My vision for this podcast was always for it to be highly practical and operational, not just inspirational. This is why I’m pairing founder interviews with expert advisor interviews, who share knowledge and insights that are relevant to people building in Belgium.

This episode really delivers. It’s jam packed with practical, local advice, 100% tailored to startup founders building in Belgium.

Dups is a legal and financial advice firm specialised in startups. Their team, approach and pricing is founder-centric and it’s visible from this interview.

Check it out to learn:

• Belgian specific dos and don’s for fundraising and exits
• Common mistakes seen in Belgian startup founders and how to avoid them
• Important things to look out for in the term sheets, specific to Belgium

And more...

Check out their fundraising guide for a glossary of terms and for a structured, well-written read on the topic.

In this episode I spoke with Rutger Bevers, founder and CEO of Conversation Starter, a matchmaking platform helping event participants and communities meet the right people and have meaningful 1-on-1 conversations. He's also co-founder of several communities, including Steward Owned and Long Term Society.

Based in Antwerp, founded in 2015, Conversation Starter is a Belgian startup born before the ecosystem had the support network it has now.

I found Rutger inspiring and impressive. I’ve heard people say that “Belgian founders aren’t ambitious enough”, but Rutger is deeply defying this stereotype. He started coding and teaching before he was even legally allowed to start a company. He has unstoppable ambition and high standards and it’s from these extremely high standards, that Conversation Starter was born. He built for Hasselt's first TEDx event, which Rutger co-organised, and the rest is history.

We talked about the tricky balance between working on vs working in your company. Rutger shared how he’s navigating that shift today, hiring his first salesperson, raising new funding, and trying not to get stuck in day-to-day operations.

We also explored why communities are moving away from social media and into smaller, curated spaces.

Resources
Conversation Starter
Steward Owned
imec.istart

Summary

In this episode I spoke with Vincent Declercq, CEO and Co Founder of Dalton, a startup revolutionizing website optimization through AI. Vincent shares his journey from previous ventures to the inception of Dalton, emphasizing the importance of validation and learning from past mistakes. He discusses the appeal of marketing and growth hacking, the impact of competitive sports on his entrepreneurial spirit, and the significance of finding the right co-founders. The conversation delves into Dalton's innovative approach to website performance, including a case study showcasing impressive conversion rate improvements. Vincent also addresses the technical challenges of building the product, market positioning, and future directions, including pricing strategies and customer engagement.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Dalton and Its Vision
01:23 The Journey to Dalton's Creation
03:04 Lessons from Previous Ventures
05:34 Vincent's Background and Interest in Marketing
08:37 The Concept of Growth Hacking
10:14 The Impact of Competitive Swimming on Vincent's Career
13:34 Finding Co-Founders and Building the Team
15:51 Product Overview and Case Study of Dexter
21:17 The Technology Behind Dalton
24:31 Challenges and Market Positioning
27:22 Future Directions and Vision for Dalton
30:34 Pricing and Customer Engagement