The Start-Up (R)evolution

Co-Founder dynamics - Valentin Binnendijk

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Valentin, a serial entrepreneur with a background in product. We first met at the SaaStr conference a few months ago. I was immediately drawn to his unique journey—from accidentally founding his first company to building and scaling multiple startups.
 
We discussed co-founder relationships, among other things. This is especially interesting for me since I am a solo founder and always wonder what a cofounder could have been like for my agency.
We discuss:
Balancing Work Styles and Expectations: How co-founders can navigate differences in work habits, productivity levels, and lifestyle choices, such as work hours and personal responsibilities.
Navigating Conflict and Having a Structured Process: The value of having regular, dedicated time for discussing sensitive or unresolved issues, like “elephant walks” or other reflection practices to address potential conflicts early.
The Role of Self-Awareness and Personal Growth: Why co-founders need to continuously work on self-awareness and emotional intelligence to foster a positive, resilient working relationship over time.
Lets dive in.
 
⭐Follow Valentin on his socials:
🌀LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentinbinnendijk/ 
⭐ Don’t forget to follow us: 
🌀Instagram: @the_startup_revolution
🌀LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-revolution-podcast/ 
🌀Website: https://linktr.ee/the_startup_revolution

Transitioning from agency to SaaS business - Joe Allen

Welcome back to the Startup (R)evolution podcast, where we explore the journeys, challenges, and successes of leaders who are reshaping the way we think about business. 
 
Today, I’m joined by Joe Allen who has made the remarkable transition from running a marketing agency to building a software business.
 
As agency owners, I believe we have all been there - and dreaming about the scalability of a SaaS. Joe has actually taken the leap of faith.
 
In our conversation, we dive into his decision-making process, lessons learned from managing an agency, and the differences in running a product-based business.
 
We talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly - and why some people from the agency were not fit for the software business.
Let's dive in.
 
⭐Follow Joe on his socials:
🌀Company website: https://launchedtech.io/ 
🌀LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeallen20/ 
 
⭐ Don’t forget to follow us: 
🌀Instagram: @the_startup_revolution
🌀LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-revolution-podcast/ 
🌀Website: https://linktr.ee/the_startup_revolution 

Joy & health in business - Sofie Couwenbergh

Today’s episode is with Sofie Couwenberg, a writer, SEO strategist, and brilliant thinker.
 
If you follow my agency, you might have seen her great content on the Flow Agency blog. She has been our leading writer over the last three years and created the majority of articles currently displayed.
But this episode is not about writing or SEO.
Instead, we dive into a topic we all wrestle with: Success. 
 
Capitalism and entrepreneurship tend to have a very specific definition of success. 
But what does success actually mean, and how do we define it for ourselves?
 
Sofie shares her journey, reflecting on how her relationship with success has shifted, especially in the wake of health challenges and lifestyle changes.
 
I love the section where we talk about relaxing and rest. It inspired Sofie to create the brilliant article “Resting Is Not Another Thing to Check off Your To-Do List”. 
 
In short: You don’t have to hit 10.000 steps when you take a walk. It is okay if you don’t want to do a gratitude practice or learning session after work. Sometimes we can just BE.
 
Sofie and talk on the phone on a regular basis. All of these conversations could have been great podcast episodes, so I am excited that you are now getting a first glimpse of the inspiring conversations that I get to have with her.Lets dive in.
 
⭐ Follow Sofie on her socials:
🌀 Website: https://sofiecouwenbergh.com/resting-not-doing/ 
🌀 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiecouwenbergh/ 
 
⭐ Don’t forget to follow us: 
🌀 Instagram: @the_startup_revolution
🌀 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-revolution-podcast/ 
🌀 Website: https://linktr.ee/the_startup_revolution 

Embracing emotional branding - Kahn Osborne

Kahn Osborne is the founder of Summerdays Agency. 
In this conversation, we talk about branding. We discuss how branding is more than a logo - it is your reputation, how people feel about you and what they say when you are not in the room.
As a marketer, I tend to start every strategy with “define your target audience” but Kahn taught me to go one step further than that: Define your vision, core values, and what you stand for first.
We discuss emotional branding and brands that we love, from Apple to Slowness, Flussbad, and Companion Coffee here in Berlin as well as the amazing Women in Tech SEO community.
Insider info: Kahn is not only a talented brand strategist but also my partner, so this episode was extra special for me. Enjoy!
 
⭐Follow Kahn on his socials:
🌀Company website: https://www.summerdays.agency/ 
🌀LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kahnosborne/ 
⭐ Don’t forget to follow us:
🌀Instagram: @the_startup_revolution
🌀LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-revolution-podcast/ 
🌀Website: http://the-startup-revolution.com

Building strong sales teams - Manuel Hartmann

This episode is somewhat of a special one. My personal background, community and context is largely based on marketing and my relationships with marketing leaders. So when I talk about leadership and building teams, I often talk about it from the context of marketing. 
 
So this time I wanted to talk to the other part of B2B success, sales. Manuel Hartmann and I met at SaaStiest in London this year. His company SalesPlaybook builds and scales B2B sales, and my agency builds and scales B2B marketing. 
 
So in this episode, we talk about preconceived notions and prejudice between the teams, the different personality types, and how to create trust and alignment. We not only cover Manuel's extensive experience with consulting B2B SaaS startups, but we also discuss the creation of his own agency and how he has built and scaled his own marketing and sales functions.
 
So let's dive in. 
 
