Remy Verhoeven

We recently touched on how to pick the best European country to incorporate your startup. To continue that discussion, I’d like to tell you about a few European countries that offer residence permits through their Startup Visa programs. Here are some worth considering: 🇳🇱 1. Netherlands: Their program grants a one-year residence permit to startup founders, with the option to extend it later as a self-employed. To qualify, you need an innovative business plan and must work with a recognized facilitator, like a business incubator. I'll share some details with you later. 🇪🇪 2. Estonia: The Startup Visa allows entrepreneurs to develop their projects and hire foreign workers. To be eligible, your startup should show a high level of innovation and growth potential. 🇫🇮 3. Finland: They offer a Start-up Permit for foreign entrepreneurs, allowing them to work in Finland while building innovative projects. The application is assessed based on your business plan and growth potential. 🇵🇹 4. Portugal: With the Startup Visa program, founders get a residence permit to grow their projects in Portugal. Your project needs to be innovative and have the potential to create jobs. 🇪🇸 5. Spain: Spain’s "Entrepreneur Visa" program offers a residence permit for startup founders. Your startup should contribute to the country’s economy and be innovative. 🇫🇷 6. France: The French Tech Visa program is designed for startup founders, investors, and employees of tech companies. To qualify, you’ll need an innovative business plan and approval from the French Tech program. 🇱🇹 7. Lithuania: Lithuania’s Startup Visa is available for entrepreneurs looking to launch their innovative business in the country. You need to demonstrate both growth potential and an innovative business model. 🇮🇪 8. Ireland: The "Start-up Entrepreneur Programme" offers a residence permit to those who plan to invest in innovative business projects in Ireland. These are just a few countries with similar programs. Each has its own requirements for both the applicant and the startup, so be sure to do your research before applying. In my next post, I’ll dive into more countries offering these types of programs. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask in the comments! #venturecapital #startups #innovation #technology #founders #immigration #startupvisa

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Ever wonder why sometimes ignoring client requests can lead to better outcomes? At August Venture Talent, we excel in helping startups, scaleups, and growth companies hire exceptional talent. We measure success not just by client satisfaction, but by their genuine excitement about their new hires. So, why might I seem to ignore initial client specifications? When a client requests a candidate with, say, 10 years of experience, I ask, “What are you really looking to achieve with this hire?” It’s not always the years that count, but the impact they will have. By focusing on what the hiring leader truly needs—the exact skills, mindset, and cultural alignment to drive extraordinary results—we often discover that the perfect match might not fit the original specification to the letter but far exceeds expectations in crucial ways. We're strategic partners, not order takers. By questioning assumptions and expanding possibilities, we help clients achieve their vision—even when that vision evolves through our collaboration. My ultimate goal is to exceed what our clients imagine possible.

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June 27: Tax opportunities for startups and scale-ups together with BDO Nederland at Noviotech Campus. We will address the following with Bernard de Vree: - What are the advantages and disadvantages of different business structures?  - How to gain and maintain control over complex issues with conflicting interests? A great tool for this is the Innovation Control Framework developed by BDO. What if an investor approaches you, will they participate in the entire company or just a part of it? How does that work? And what is their role? What if you need extra help, do you hire employees or work with freelancers? And last but not least: what are the tax consequences of an exit and what is being sold or not sold? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e4ANGE_S #taxopportunities #startup #scaleup #entrepreneurs #tax #taxconsequences #businessstructures #investors #employees #lifeport

