What shift in perspective mindset has allowed you to see things differently?
In our case it was actually a deep recession in the general economy that forced everybody to become creative about entrepreneurship. We were part of that. You solve problems faster when something depends on the outcome.
What do you wish you had known 10 years ago?
Actually I am learning and discovering new stuff every day. If there is anything an entrepreneur needs to be aware of it's that you will have to learn, experiment, and invent constantly. That never ends, and there isn’t a single magical piece of knowledge that will set you in the right direction.
What do you do to maintain balance in your life?
You need to keep regular complete breaks in your weekly, monthly and annual rhythm. We recommend that team members have at least 1 week in which they are simply off the internet completely.
What’s your favorite ritual or meeting in your team?
We start business meetings with a ‘check-in’ during which folks can talk about personal stuff that is on their mind. By allowing this to come out at the beginning we clear the mind for the business that comes afterwards.
What personal habit or behavior helped you accelerate your personal growth?
All activities should be organized into simple recurring patterns. That way it is much less effort to maintain a steady progress. That includes regular breaks from work, since it’s a marathon.
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
A leader primarily creates a culture. Within that culture others can bring their own individual style and contribution, but be part of the whole.
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What's the biggest insight you learned in recent years?
It’s always a good idea to be connected to your product – even if you have to deal with high-level topics, always remember the things you offer.
What personal habit helped you accelerate your personal growth?
In one of the hardest times of my life so far, I started journaling for 1-2h on Sundays. Not digital, but with paper and pen. Always answering the same questions related to self, social life and work. This brutally honest and regular reflection once a week helped me identify problems early and iterate fast.
When times are tough, who or what is an anchor for you?
My co-founders are my anchor in work-related topics. Having an environment where failure is welcomed with a helping hand and where weakness is valued as openness, once you are down those people will drag you up.
What's a mistake that you're happy you've made?
When I was 16 (way before the internet) I founded a travel-partner agency to connect people from different backgrounds seeking travel companions. After a year, I had to close the agency due to a lack of customers and the confusion some callers had regarding the nature of the “service.” Despite this setback, I gained invaluable insights into sales, communication and people’s needs, solidifying my desire to run a business that helps people.