⭐Follow Manuel on her socials:
🌀Company website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sales-playbook/ 
🌀LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartmannmanuel/ 
⭐ Don’t forget to follow us: 
🌀Instagram: @the_startup_revolution
🌀LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-revolution-podcast/ 
🌀Website: http://the-startup-revolution.com

Mastering team retreats and in-person offsites - Sally Page

Today's episode is with Sally Page. She's the Co-Founder of WorkTrip, a platform to organize off-site and team retreats. 
 
At my agency, we've run two offsides in the last 12 months, So this episode turns almost into coaching for me. I learned that most people, including myself, focus on logistic airports and travel dates when it comes to planning team retreats, what we really should be thinking about, though, are the goals, the vibe and the culture we want to create. 
 
So as someone guilty of creating an agenda mere days before the event, I felt both called out and deeply inspired at the same time, Sally walked me through the core pillars of a successful retreat. Why you want to run it for small teams only, and how nature is key. 
 
In the aftermath of this interview, I wrote pages worth of notes, reflections and ideas. I'm thinking it will be the same for you. So let's dive in.
⭐ Follow Sally on her socials:
🌀 Company website: https://www.worktripp.com/ 
🌀 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-page/ 
⭐ Don’t forget to follow us: 
🌀 Instagram: @the_startup_revolution
🌀 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-revolution-podcast/ 
🌀 Website: http://the-startup-revolution.com

Leading with emotional intelligence - Bruna de Guimarães

My conversation today is with Bruna de Guimarães from Be Bold.
 
Bruna has an amazing personal story and career - from a lawyer in Brazil to business development for Pipedrive to Chief Product Officer to starting her own consultancy.
 
We discuss how curiosity and courage led her to take these leaps of faith over the last ten years. 
 
You will learn about positive mindset, community and collaboration, and the importance of mentors.
 
Bruna is smart, emotionally intelligent, and well reflected, I really hope you enjoy this episode. 
 
Let’s dive in. 
 
⭐Follow Bruna on her socials:
🌀Company website: https://bebold.business/ 
🌀LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruna-de-guimaraes/ 
⭐ Don’t forget to follow us: 
🌀Instagram: @the_startup_revolution
🌀LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-revolution-podcast/ 
🌀Website: http://the-startup-revolution.com

People-centric leadership - Amy Snook

Today’s conversation is with Amy Snook. Amy is one of my business coaches and we have been working together for the last year.
 
Amy is who I turn to if I want to be more thoughtful, more empathic, and a better communicator.
 
So, it makes sense that this episode focuses on the importance of people in business, different leadership styles, and effective communication. 
 
The key to all of this is an Individualized approach: As leaders, we need to recognize that people interpret and respond to communication differently. For instance, direct feedback might work for some, while others might need a more nuanced approach. I know I have made that mistake before and broken trust with team members.
 
We also discuss creating and embodying clear values and principles: They provide a North Star for behavior and decision-making, ensuring everyone is aligned.
 
You will learn about daily practices, effective 1on1s and reviews, culture alignment, and continued learning. 
 
Let's dive in.
 
⭐Follow Amy on her socials:
🌀Company website: pareabooks.com 
🌀LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-snook-9392ba23/ 
⭐ Don’t forget to follow us: 
🌀Instagram: @the_startup_revolution
🌀LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-revolution-podcast/ 
🌀Website: http://the-startup-revolution.com

Cultivating ownership for your career - Batul Resheq

Today, I sat down with my friend and peer Batul. Batul works as a consultant and fractional marketing leader. 
 
We have crossed paths with several clients over the last four years and co-hosted a SaaS event in Berlin in 2023.
 
In this episode, we discuss Batul's journey from traditional employment to freelancing. We both started as digital nomads and even lived in Bali at the same time.
 
The conversation focuses on entrepreneurial thinking, accountability, and ownership - how to embody these virtues when you have no one telling you what to do. 
 
Batul explains how she learned to identify what she enjoys and is good at.
This self-awareness helped her make informed decisions about her projects and clients. She advocates for taking time to reflect, reassess, and ensure that one's work is meaningful and aligned with personal and professional goals. I am not sure about you but I needed that reminder.
 
Let's dive in.
 
⭐Follow Batul on her socials:
🌀Company website: https://batul.me/ 
🌀LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/b2b-growth/ 
⭐ Don’t forget to follow us: 
🌀Instagram: @the_startup_revolution
🌀LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-revolution-podcast/ 
🌀Website: http://the-startup-revolution.com
 

Questioning standard business advice - Tory Gray

In this episode, I talk with Tory Gray founder of the Gray Dot Company.
 
In our conversation, we decode new ways of leading. And difficult decisions and trade-offs, we encounter on a day-to-day basis.
 
We discuss the unconventional business decisions she made and the importance of questioning standard advice.
 
We both decided to consciously ignore some advice around agency building such as processizing everything early on or hiring only junior staff to save costs. 
 
Spoiler: Tory's most controversial take is her rejection of value-based pricing. She argues that this model often leads to inflated prices for larger clients without necessarily providing additional value. 
 
For more hot takes, including hiring, remote-first culture and the future of work. Tune in. 
 
Let's dive in.
 
⭐Follow Tory on her socials:
🌀Company website: https://thegray.company/ 
🌀LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torygray/ 
 
⭐ Don’t forget to follow us: 
🌀Instagram: @the_startup_revolution
🌀LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-revolution-podcast/ 
🌀Website: http://the-startup-revolution.com