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BACKENDER WANTED! About the job Looking for a talented Senior Lead Backend Python Engineer to join our new product studio in Amsterdam. Our studio only does internal ideation, we do not work for clients. Exploring the conversational fronteer of AI in both the physical domain (hardware) and online (apps/websites) in various experimental B2C executions, each tailored to different age-ranges. Our small team has already started building some pretty cool things behind the scenes, and we need someone who lives and breathes robust backend solutions and thrives in a fast-paced, innovative environment. Amsterdam (or nearby) based only – no remote from far-flung corners - please don't respond or apply if this isn't you - absolutely no exceptions - also no recruiters please. What’s in it for you? - Be part of a small, sharp-witted team working on tech that’s just as disruptive as it is exciting (hybrid role) - A startup vibe without layers of bureaucracy - Participation in every spin-out that you were involved in What we need from you: - Solid **Python** expertise is mandatory - Strong experience building and scaling **REST APIs** using FastAPI & Swagger - Knowledge of **Docker** for containerization and orchestration - Comfortable with **data validation** frameworks like **Pydantic** - Experience working with **Postgres** databases - An understanding of **sockets** to enable real-time interactions - Familiarity with **Flask** and similar frameworks - Experience with creating and maintaining unit tests & pipelines - Ideally, experience integrating or interacting with **LLMs (Large Language Models)** - Nice to have: some experience with IoT, micro controllers and hardware - Available ASAP, and could see yourself sticking around for the long haul What’s the work like? - Building up scalable backend systems and refining them to handle growth and complexity - Creating clean, maintainable code - Collaborating directly with frontend devs, other backend devs and AI experts so everything flows smoothly from button click to backend action - Problem-solving challenges that pop up when integrating data from multiple sources (and LLMs!) into a seamless user experience - We're currently looking for our new studio space in Amsterdam so we can have a place to call home - so while remote work is absolutely encouraged, we would also like to share a space together so we can feel like a team, so this is a hybrid on-site/remote role If you (or someone you know) would like to be part of a motivated, lean team working on cutting-edge tech, let's talk! Team members: Erik Borra Mark Hinch myself and a few more to be announced soon.

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My Co-Founder runs his own agency. Many people think this a bad setup. Tom Louwagie, our CTO runs his own agency, Minimum Code However, he is also Chief Technology Officer at Designair. Tom and I have created a unique collaboration. In essence, we are both building our companies together. I think this makes us Co-founders. Here's how it works: - Tom builds our product with his team at Minimum Code. - As we grow, he hires new talent - UX/UI, Bubble development, Qualtity Assurance - for his company to work on Designair's SaaS platform. So Tom grows his company. - This setup allows Designair to scale efficiently and innovate faster, since we have a team with the right skills. Many folks in the Investment community have advised me against relying too much on agencies and freelancers. They all point out that an agency is not nearly as comitted as employees who own a stake in Designair. They are not wrong. But when the agency and Startup decide to grow their business together, this changes the game. We both remain owners of our firms. We're both committed like crazy to make it work for both sides. Tom’s role as CTO is crucial. He leads our product development and ensures we have the right skills on board. His dual role means he’s deeply invested in our success. The benefits of this arrangement are clear: - We started with Tom and me working on the product. - As we needed more help, Tom took on the role of principal architect and leader of the team. - He hires the right people to help us grow, which also helps his own company expand. Tom and I are now discussing how to improve our quality assurance and testing before launching new features. His dedication and collaborative spirit are invaluable. This partnership is a true example of how teamwork can lead to great achievements. I’m grateful for Tom’s trust and hard work. A big "thank you" for Tom and Minimum Code. What unique partnerships have helped your business grow? #Innovation #Partnerships #Leadership

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#SaaS Update 🚀 | Nearly 1,000 clones created with Clonable! SaaS is all about the right metrics, so I’m sharing some of our data here (yes, also to convince a few investors still on the fence—or those who may have turned us down before 😉). 📊 Clones Created Per Year: 2024: 563 clones (aiming to reach 700 by year-end!) 2023: 250 clones 2022: 60 clones 2021: 60 clones (started in June; more than half were internal projects or our own clients on the Clonable site) 2025 Goal: At least 1,000 clones in a single year, with approximately 300 paid clones. Note: Not all of these are subscriptions, as some didn’t continue past the trial phase. However, the numbers are highly encouraging. Here’s what we’ve observed: 🔹 2024: Nearly all users registered their own accounts thanks to our improved registration funnel. First dozen paid subscriptions from self-registering users or affiliate resellers. Platform engagement is up, and although support demands are still high, partner agencies are increasingly helping manage them. 🔹 2023: Only a few dozen users registered themselves. Paid subscriptions mainly resulted from sales efforts, not self-registered users. Clonable handled nearly all support, and user engagement was low. 🔹 2022: Just one or two users registered independently. 🔹 2021: No users created their own accounts. Our updated registration funnel is clearly helping users start cloning independently. Can it improve further? Absolutely. Next steps: scaling up both user volume and paid conversions through marketing, sales initiatives, and a few technical enhancements to our platform.

