Zwolle, the Netherlands.  This is the beautifully green town I grew up in.  My upbringing – not surprisingly – had a big impact on me in terms of cultural values and how I see the world. For a capitalist, I am quite socialist in many aspects and have a deep sense of fairness ingrained in me. 

I don’t believe in a single influencer on anyone’s life, you learn something from everyone. When I was younger, my dad was a huge influence, even if I didn’t necessarily realise it back then. Following that, it was my fellow students, professors, friends, and co-workers. It’s not one person that had an impact on me, but many.

I really like team sports and see a lot of parallels to my work life. In primary and high school, I played handball and field hockey, followed by rowing in university.  I like to play as part of a team, the feeling of everyone giving 110% really motivates me. This isn’t any different in the workplace, and I am happy to see it at STV.

The financial crisis definitely shaped my career path.  I love to understand things and learn about what’s going on in the world. When choosing my degree, the financial crisis had happened, and I did not fully grasp the underlying forces at play. I was fascinated and enrolled in the BSc Economics and MSc Finance accordingly. 

I firmly believe that serendipity plays a huge part in anyone’s life. I know it did for me. If you would’ve asked me 10 years ago if I would live and work in the Middle East in my 20s, I would’ve probably said no. However, my lovely girlfriend found a job in Dubai, and I decided to join her to build my career here. It took a lot of hustle but thankfully paid off. There’s only so much you can plan for. I really enjoy the work at STV, and my girlfriend is now my wife. 

The best thing about venture capital is that you’re always learning something new, it’s like drinking from a firehose. It’s a bit selfish, but that’s why I wanted to join VC in general, and STV specifically. At one point you are talking to an expert in Fintech APIs, while the next hour you have a call with a founder in the e-commerce roll-up space. It really helps you understand industries and core business models.

The law of supply and demand is the most beautiful economic law there is. I know, this is taught in Econ101, but so powerful and widely applicable. When I am too deep in the weeds sometimes, I like to go back to a macro perspective to make it understandable, and I believe that supply and demand is a great way to do this.

I think that founders think of venture capital mostly as capital, which is a mistake. It’s not simply money, a lot of VCs go above and beyond to support their startups and go on that journey with them. Whether that is through hands-on support or introductions, we are always looking to help our founders wherever necessary.

I listen to podcasts more than I read books or watch series, but am still a huge fan of Forrest Gump and The Office (US).  Acquired and The 20 Minute VC are fantastic, and I highly recommend them to anyone interested in technology, venture capital, and startups in general. When it comes to Forrest Gump, it’s the perseverance, sincerity, and humbleness of Tom Hanks that does it for me, that just really speaks to me.