Martijn Russchen

Reading about Dutch feedback culture in 'the culture map'. The highlighted quote caught my attention: "This Dutch culture is... well... different from my own." Most startup advisors tell you what you want to hear. "Your go-to-market strategy needs some refinement" instead of "Your GTM strategy is delusional." "We might want to consider pivoting the messaging" instead of "Nobody understands what you actually do." "There are some opportunities for optimization" instead of "You're solving the wrong problem." Dutch directness + extra GJ bluntness = Venation's superpower. 😂 -> No polite nodding at broken cybersecurity strategies -> No diplomatic language around failed implementations -> No "constructive feedback" that constructs nothing When clients book our Accelerator Labs, they get unfiltered truth. Your threat intelligence program isn't "developing" - it's completely irrelevant to your actual risks. Your security awareness training isn't "evolving" - people delete those emails without reading them. Your incident response plan isn't "maturing" - it's a 47-page document that falls apart the moment something actually breaks. Honest feedback accelerates growth. Polite feedback accelerates bankruptcy. Most consultants optimize for repeat business. We optimize for actual results. Sometimes the most valuable thing you can hear is exactly what nobody else will tell you. GJ Stuck on a specific cybersecurity challenge? Book a free 90-minute Accelerator Lab where we'll help you build a system that actually fits your team's reality: https://lnkd.in/eA_cyzKq

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GFF didn’t give me more hype — it gave me one operational signal: AI composability is the next battleground. Speakers stopped debating LLM size and started debating how to compose small purpose-built models into workflows that map to business processes. Composability equals maintainability and ROI. That’s where real differentiation happens. In a panel discussion, a payments founder shared how composable inference workflows cut fraud investigation time from 48 hours to 4. Not because a bigger model was used, but because orchestration reduced human context-switching. Takeaway: Stop buying monoliths. Buy composable capabilities you can own and iterate. Which composable pattern do you think will matter most for enterprises in 2026? #gff #gff2025 #fintechindustry #llm #aiinfintech #EnterpriseArchitecture

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Most people don't know the origin of our name: We are the node that connects knowledge. We established the company on one insight — connecting a company’s data will be the bridge for an industry-wide transformation. Just like all other industries, ours will also digitally transform. But this won't happen until we organize data in a way that makes sense. This is not an easy problem to solve — the data in our industry is in many formats and 10x more complex than any other. Introducing — Knowde AI. This is the unlock for digital transformation. Since our founding, we have been on a mission to organize the world of chemistry. For the past seven years, we have been building the technology that converts messy data from any source into a structured, connected source of truth. This has always been our core technology. While some recognize us as a marketplace, the Knowde Marketplace is just one of the applications we built on top of our core technology. It's now time to unveil what we've been building underneath. https://www.knowde.com/