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🚀 Excited to share the successful completion of a recent team project: Room Lagbe – a flat rental platform! 🏠 In this project, we built a full-fledged rental management system with three user roles: Admin: Oversees and manages the platform User: Requests flats for rent Flat Owner: Adds and manages their rental listings Our project is still live and working! 🌐 In the future, we could potentially convert this into a real-life service to help those searching for a place to stay—whether they're bachelors, families, job seekers, or employers. This platform aims to simplify flat hunting for everyone. Key Technologies: Frontend: React.js for a smooth and interactive UI Backend: Express.js with Mongoose for seamless data management Design: Tailwind CSS for responsive and modern UI, with some neat animations Version Control: GitHub collaboration was crucial, and we learned so much about efficient branching, commits, and teamwork. Live Demo: https://lnkd.in/gzAMtUtg This project was a huge learning opportunity for all of us, especially in mastering GitHub collaboration. Onwards to more exciting projects! 💪 #reactjs #mernstack #teamwork #github #collaboration #webdevelopment #tailwindcss #mongoose #expressjs #rentalplatform #roomlagbe #futuretech

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Should CPOs roll up their sleeves and dive into some actual Product work? Is that "bad Founder mode"? 🤔 😅 Last week, during an insightful session with Rogier Schoute at the One Month PM - The Fullstack PM Academy PM, we touched on something that really resonated with me. Rogier suggested that as a Chief Product Officer (CPO), dedicating a few hours each week to deep Product work can be incredibly beneficial. Imagine tackling the most pressing challenges alongside your team, keeping your Product muscles in shape, and staying truly connected to the core of your work! This approach not only strengthens your connection with the Product but also bridges the gap with your teams. But I also know it's not a consensual approach 👀 So, how do you CPOs out there balance this with your other responsibilities? I'm curious to hear your experiences and thoughts!

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Video is the Future... That Every Seller Needs to Embrace in 2025 Last month, I shared my passion for async communication on stage at SaaSiest Amsterdam. I believe video is the key tactic we need to embrace to stand out in 2024 and 2025. Here are my key takeaways: 1. Lead by example Not everyone is using video. If you expect your team to use it, you must start first. This includes everyone: marketing, SDRs, AEs, and customer success. Use video in prospecting. Marketing can send a physical mail with a QR code. The QR code leads to a personalized video message. This approach warms up prospects and builds a connection. 2. In-cycle updates Use video for updates during the sales cycle. Record short videos explaining complex topics. Send these videos over email. This builds confidence and helps close deals faster. It also allows champions to share information internally. They can replay and share the video, ensuring everyone understands the message. 3. Personalized presentations Make your presentations personal. Introduce the team in your videos. Show who the prospect will be working with. This builds credibility and trust. It sets you apart from competitors. 4. Contracting phase Use video to explain pricing and procurement. Record videos to educate the buyer when you're not in the room. This helps them sell internally and ensures accurate information is shared. Video is powerful for this purpose. Analytics can show when videos are watched, helping you track engagement. Embrace video. Lead with it. Stand out in 2024 and 2025. What is your opinion on video in customer communication?

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Update: CodeSee has been acquired by GitKraken! --- I am very sad to announce - officially - that CodeSee will be closing its doors and shutting down commercial operations on Thursday, Feb 22nd. All paying customers and free users can continue using CodeSee until Feb 22nd. We have a team that will maintain the service during this period and continue to support you. Thank you to everyone Thank you to all the customers who partnered with us. You were invaluable for helping us build CodeSee. Thank you to the open source community who were our closest collaborators from the very beginning. Thanks to all the employees who joined CodeSee. We’re proud of both the team and the product we built. Thanks for taking a bet on this startup journey. Lastly, thank you to all our investors who bet and supported us on our journey. Why we made the decision I can only apologize to everyone for this difficult turn. The company had more than doubled the number of new product logos in 2023 and grew by many thousands of free users. However our sales growth was inconsistent, and we needed to make revenue faster and more consistently. Given the nature of trying to solve code understanding, this meant being able to deeply cover more complex codebases, more IDEs, more tech stacks, and more programming languages which would have taken time that we didn’t have. And Gen AI has made this space even more complex, both as a tool to help and a source of ever more code to understand. As any startup founder, I had to make some tough calls on where to focus our efforts, but in the end those choices did not lead to the consistent revenue we needed for us to continue. Although we did receive a term sheet to continue going, we ultimately decided that it wasn’t enough to cover this mandate and deliver a truly valuable product. Here's our goal with CodeSee right now... Plan A: - Complete the process of finding a home for the tech and team. We're already in talks with several companies now and want to find the best mutual fit asap. Plan B: - If we don't find a good mutual fit, the team will (sadly) go our separate ways. Code Understanding is still awesome After this journey, we have no less enthusiasm for developer productivity and developer experience. We still think that when developer’s lives are easier, it’s pure magic. After speaking with thousands of companies, it’s clear that code understanding is still a vital problem to solve. It’s been an absolute pleasure to build tools to bring new and impactful ways of understanding code to the developer community. Even though CodeSee’s journey may be coming to an end, our passion to serve this amazing community is as strong as ever.

