What do you do to maintain balance in your life?
Balance is a challenge because entrepreneurship essentially involves putting in hours of work day in and day out, including skipping holidays. One thing that has helped me is that I get to define my holidays. I don’t take public holidays. My priority is that when I’m with my family, I’m fully present — completely immersed in family matters. So, when I’m back at work, I can give 100% to my job. I don’t do things half-baked.
What's your secret sauce for building a great team?
I’m looking for a SWAT team rather than an Army. I’m always averse to forming large teams. Big teams require managers, tools, KPIs, and all the other elements that drive up overhead costs. SWAT teams manage themselves, are averse to having managers overseeing teams, and are lean, working with a few tools and moving quickly.
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
Great leaders form great teams. An effective team fights to achieve a purpose. That purpose is clearly understood by everyone, and each member is there to play a distinct role. Each role is clearly defined and offers ample room for each team member to exert their authority and creativity.
What personal habit or behavior helped you accelerate your personal growth?
Habits that help me greatly include praying, skipping lunch, journaling, and waking up super early.
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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.