The Big Exit Show

In this episode of The Big Exit Show, hosts Johan and Anke sit down with Robin Haak, a seasoned entrepreneur and investor, to delve into the fascinating journey of his startup, Jobspotting. Launched over a decade ago with three co-founders, Jobspotting was at the forefront of AI-driven job matching, a concept ahead of its time. Robin shares the challenges and triumphs of navigating the VC landscap...

In this conversation, Anthony shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early fascination with sales at the age of 12 to founding Swogo, a company that evolved through multiple pivots. He discusses the challenges and strategies involved in transitioning from B2C to B2B, the importance of customer insights, and innovative sales tactics that helped him build credibility. Anthony also ref...

In this episode, hosts Johan and Anke dive into the intriguing journey of Ferdinand Goetzen and his company Reveall. Ferdinand discusses the rapid growth, acquisition challenges, and strategic pivots that shaped the company over a short two-year period. From acquiring initial technology to adapting amid market volatility and eventually securing an acquisition, Ferdinand shares valuable insights on...

In today's episode, hosts Anke and Johan engage in a deeply reflective conversation with Manoj Adithya, the founder who sold his company, Roam AI, last December. Manoj walks us through a journey characterized by high-stakes decisions, ethical dilemmas, and the immense pressure of aligning his team and maintaining investor relations. He reveals the painstaking process of pivoting a location-based m...

Today we have a special guest – the dynamic entrepreneur, Josef Brunner. Josef, who founded his first company at 16, has since sold multiple businesses for over $400 million. In this episode, we delve into the emotional rollercoaster of selling a business, emphasizing the essential support mentors can provide. Josef shares wisdom on personal and ethical conduct, the value of work ethics, and how t...

Anton’s journey is remarkable; from writing his first software at age 14 and becoming a programming finalist at 17, to founding his first company at 21 and successfully selling it. This episode delves into his business development strategies, the significance of recurring revenue, and crucial financial metrics like EBITDA. We will also explore Anton's personal development, his experience with vent...

We sit down with Dewi, the former CEO and co-founder of Flow Pilots, to discuss her remarkable entrepreneurial journey and the invaluable lessons she learned with her exit. Dewi's story begins in 2011 when she and her then-husband established Flow Pilots, driven by a shared vision to revolutionize the user experience of computer programs. By focusing on mobile strategy, business applications, chan...

In this episode of The Big Exit Show, Marc gives details about Usabilla's significant pivot in 2012, which involved shifting focus to enterprise clients, phasing out less profitable products, and instituting annual contracts. This strategic move led to exceptional revenue growth and helped the company achieve breakeven within nine months. The conversation sheds light on the intricate process of pr...

Welcome to another episode of The Big Exit Show, where we delve deep into the heart-stopping world of entrepreneurship and the bittersweet symphony of company sales. We have an absolutely thrilled to have an exceptional entrepreneur, a visionary who turned a family legacy into an international sensation—Xaviera Plooij, the force behind The Wonder Weeks. Xaviera's journey is nothing short of a roll...

Today’s episode, is a fascinating tale of ambition, strategy, and the significance of timing in the business world. With us are our insightful guest, Magnus Jern from TAPP Water. Magnus, a serial entrepreneur with a tech and human-centric design background, took the challenge of changing consumer behaviour head-on with the creation of TAPP Water. A company dedicated to reducing plastic waste by pr...

Welcome back to The Big Exit Show! I'm Johan, and with me is Anke, and today, we dive deep into the world of entrepreneurial grit and personal triumph with our guest, Gerrit. From his days as a Royal Marine to the challenging world of banking, Gerrit's story is a compelling tale of transition, embodying resilience and determination. In this special episode, we uncover the inception of Appical, Ger...

In this episode from "The Big Exit Show" we have the privilege of speaking with Marcus Laube, a true paragon of business acumen and perseverance. His is a journey from salvaging a company on the brink of collapse to steering it towards a prosperous and strategic acquisition. Marcus' story begins with a bold decision to buy out a bankrupt company, armed only with resourcefulness and an unwavering c...