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𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝟐𝐁 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 💼 🛒 🛍️ 🌐 ☁️ I'm extremely excited today, as we're officially launching the 𝐁𝟐𝐁 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥 (www.orderportal.com)—a next-gen ecommerce solution allowing brands and wholesalers to set up their own branded B2B webshop, automate order management, and streamline 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠 to business customers. The Order Portal is a 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 on a brand’s 𝑑𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 and offers brands complete control over their customer relationships. Customer information collected through a brand’s portal remains proprietary to that brand and is not used on the Orderchamp marketplace. We support 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐬 like Exact Online, AFAS, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Odoo and many more, to automate order processing, invoicing and inventory management. Additionally, we integrate with leading B2C e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento, allowing brands to start their B2B shop in minutes and sync their catalogs/stock-levels effortlessly. This is just the beginning of our 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬. The new product is part of a comprehensive suite of B2B digital solutions, from now on known as 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 (www.orderchamp.cloud), which also includes selling on the wholesale marketplace. By offering this all-in-one platform, we help brands save time, money and effort! 👉🏼 Check out our new B2B ecommerce solution: https://lnkd.in/eP27rkAJ 👉🏼 Learn more about our Orderchamp Cloud vision: https://lnkd.in/e_bM58yu #B2Bcommerce #Wholesale #SaaS #BrandedWebshop ---- 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 Orderchamp Cloud powers a comprehensive suite of B2B solutions that enable brands, distributors, and wholesalers to streamline their wholesale operations. With a community of over 6,000 trusted sellers on their platform and nearly half a million B2B orders processed, Orderchamp is the engine for how brands sell in tomorrow’s wholesale market. Best known for its leading wholesale marketplace Orderchamp.com, Orderchamp aims to eliminate the fragmentation and complexity of using multiple, overlapping software solutions with Orderchamp Cloud. By integrating all essential B2B functionalities into a single platform, it offers a seamless experience for brands and wholesalers to grow, both online and offline. Orderchamp Cloud leverages the same powerful infrastructure that drives Orderchamp’s marketplace, providing B2B sellers with the control, scalability, and flexibility they need. Unlike outdated, complex and maintenance-heavy B2B systems, Orderchamp Cloud delivers simplicity and transparency, helping high-growth businesses succeed in modern B2B ecommerce.

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Only 4 out of 100. That’s how many women made it onto the Quote list of self-made millionaires under 40 in the Netherlands. The usual reaction? Surprise. Disappointment. Another reminder of unequal access to capital, networks, and support. But what really struck me wasn’t just the number. It was this line from Eva De Mol Ph.D: “I believe lists like these, based solely on financial success, are no longer of our time. Women more often start impact-driven businesses. Companies that make a positive impact on the planet and society, and we need those.” 👏 Yes. This. Somewhere along the way, we decided that financial wealth, especially individual wealth, was the ultimate scoreboard for entrepreneurial success. But here’s the thing: that definition is outdated. And narrow. And honestly? Boring. What if success looked different? Here are a few ways I’d love to see us measure entrepreneurial success in 2025 and beyond: ✨ Impact over income Are you improving lives, communities, or the planet? ✨ People first Are you building a workplace where people actually thrive? ✨ Values-led growth Are you doing business in a way that aligns with your ethics, not just your KPIs? ✨ Sustainable ambition Are you scaling without burning yourself (or others) out? ✨ Shared success Are you bringing others with you? Through mentorship, equity, or open doors? ✨ Care work counts Are you juggling entrepreneurship with caregiving, parenting, or community work? That’s success, too. ✨ Creating opportunity Are you building pathways for people who don’t typically get invited in? Let’s start celebrating these markers just as much, if not more, than what's sitting in someone’s bank account. Because frankly, the future doesn’t need more billionaires. It needs more founders building businesses that serve people, planet, and purpose. #entrepreneurship #impactfirst #womeninbusiness #successredefined #futureofwork

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A good product and a list of leads don’t equal growth. That’s a truth most SaaS founders learn too late. Because SaaS sales isn’t about one big deal. It’s about proving value. Month after month. To customers who can leave anytime. I spoke with Jurjen van Rees, founder of The Fractional Sales Leader, about what really drives SaaS sales success. A few takeaways: - In early stage, you are the sales team - Don’t hire sales too early—build the process first - Call it “Proof of Value,” not a pilot - Wait until ~€100k MRR before adding marketing - Focus on retention—it’s not a department, it’s your strategy Scroll through the slides to see more → Want the full interview with more tactical tips and real examples? Comment ‘𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄’ and I’ll send it over.