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📱 13 MINUTES OF PHONE SCREEN TIME PER DAY?! ⁉ THAT HAS TO BE FAKE!!! OBJECTION! Some statistics first (source: Datareportal.com) 1. Global average daily phone screen time: 5.5 hours 2. Average daily phone screen time in the Netherlands: 3 hours 28 minutes. 3. My current daily: 30 minutes. That’s a discrepancy of about 3 hours per day! I’ll quickly share below what worked for me to achieve this for the simple reason that it honestly pains me (on a personal level) that so much enjoyment of life and mindfulness is consumed by unintentional use of a black rectangle. If you want to reduce your screentime, the trick that did it for me was: … Drumrolls… …. Building tension… … !!! MICHAEL BAY EXPLOSION EFFECTS WHILE THE FOLLOWING WORDS EMERGE IN NEON LETTERS FROM THE SKY: 💥 Teach your brain to use an OBJECTION! against UNINTENTIONAL use.💥 A Step-by-step Guide: Step 1: It helps to start with a physical objection to unintentional use. In my case it helped to put a small rubber band around my phone, which I had to remove to properly use it. I did this for about a week, it cut my phone time by a lot. Step 2: If you noticed that you’ve gained more awareness of your behavior, it then helps to start building in the “reasoning” behind the objection by asking yourself the question when you reach for it; “What do I hope to gain from checking my phone, that I currently do not have.” This is probably the most important step. Step 3: at some points (for me at the third week) old habits find their way back again, as you can see in the graph. Forgive yourself, this is ok, as long as you maintain it on a level that works for you. At this moment in time it helps to use apps like “Digital Wellbeing” or “Stayfree”. Both entirely free and pretty awesome. Step 3.5: You are clearly enjoying this guide, awesome! As you see I’m not going to use “comment GUIDE so I can send it to you” but I would appreciate it a lot that if you liked this post to like / upvote it as well and comment something awesome so other people find it as well. Step 9000: I skipped a few but this is probably the step that gives you the “Power level over 9000!!!” regarding your phone use; read up on some brain chemistry - specifically the role of the brain regions VTA and Nucleus Accumbens - but also dive into some psychology to try to understand why it is that you are hooked to phone. Achieve this and you’ll be free for a lifetime. Also, extrapolate this all to how you interact with your pc as well. My longest post ever, but I hope you enjoy it. If you're reading this on your phone remember; EVERY action we take reinforces that behavior in the brain - do you really want to keep scrolling? Stay happy and healthy, Mathijs P.S. My name is Mathijs and I make Games that are Good for you. If you wish to support the creation of these games at zero-cost consider downloading them on the google play store: https://lnkd.in/eD3Tht-9

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Watch out- they’re in the fast lane 🏁 And if you’re not taking notes when it comes to their marketing strategy- move over! Droom isn’t just about selling vehicles; it’s about revolutionizing how they're bought and sold through an absolutely solid strategy: 🔍 Transparent Tech: With their innovative tools like the Orange Book Value (OBV) and Eco Inspection, Droom isn't just in the race- they're leading it. Their tech ensures transparency that builds trust faster than a sports car’s 0-60. 🚀 Marketing Mastery: From immersive AR experiences to engaging storytelling, Droom's campaigns are never just ads; they're adventures. Each campaign is a high-octane narrative, fueling the thrill of the buy. 🛡️ Battle-Ready Branding: Droom’s marketplace isn’t just competitive; it's combative. They equip their users with knowledge and power, turning every purchase into a victory. This "battleground" approach isn’t just for show—it’s strategy, securing their position at the forefront. 🎯 Community Engagement: Droom drives straight into the hearts of their community, hosting events and interactions that are more rally than retail. They’re not just selling; they’re celebrating every rider’s passion. Sandeep Aggarwal | Vaishali Rustagi | Khushi Singh | Gaurav Sonje | Arundhati Ray | Aryan Anand | Anup Mahato | Aashi Sahni | Harshdeep Singh | Amit kumar | Harshal Krishna They’ve also been certified as the “Best Place to Work”- we see why! To the brilliant minds at Droom- here’s a friendly challenge: let’s shift gears and “battle” 😉 it out on the content track. We’ll be waiting for your response 👀 Which of Droom’s strategies would you implement for YOUR brand? Let us know 👇 #Marketing #Branding #Strategy #Droom

