Dear friends and colleagues, After nearly 7 years on the magnificent flight called AirHelp, I’ve decided it's time for a new captain to take the pilot seat. Sharing this is very emotional. AirHelp has been my entire life for many years. From an idea on a beach in Bali, through Y Combinator in Silicon Valley, to the global leader in air passenger rights with 750 employees worldwide! I can’t…
Recently I gave a presentation at Yale University on top recommendations to aspiring entrepreneurs. I probably could have shared 100 recommendations from what I’ve learned starting more than 10 companies all over the world, so this post will be the first in a series called, “What Every Future Entrepreneur Needs to Know.” Enjoy! 1. There is never a good time to start I meet a lot of people with…
There’s a new wave of customer empowerment coming. It’s called Justice-as-a-Service (JaaS), and you need to know about it because it benefits you – you just don’t know it yet. We’ve all experienced bad products and services. We’ve just come to accept it. We’ve learned to pick our battles and only invest our precious time in “making things right” when potential justice and retribution is within…
If you’re an entrepreneur looking for funding for your startup, you’ve probably experienced the difficult task of finding investors. It can be very challenging to get in contact with them, why it’s often best to get an introduction from someone they already know. I’ve probably talked to 100+ angels and VCs and done as many investor intros for other entrepreneurs looking for funding. Unfortunately,…
It’s been a week since I got back from Black Rock City. Before going, I wondered why no one could give me a clear answer to what Burning Man (BM) was. “You just have to go and experience it yourself”. Now, a week after, being asked the same question, I too find it very difficult to answer. Maybe it’s just too early, as my mind is still processing and learning new things about what actually…
Twice every year, I get bombarded by emails, LinkedIn messages or far out acquaintances asking for Y Combinator interview recommendations. These requests are from young hopeful startups who have made it through the application process and been invited to Mountain View for an interview with the Silicon Valley superheroes of Y Combinator. 10 minutes decides if their startup will be one of the 100+…
In the last 7 years I’ve worked with outsourcing. I’ve setup data entry teams in India and Bangladesh, dev teams in Philippines, Ukraine and China and done 100+ freelancer projects. The underlying principle of outsourcing is the same for manufacturing in China as it is for hiring someone to setup a website in wordpress. David Ricardo (old British dude) describes it in his theories on comparative…
1. Be VERY clear on what it is you do. The person you’re talking to should know exactly what you do as early in the pitch as possible. Try to pitch to your grandmother. If she doesn’t understand it, your pitch is not clear enough. And it doesn’t matter if you got a killer algorithm or baking muffins. Your pitch must be understandable by everyone. Don’t let the listener wait to slide 10 to figure…
As the first person to be member of the alumni of the biggest and most successful incubator in Europe (Rocket Internet) and in USA (Y Combinator), I would like to share some of my experiences that have helped me in my entrepreneurial endeavors. Rocket Internet (aka. Rocket) Rocket has launched more than 75 different companies in as many countries, among those, e-commerce blockbusters of Zalando…