Vision to Victory

Michel did everything to nurture his start-up for > 5 years before it could pay him a first salary. Another 7 years later (+- 3 million ARR, + 175 clients and +-3,8 million end users) he did a massive textbook exit.No external startup capitalNo sales & marketingPure focus on building the best productAnd waiting for the momentum…Listen to my latest podcast with Michel Visser, the co-founder of Eesysoft (now Instructure).We talked about his career full of commercial roles that led to the foundation of his first compant Eesysoft together with his partner Jan; how they built that and sold it to a strategic buyer (Instructure) in the middle of the Covid crisis when their business skyrocketed.His time in Purmerend & BarcelonaHow to use your “golden handshake bonus” from your last job to start a businessTaking a job next to your startup to give it time to growWaiting for the momentum to scaleHow to build a great company cultureBeing ghosted during an exit processHow Covid helped Eesysoft to grow and bring exit opportunitiesHow life changed after exitingHis new AI adventures!His biggest failure and best advices (hint; don’t invest in boats)And much more!Eesysoft is a wonderful example of a company that has grown quietly, has made a few small pivots by carefully looking at the needs in the market and has managed to take action at the right time. And all in a very pleasant and controlled way. For me, Michel has always been the epitome of control itself. Much respect for these achievements; and I am very curious to see how Michel's comeback in Edtech will turn out during the current AI revolution.Thanks so much Michel for your time and a highly interesting conversation!