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SaaStock delivered!!! Big time, Joran Hofman 👏👏👏 Just back from SaaStock in Utrecht and, wow, what a day! As someone who juggles multiple hats — startup life, family life, and everything in between — being selective about events is a must. Two incredible speakers brought two very different yet insightful stories to the stage: Bridget Harris, who’s out there hustling the bootstrapped way, and Patrick Meutzner 💬, who’s navigating the VC route like a Pro. And can we talk about the venue? Trengo's Bali floor was an absolute vibe — felt like I was networking in paradise 🏝️ Made some fantastic connections with fellow entrepreneurs who are also taking the hard road, grinding it out and building something real. But there was one slide that really hit me: "Who to Hire?" (Thanks, Steve Jobs, for the timeless wisdom and Bridget to bring this again). We all try to dodge the bullet of a bad hire, but let's face it, it happens. And when it does, it’s more than just a setback — it can disrupt your culture, your team, even your whole company. Fancy ATS systems aren’t enough; we need smarter, data-driven insights from day one. Let’s all get on the same page about who we're hiring — and how we’re hiring (building the solution to address this exact pain point) 🔥 And speaking of people, diversity was a hot topic. Honestly, these events could step it up a notch. We need more women in tech, full stop. One shoutout in particular: Estefania Hernandez. She’s been in this game longer than I have, and she's crushing it so far with Everday. SaaStock Dublin — you could seriously benefit from her being there. #SaaStock2024 #SaaStockLocal #RoadToDublin

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Don't Let Your Startup Fail: Test Your Idea Fast with an MVP Imagine putting all your effort into creating a product, only to find out no one wants it. Ouch! This happens to many startups. In fact, 42% of startups fail because they build products nobody wants (Clutch survey). Here’s where an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) comes in to save the day! An MVP is a basic version of your product with the key features needed to solve a problem. It's simple, efficient, and designed to learn from real users. Why MVPs are awesome: ✅Get real feedback from users quickly. ✅Avoid wasting money on something nobody wants. ✅Use user feedback to make your product better. Think of it like this: You wouldn’t build a whole house without first making a blueprint, right? An MVP is your blueprint for a successful product. It lets you test the basics, make improvements, and create something people actually want. MVP = Launch faster, learn faster, succeed faster. P.S. You can launch your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in just 4 weeks. #StartupSuccess #MVPDevelopment #FailFastLearnFast #UserFeedback #LeanStartup #ProductValidation #MarketFit #AgileDevelopment #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #BusinessTips

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Human salespeople are just as capable of hallucinations as AI. Over the past year, we've partnered with Toyota Financial Services Netherlands to pilot a "Finance First" approach. Our hypothesis, validated by research across multiple European markets, is that many car buyers prioritize affordability over specific car models. This means customers are more likely to make a financing decision before selecting a car. To complement this "Finance First" infrastructure, we've been developing an AI sales agent to support the process. While there's a lot of talk about AI "hallucinations," we've learned that, ironically, it's easier to teach an AI sales agent to follow a process than it is to teach a human. In the last two weeks, we launched an AI sales agent capable of explaining finance products and pre-approving customers based on their affordability. Our experience in the vast online market for new and used cars suggests that an AI sales agent capable of closing an online finance sale is not far off.

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📢 🔔Dutch #B2B #SaaS companies we are exited to announce scalinglab from 23𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘺- 6𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘦 2024 Building an enterprise go-to-market model can be challenging and B2B SaaS companies do not always have a blueprint for building those partnerships that will enable them to scale outside the Netherlands.🌏🛒 #GenAI AI has the potential to replace services with software, leading to massive revenue growth, but the companies that are fully benefiting from this momentum are the ones able to adapt and adopt this technology the fastest. As for the organizations on the verge of scaling, the growing pains often take a significant toll on hiring and the team’s structure. ScalingLab is tackling common B2B SaaS challenges from three different angles, so the sessions are divided into three tracks (technical, commercial and productside) You can signup yourself via https://lnkd.in/eqmZRHDp Emile Verbunt Soham Dasgupta Niels Janssen Andreea-Ioana Mares Francesco Cortella Eva van den Noort Maud Zaal #globalexpansion #productgrowth #partnersmakemorepossible

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