In today's episode, we're delving into the remarkable entrepreneurial journey of Robin van Lieshout, the founder who recently led his company Insided to a monumental acquisition by Gainsight. In this intimate conversation, Robin opens up about the highs and lows that come with building a successful business from its online consumer electronics origins to a community software leader netting 100 mil...

On this episode of The Big Exit Show, hosts Johan and Anke sit down with Patrick Löffler, the former snowboarder and entrepreneur behind the successful credit card company Givve. They explore Patrick’s unique journey from bankruptcy to building a company that prioritized digital work culture and employee well-being. Listen in as this episode discusses the following: Givve's strategic pivot The com...

We kick off this new season with not only new guests but also a new co-host, Anke Huiskes. A startup operator and angel investor building NP-Hard Ventures, an early-stage VC fund investing in product-obsessed founders, creating the building blocks of tomorrow.  In this episode Rudo and Esther shed light on Th3rd's innovative journey. Starting with the creation of the website Human Alloy, which gen...

In this episode of The Big Exit Show we talk to Hendrik Witt of Ubimax. Witt sold his augmented reality solution to Teamviewer in 2020. A story with many valuable lessons:  How to bootstrap your startup, by doing consulting on the side Successfully working together with the innovation department of big corporations The importance of momentum and why you need to close a deal as soon as possible In...

In this episode of The Big Exit Show we talk to serial entrepreneur Hannes Klöpper. Hannes is currently building a new company called HelloBetter, but sold his previous company that specialized in Massive Online Open Courses - Iversity - in 2017 to Springer Nature. It wasn't the exit you hope for as a founder when starting a company, but nonetheless a story with many valuable lessens:  The challen...

In this episode of The Big Exit Show we talk to Olaf Molenveld who sold his scaleup Vamp to one of the world's most popular CI/CD platforms - CircleCI. You will learn:  When to pivot your initial business idea How serendipity works, even when exiting a company What to do when you found a dream partnership for your company In The Big Exit Show our hosts Johan van Mil and Remy Gieling talk to tech e...

In this episode of The Big Exit Show we talk to Stian Rustad who founded the Norwegian ERP cloud solution 24SevenOffice in 1997. Rustad, who currently lives with his family in Bali, took his company public twice. You will learn:  How to take a SaaS-scaleup public to the stock exchange to raise funds How to choose the right exchange When to hire a full time ceo, so a founder can focus on other task...

In this episode of The Big Exit Show we talk to Henk Jan Bijmolt who founded the webshop Gadero that specializes in large wooden objects such as fences for gardens. You will learn:  What to do if you get into an argument with your co-founder (in the case: your brother) How to balance new ideas you might have while also running a company Why you should keep a 1% stake in the company even after you...

In this short story of The Big Exit Show Emma Tracey of Honeypot explains how they solved the “chicken and the egg problem” and got supply and demand for their marketplace startup. Listen to more stories from Emma in the third episode of The Big Exit Show.

In this short story from The Big Exit Show you hear entrepreneur Emma Tracy who sold her company Honeypot to XING about starting in the tech world without a tech background. If you want to hear the entire story of Emma, you can listen to the third episode of The Big Exit Show. 

In this audio snippet of The Big Exit Show by Peak, Geert-Jan Smits answers what the main points of discussion were while raising money for Flinders from Peak. To listen to the whole story of Geert-Jan, you can visit the first episode of The Big Exit Show. 

In this episode of The Big Exit Show we talk to Bernd Gross who founded IoT-platform Cumulocity in 2010 in Düsseldorf. He sold the company nine years later to tech giant Software AG for an undisclosed amount - but the mathematical wizards of Peak Capital will do an informed valuation of the deal at the end of the episode. You will also learn:  How a smaller company can compete with large scale com...

In this audio snippet of The Big Exit Show by Peak, entrepreneur Geert-Jan Smits of Flinders explains why he had to sell his house in order to fund inventory. You can listen to the complete story of Geert-Jan in the first episode of The Big Exit Show.