Like many web developers, playing with web technologies is one of my hobbies. When playing, you always think of something to make and try it out. Something new, useful (at least for myself) and a certain level of difficulty.

In 2006 I worked at a Regional Innovation Platform in the Netherlands as project manager IT. I met a lot of innovative entrepreneurs that were all chasing a dream, a passion creating something new. It was in that year that I decided I wanted to try that for myself as well.

But what to make? What is new? What do people need? How to get my idea? I read books, websites and magazines that all said you just need a good idea. It’s not all like that actually. The first thing you need is to convince yourself you really want this and figure out what you can sacrifice. The thinking part takes a lot of time and you should not settle for less… Only a real good idea will help you through it and you will need to like it for 100% otherwise you will loose interest and end up nowhere or with something you don’t like working on after a while.

I decided to make my startup and started to think about my ‘idea’. Everywhere, at any time. Mostly on my bike or at night when I couldn’t sleep. It’s not that easy to find that idea. Mostly, because you’re forcing it. But the most important was that I really wanted to do this and had convinced myself. I could not go back anymore.