Selling Appical to Indeed a personal founder’s tale of resilience and recovery

03/01/24 • 46 min

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, Gerrit's brainchild, borne from his marine experience and onto the demanding tech landscape. We'll explore how his unique approach to customer relationships and financing helped scale the company and navigate international expansion.

Gerrit doesn't shy away from discussing the tougher times—raising funds, surmounting cultural shifts, co-founder dynamics, and the mental toll it took on him. We'll delve into the lessons learned from the stressful and hostile environment that led to his difficult exit from the company he passionately built.

Post-exit, Gerrit faced an intense period of recovery, choosing personal well-being over legal battles. Now, living life on his terms, he imparts those hard-earned insights, revealing the gift within the challenge—finding growth in struggle.

For startup founders, Gerrit's story offers valuable guidance on adding value, smart hiring, and charting your path with a mindfulness toward the dynamics of your team and potential future exits. So buckle up for a truly enlightening journey as Gerrit shares the roller coaster ride that has now transitioned into teaching and consulting, shaping his profound message for entrepreneurs everywhere. Stay tuned, and let's learn how to navigate the complexities of building and exiting a company, the Gerrit way.

We will talk about:

00:00 Grit and resilience crucial for successful founders.
05:21 Military induction, transformation, completion, reevaluation, departure decision.
09:45 Founding mobile learning app despite investment business.
13:37 Working with big brands, intense meetings frustration.
17:31 Received letter about shareholder meeting, solved problem.
21:45 Close customer relationship, upfront payment, cash flow.
23:42 Transition from Harriet to Hank, building relationships.
28:53 International expansion required customer and product scalability.
33:11 Seeking market leadership, secured funding, expanded into Europe.
35:38 Unfavorable work environment led to colleague's exit.
39:27 Exit from company, loss of control, burnout.
43:32 Prepare for exit while building your business.
46:09 Chose to exit legal battle, faced consequences.
52:03 "Adding value, hire right, create roadmap, coach."
55:41 Entrepreneur's personal story, struggles, and leadership reflection.

Get to know Gerrit better:
Born and raised in Bolsworth within a Frisian community, Gerrit harbored an unwavering aspiration from a young age to join the Royal Marines. And now a business builder and a team enabler. He is an active interim manager for tech startups and scaleups and as an interim HR specialist for employee onboarding & retention. Furthermore, he specialised in data analytics to support data-driven initiatives in the candidate & employee journey.
Want to have contact with Gerrit you can do that through his LinkedIn
This is his book

The Big Exit Show is an initiative by Peak and NP-Hard. Want to know more about Peak and the ventures we back? Check out our website. Want to know more about NP-Hard? Have a look at our website.

Feedback for our podcast or want to be featured on our show? Please reach out at [email protected].

We will talk about:

00:00 Grit and resilience crucial for successful founders.
05:21 Military induction, transformation, completion, reevaluation, departure decision.
09:45 Founding mobile learning app despite investment business.
13:37 Working with big brands, intense meetings frustration.
17:31 Received letter about shareholder meeting, solved problem.
21:45 Close customer relationship, upfront payment, cash flow.
23:42 Transition from Harriet to Hank, building relationships.
28:53 International expansion required customer and product scalability.
33:11 Seeking market leadership, secured funding, expanded into Europe.
35:38 Unfavorable work environment led to colleague's exit.
39:27 Exit from company, loss of control, burnout.
43:32 Prepare for exit while building your business.
46:09 Chose to exit legal battle, faced consequences.
52:03 "Adding value, hire right, create roadmap, coach."
55:41 Entrepreneur's personal story, struggles, and leadership reflection.

The Big Exit Show is an initiative by Peak and NP-Hard. Want to know more about Peak and the ventures we back? Check out our website. Want to know more about NP-Hard? Have a look at our website.

Feedback for our podcast or want to be featured on our show? Please reach out at [email protected].

Previous Episode

Selling Crossinx to Unified Post from Bankruptcy to Tech Success

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 conviction in the obsolescence of paper invoices. From the modest initial financing through the sale of second-hand furniture to its impressive turnaround and Nordic acquisition, Marcus's tenure laid the groundwork for a new venture, conceived in the shadow of the financial downturn and subsequent market adversities.

We explore the network effect that was integral to the company's success, weaving a tale of how connecting a multitude of smaller suppliers catapulted to significant business growth. Beyond business strategies and financial details, we delve into the personal dimensions of Marcus’s experiences. Navigating the complexities of business relationships that bleed into personal interactions, handling the emotional weight of parting with a business nurtured for 25 years, and the strategic contemplation that led to Marcus’s final exit.