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𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗮 🚀  𝗪𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗻, 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘁. At Aidora, when we first launched our HR cases view, it used a card-based layout. It was clean, visual, and beautiful. But then came the enterprise customers. Hundreds of live cases. Complex filtering needs. That’s when our original UI started showing cracks: → Endless scrolling just to find what mattered → No way to scan quickly across dozens of cases We listened, and redesigned from the ground up. This week, we’re rolling out a new 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄, designed for real scale: ✅ 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁 to scan more cases at once ✅ 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 to focus on what matters ✅ 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲 without losing speed or structure Because sometimes, good design isn’t about standing out. It’s about stepping aside, and letting the work flow. 🎥 Quick preview in the video. More next week. #ThisWeekAtAidora #HRTech #EnterpriseScale #UXDesign #PeopleOps #LeaveManagement #ProductThinking #AidoraProduct

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Pragmatism is such an important part of building a company. 80/20, urgent vs important, type 1 vs 2 decisions. But so is being radical and unreasonable. Where do you go the extra mile, regardless of what's pragmatic? What are you fanatic about, as a company? As a CEO? As an exec? As a manager? As an individual contributor? Is it design? Automation? Speed? Quality? Service? Minimizing spend? Content? Talent bar? More training, or maybe the complete opposite- tribal knowledge? Comp? In person time? Or maybe the complete opposite- remote only? The best talent in the world thrives and develops under leaders who demand more than what's just pragmatic. They feel challenged and they usually learn to challenge back (as long as they feel safe- it's important!). They're in the best execution schools in the world. And the world notices fanatic companies and gets inspired by them: Netflix, Uber, ServiceNow, Basecamp, Amazon, Zappos, Shopify, Monday, Tesla, Square, Ramp, Toyota. Many people hide their fanatic tendencies because they are afraid to be different and overly demanding. I don't know how to balance pragmatic and fanatic (maybe 80/20? 😂) but I recommend that you try express yourself fully. Then, let others challenge you and make you more pragmatic ✌️

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Our team worked 52 extra hours last month. Your team leaves at 5 PM. The project backlog keeps growing. You start drafting contracts for freelancers. But wait, have you looked inside your own company first? There’s a Better Way Instead of outsourcing, try this: Let your own developers pick up extra work voluntarily. 2-3 hours after their regular shift, at a premium rate. Why? 1. Your Team Already Knows Everything No onboarding. No trust-building. No knowledge gaps. They understand your systems, clients, and culture. They can start today. 2. They Want the Opportunity Top performers crave growth. Extra income motivates. New challenges engage. 3. You Cut Costs (Without Cutting Corners) No agency markups. No freelance platform fees. Just direct value. The Key? Keep It Voluntary Mandatory overtime kills morale. But optional, well-paid extra work? That’s empowerment. How We Made It Work •        Set clear hourly rates (above market) •        Cap hours to prevent burnout •        Rotate opportunities fairly •        Celebrate those who step up Result? Higher retention. Deeper expertise. Faster project turnaround. The Real Win? Your team grows with you. They invest in the company’s success. Because it’s their success too. Next time the backlog appears, Look inward before outward. Your next star performer might already be at their desk. #employeeengagement #techleadership #productivityhacks #peoplefirst #leadership

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Why early growth at Photoroom felt (almost) easy. Not because we had unlimited resources. Or luck. But because we had three powerful ingredients when I joined 👇 1. The pain point was huge. Millions of people were struggling with the same thing: Removing backgrounds cleanly, quickly, and affordably. The demand was already there. We just had to show up with the right solution. 2. We had world-class engineering. When you work with the best engineers, you build the best tech. That’s what sets your product apart — not just what it does, but how well it does it. From identifying users’ pain points to finding the best tech solution.  👏 Aurélien HubertFranck LetellierFlorian DenisEliot AndresMatthieu Toulemont Matt Rouif 3. We had the best background removal model for sellers. And, Marco Forte built one of the best background removal models ever shipped on mobile. The segmentation model was so good that promoting it was so easy. Just look at the tennis racket below🤯 The string detail. The precision. No artifact. Pure perfection. When product quality meets clear pain, growth doesn’t feel like growth hacking. It feels like pull. 👉 Curious: What’s one moment where your product did the selling for you? 📅 Next up: What were our growth channels at each growth phase

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