Purpose matters more than hustle

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 17 – Adriaan Jacob Brouwer, EY. Adriaan Brouwer, who leads EY Innovation in the Netherlands, discusses his role in connecting startups and scale-ups with the expertise and capabilities of a large services firm like EY. Drawing from his own experience as a founder, he explains how EY can support growing companies with its scale, expertise and flexibility, particularly as startups begin building the backbone of their operations across different markets. He also reflects on how his entrepreneurial background helps him understand founders, build trust and connect their challenges with the right people. Beyond EY, he shares how he continues building through two foundations, including a venture philanthropy initiative supporting an underserved patient group. The conversation explores his views on hustle culture, purpose and planning. Adriaan explains why he doesn't glorify grinding for the sake of grinding, why "purpose is way more important," and why letting go of the illusion of control matters. He believes the journey of working toward something matters more than simply chasing an end goal. He closes with two key lessons: working with founders means learning a lot, and "don't assume." He explains how assumptions about other people's intentions can lead us to misunderstand situations and miss opportunities.  This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. T hese conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!