We invite you into this comprehensive discussion that celebrates entrepreneurial victory and confronts the arduous challenges and profound emotional investment that come with a life dedicated to innovation and leadership. Thank you for joining us on The Big Exit show, where we navigate the complexities of exits, transitions, and the sheer grit it takes to make it to the top in the tech industry. Let's begin.

We will talk about:

00:00 Obsession with market timing leads to success.
04:33 Pioneered electronic invoicing before it was common.
07:22 Investment refusal led to personal buyout and restart.
11:37 Market advanced, early days for e-invoicing, challenges.
15:16 Financial crisis drove e-invoicing with large buyers.
18:24 Focus on large buyers, diverse portfolio gained. Missed geographic expansion opportunity.
20:49 Seeking long-term investors, avoiding reliance on venture capital.
24:50 Board of directors, friends and family, crucial.
27:46 Reflection on age, investment, and business decision.
31:51 Detailed discussions and due diligence were exhausting.
34:31 Realizing the need to let go. Massive company transition with uncertainty for employees.
37:37 Minimal celebration, focused on work and family.
39:25 Transition from CEO to management, positive cooperation.
43:46 Discussed multiple aspects of geographical leadership challenges.
46:11 Impressed by Mark's resilient entrepreneurial journey

Get to know Marcus better:
Marcus is an entrepreneurial pioneer who had the foresight to delve into the digital realm just as the internet was blossoming. His journey began shortly after his studies, when he secured his first job at Lufthansa in the late 1990s. Fascinated by the new technological frontier, Marcus contemplated the potential uses of the burgeoning World Wide Web for established companies like Lufthansa. This early experience sowed the seeds for his first venture, Seals, an invoicing company he launched in 1999, right at the dawn of the internet era. With this initial foray, Marcus positioned himself at the forefront of internet-based business solutions, showcasing his innovative spirit and his knack for recognizing and capitalizing on emerging technologies.

The Big Exit Show is an initiative by Peak and NP-Hard. Want to know more about Peak and the ventures we back? Check out our website. Want to know more about NP-Hard? Have a look at our website.

Feedback for our podcast or want to be featured on our show? Please reach out at [email protected].

Next Episode

Selling TAPPwater, TAPPing into Success Magnus' Journey from Start-up to Big Exit

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 providing a convenient solution to tap water filtration.

Our conversation with Magnus reveals his journey from celebrating Tap Water’s first online sale to the eventual acquisition by Blue Water Group. With a deep dive into the strategies that led to 80% of their sales being organic and 20-30% of new customers coming through referrals.
We'll discuss the pivotal moments like launching on Amazon, emphasizing convenience over sustainability, and the importance of hiring adaptable problem-solvers for a mission-oriented startup.

Beyond the numbers, Magnus shares with us the intricacies of leading a company to be acquisition-ready. From raising funds and facing rejections to choosing the right moment to sell, informed by a past experience that taught him the cost of greed.
So don't miss out as we uncover the mix of timing, luck, and the critical role of preparation when navigating the sales process.

We will talk about:

00:00 Experience makes talent attraction and acquisition easier.
04:23 Successful tech entrepreneur transitions to impact space.
07:39 Challenging journey to live eco-friendly lives.
11:43 Building a sustainable, valuable business is key.
13:51 Overcoming challenges in hardware, hiring struggles.
18:53 Tech space easy to raise money, hardware challenges.
19:50 Investment criteria limited, importance of right questions.
23:56 Reluctantly took over business due to challenges.
26:55 Seeking opportunities by keeping communication channels open.
29:32 Buyer role during pitch calls essential preparation.
35:21 Having clear goals can be life-changing.
36:23 Embracing career change, learning from diverse experiences.

Get to know Magnus Jern:
Founder/co-founder of 7 companies, including 4 successful exits. Pioneer and thought leader in mobile apps, clean water technology, innovation and human centric design. Currently, fully involved in the mission of TAPP Water to reduce human impact on the planet by providing clean, tasty tap water to everyone in affordable and sustainable ways. My previous startup Golden Gekko became the leading mobile app developer in the world within 5 years from its inception. We continue to drive the mobile transformation journey at DMI (new owner) combining human-centric design with modern IT. Infrequent speaker at conferences around the world, including Mobile World Congress. Like: Understanding problems and working with experts to solve, implement and see the results
Don't like: Talk without action
Motto: Let's get things done! https://www.linkedin.com/in/magnusjern/

The Big Exit Show is an initiative by Peak and NP-Hard. Want to know more about Peak and the ventures we back? Check out our website. Want to know more about NP-Hard? Have a look at our website.

Feedback for our podcast or want to be featured on our show? Please reach out at [email protected].