with your first earned moneySelling a product that didn’t exist yet to Coca Cola & Heineken 🙌Paying yourself no salary to survive Covid & save your companyUsing Covid to rebuild & scaleBeing obsessed with your productHis big break-through in the USACom...2023-09-2544 min