Image credits: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways,” Robert Greene wrote in his book Mastery.
The importance of learning new skills cannot be understated. Learning new skills allows us to tap into our potential and achieve more than we ever thought possible. While stepping out of our comfort zone can be scary, it also helps us become more well-rounded.
Whether we want to succeed in our careers, personal lives, or relationships, having the right skill will help us get there.
To know more about the skills that will be helpful for the future, we at Silicon Canals asked various Amsterdam-based founders about what they are trying to learn.
Here are their answers.
Anieke Lamers – Peekabond
What does Peekabond do? Peekabond, via its “ethical” social, mobile platform, helps children build deep bonds with family and loved ones at a distance through an asynchronous connection, such as interactive lessons, activities, games, stories, and songs.
What new skill are you working towards acquiring?
Anieke Lamers is an ex-VC turned social entrepreneur who is on a mission to make every child feel special and connected to their roots and loved ones.
Anieke Lamers says, “I’d like to learn Portuguese as I’m planning to live in Portugal to get away from the cold Dutch winter. I’m trying to learn to be a better leader with an online Growth Tribe course. I am also doing an online Marketing course with DemandCurve.”
René Janssen – Lepaya
What does Lepaya do? Lepaya provides soft skill training that combines online and offline learning through its learning app and short, interactive classroom sessions with the best trainers.
What new skill are you working towards acquiring?
René began his career at the Boston Consulting Group, where he specialised in emerging markets / go-to-market strategy, as well as strategy execution. He holds a degree in Maths/Physics from University College Utrecht; as well as a degree in Philosophy of Science from Utrecht University.
René Janssen says, “As we plan to go out for a Series C over the next 6-12 months, the markets have gone haywire. As a result, I have blocked some time with coaches to bring these pitching skills to the next level.”
Patrick Dekker – Wundermart
What does Wundermart do? Wundermart is a retail-technology company that offers unmanned shop concepts for the hospitality industry. It allows customers to enter a store, grab their desired items, scan each item, and pay at the self-checkout kiosk, enhancing the shopping experience.
What new skill are you working towards acquiring?
Patrick Dekker says he is focusing on personal skills such as letting go, playing piano, and re-learning Spanish.
Maxim Romain – Dott
What does Dott do? Dott is a micro-mobility operator with a mission to free cities with clean rides for everyone. With speeds up to 25kph, Dott’s e-bikes provide an efficient way to move across a city, free from congestion and without causing pollution.
What new skill are you working towards acquiring?
Maxim was previously the GM for Wayfair Europe and worked for Decathlon in Asia for seven years, focusing on manufacturing and supply-chain operations. Maxim holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Maxim Romain says, “Since the shared micro-mobility industry is highly regulated, I am spending more time understanding what cities want from operators and how we can collaborate closely with them to meet their needs.”
Luuc Elzinga – Tiqets
What does Tiqets do? Tiqets is an innovative ticketing platform that connects travellers looking for last-minute tickets to museums and attractions worldwide.
What new skill are you working towards acquiring?
Luuc Elzinga, a venture partner, founder, and author, commits to new business partnerships and trains and coaches companies to be more effective in their sales efforts. He has more than 15 years of experience in ownership and involvement in several ventures.
Elzinga is working towards acquiring the skill of “Trimming the boat” better.
To trim a boat means adjusting the sails and rigging so that the wind hits them at the correct angle. It allows the boat to move through the water more efficiently and can help it to sail faster or slower, depending on what is needed.
Trimming the sails correctly is a crucial part of sailing and takes practice to master.
Rogier Fischer – Hadrian
What does Hadrian do? Hadrian is a hacker-led cybersecurity startup that offers automated security insights through its AI-driven testing SaaS platform.
What new skill are you working towards acquiring?
Rogier Fischer is a hacker, entrepreneur, and angel investor with a passion for products that disrupt problems in a scalable way.
Rogier Fischer says, “Although not necessarily as skill, I’m training for a marathon, so a lot of time will go towards that.”
Julia Mitereva – Fashion Potluck
What does Fashion Potluck do? Founded in 2016, Fashion Potluck is a digital platform designed for content sharing between women, cataloguing fashion, reviews, travel, recipes, makeup tutorials, life hacks, and everything in between.
What new skill are you working towards acquiring?
Julia Mitereva has been listed in the top 50 inspiring women in Tech 21 and the top 7 women shaping the Dutch tech ecosystem. She is building the first social media for woman on web3.
Julia Mitereva constantly strives to improve herself and her skill sets, including fast thinking, selling, mindfulness, analytical skills, and professional swimming.
Hans Osnabrugge – Talk 360
What does Talk 360 do? Talk360 is an international calling app that helps people make reliable and affordable calls to any landline or mobile phone worldwide.
What new skill are you working towards acquiring?
Hans Osnabrugge is a passionate serial entrepreneur in mobile and fintech companies. All companies Hans is involved in have a positive impact on society in general and a strong desire to scale internationally.
One of the most important skills that Hans Osnabrugge is working towards acquiring is Patience.
Rune Theill – Rockstart:
What does Rockstart do? Rockstart is a domain-focused accelerator and venture capital firm that offers follow-on growth capital to help startups become successful across four domains: energy, health, agrifood, and emerging technologies.
What new skill are you working towards acquiring?
Rune Theil is an experienced entrepreneur who loves to support other entrepreneurs to succeed. He has experience in building ecosystems, creating accelerator programmes and mentor-based programmes.
Rune Theill is focusing on Callisthenics workouts, breathing exercises, and the art of positive intelligence.
Catch our interview with Paul Down, Head of Sales at Intigriti.