Start It @kbc Podcast

In gesprek met Gert Gijbels & Lode Uytterschaut

All eyes are on the UK this month as Brexit looks like it’s finally going to happen on January 31. What does this mean for business and for startups in Belgium and the UK? Should we be worried? We discussed the potential fallout with Start it @KBC managing director Anna Thomlinson, who happens to be British, and Pieter Moeremans, co-founder of Plannr.eu, a software company that facilitates the process of relocation for expats and businesses.

 It’s no secret that at Start it @KBC we promote female entrepreneurship. Also no secret is the fact that there’s still lots of work to be done there. That’s why we decided to hand over the mike to Eleanora Censorii, driving force behind Destination Everywhere Accessible Travel, to hear about her company and her challenges as a female founder. The online platform promoting travel for people with disabilities was launched in 2017.

As most entrepreneurs know, it’s important for startups to start selling to their target market as soon as possible. Yet selling directly to B2C customers is very different than selling to other businesses. What challenges are involved? And what’s the best way to approach B2C sales? In this podcast Pieter Minnebo from Eduvik tells us everything we need to know.

Growth hacking: is it just another marketing buzzword, or should we consider it the holy grail of modern marketing? We invited Nicholas D'hondt, growth hacking expert and CEO of Plann3r, to talk us through it. “Growth hacking is a mind-set. It’s the will to keep experimenting.”

 “To me, design thinking is a state of mind. It’s what forces people to look differently at problems and their possible solutions.” With his definition of design thinking, Dennis De Clercq (Buffl) immediately reveals the most important element in the whole design thinking process: having the right view. In this podcast, we zoom in on the importance of customer centricity and unravel what corporates can learn from startups. 

In this episode of the Start it @KBC podcast, we listen to the remarkable startup story of Loop, the company that develops fashionable and comfortable earplugs. “Our goal is to change the perspective of youngsters towards ear protection”, says co-founder Dimitri O.

Is having the right PR strategy a necessity when you’re going to market? And how do you know what your strategy should be? We invited PR expert Saar Dietvorst and Hadrien Crespin, co-founder of the smart parking app Seety, to discuss the perfect PR approach for startups. “PR done right is using the media and the public opinion to take your startup to the next level.”

In episode 14 of our podcast, we delve into the remarkable startup story of Pieterjan Verhaeghen, co-founder of Bolt. Bolt is the energy matchmaker that lets customers decide which specific local wind, solar, bio or hydropower station is to provide the energy they use.

It’s great to be green, but do startups really need a sustainable or a circular business model in order to be successful? “We want big companies and governments to take their responsibilities, but it’s the startup world that can provide us with specific and measurable solutions.”

Is finding the product-market fit an essential milestone in the growth of your business? Or can your startup still be successful without it? We invited Bruno Koninckx (KnowledgeFlow) and Bart Buckinx (BookWidgets) to our podcast studio to share their thoughts, experiences and advice. “Lose touch with the market, and you lose your product-market fit.”

Do you have an amazing idea for a brand new product or company? That’s great! The next step is to sell that idea to customers and investors. Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with outstanding pitching skills. Sara Rachdi, founder of THINK with People, and Amaury Timmermans, co-founder of startup QIQO, share hands-on tips and tricks on perfecting your pitch.

How do you find the right people to join your team? This is one of the struggles a growing startup is faced with, and it can have a major impact on the future of your company. We asked Michael Van de Meirssche, data and digital manager at Jobat.be, and Maarten Verschuere, the founder and CEO of Clever, to take us through the ins and outs of building a solid startup team. “Skills are essential, but fitting into your company culture is even more important.”

A good start is half the battle, so the saying goes. But many entrepreneurs will agree that’s easier said than done. One way to give your company a good start, is by setting up a crowdfunding campaign. We invited Jeroen Spitaels to our podcast studio, who used crowdfunding to get his startup Mealhero on the tracks.

In episode 8 of the Start it @KBC podcast, we unravel the secrets of successfully selling to corporates. How should startups approach large companies and what’s the key to closing a deal? Our community manager Magali invited two entrepreneurs who know all about it: Brecht Kets of Play it Safe, the game based learning platform for safety and prevention, and Steven Everaert of retail data platform Impaqtr.

In this episode, Start it @KBC community manager Magali De Reu explores the impact of capital funding on a startup with two experts. What happens next? What are the new challenges and pitfalls? Magali asked Koen Schrever and Peter-Jan Brone. Koen combines his job as CEO of Bolero Crowdfunding with his responsibilities towards the KBC Start it Fund, while Peter is a blockchain developer at the successful blockchain startup SettleMint.

In this episode of the Start it @KBC podcast, we’re going to talk about digital marketing for startups. We invited two entrepreneurs: Bert Van Wassenhove, managing partner of The CoFoundry and founder of Think with People, and Anneleen Hansen, marketing manager of Apicbase.

In the fifth episode of the Start it @KBC podcast, we’ll be listening to a remarkable startup story. The entrepreneur we invited today is Peter Wellens, ceo of the contextual messaging app Chestnote. Peter joined Start it @KBC two years ago, right after he launched Chestnote with his business partner and uncle Tom Le Clef.

In this episode, we’re talking about the importance of data privacy. A lot has been said about this hot topic lately, with the implementation of the GDPR in May. We asked data privacy experts Dimitri Verhelst and Tom Van de Putte to join us today and share their professional views.

In this first episode of our Start It podcast, we’d like you to meet the online recruiting company Sympl! Co-founder Steven Pyck talks about his bumpy road to startup success. Read more here,