1.1.2022
It was a foggy fall day in 2013 when I browsed through a book shop in a typical Amsterdam corner store and found Simon Sinek’s book “Start with why”. In awe with his eloquent style of presenting big ideas, I read the book within a couple of days.
He has a simple, yet powerful message that stuck with me until today: Meaning fuels motivation, drives (consumer) behaviour, unlocks achievement and ultimately, is an essential component in creating a happy life. Without meaning we lack confidence, perseverance and resilience. Asking “why?” provokes the process of arriving at an understanding for what creates meaning & value - an essential component when making long-term plans, guiding teams or building ventures.
Later, in my innovation management studies at KTH, I again came across the importance of asking “why” - more specifically, “the 5 why’s rule in the customer research interview”. Innovation & new product development projects always start with trying to understand the customer value and her motivation to purchase a product or service.
So, in line with what academia suggests, let’s start with why: Why do I believe that innovation & entrepreneurship are such an important topics to teach?
Some 10.000 years ago our ancestors learned how to tame fire and somehow today you are sitting in front of a glimmering computer screen, reading this blog. Point is, the only thing that can be regarded as perpetual is change itself. Technological & cultural innovation are fundamental to our species and are in large the defining factors for how to experience the world as we know it.
Entrepreneurship is the discipline of translating change of culture, technology or external factors into usable and valuable solutions for users. Solutions that allow us as individuals, companies or societies to master challenges of the modern world. Solutions that we as customers are prepared to pay for. Entrepreneurship & innovation is the backbone of the economy and hence - in capitalistic societies - the backbone of the society. Without entrepreneurship, there is no economy. Without innovation, there is no adaptation to the ever changing world.
So, I believe, it's of utmost importance to teach the skills of entrepreneurship and to equip as many individuals as we can with the confidence to innovate and try new things. For our very existence as a species, as a society and as businesses depend on it.
I believe life is too short to make all the mistakes myself. I have to learn from others. In this blog I document & share the many lessons I have learned by building businesses and working with some of the world's most loved brands.
It's a collection of insights, reflections, concepts and ideas that I came across over the years and that I believe are valuable for others who embark on a similar journey as I. It's my way of documenting my journey and giving back to the community of entrepreneurs, innovators an optimists out there trying to make it against all odds. I post in a short, digestible format - free from all the buzz-wording that just makes things harder to understand. Each "lesson learned" should take less than five minutes to read.
It's also a way for me to connect with other, likeminded (or maybe not so likeminded) individuals. So, if you think this blog is valuable (or maybe not valuable at all), reach out to me! I'd love to have a chat and connect.