Perec and procedural design

With the "Zwijgen is geen optie" (Silence is not an option) website, I've always been aiming for a design that could evolve over time rather than having to redesign every few years. Just like the timelessness of the content we produce and our signature monochrome film editing, the foundation of our design should have a …

The price for government subsidies

Every few months someone asks me why Zwijgen is geen optie ("Silence is not an option", read more about it here) hasn't applied for government subsidies. It's a good question. Because the choice, even though I'm not always so sure it has been the right one, has been a crucial one for this project. My …

On scale

I've been reading a bit of literature on physics. Turns out matter doesn't exist? Matter only exists when two particles 'meet'? Aka: in the physical world there is no matter, there are only events? (I'm summarizing here. Badly, probably.) It reminded me of something I read in Ray Dalio's book a few years ago: the …

On ambition

I'm drinking a beer with a well-known author in a small Antwerp pub. We're talking about the promotion tour surrounding his book launch. The endless queue of ill-prepared interviewers he has to work through. Then he starts talking about a 20-something woman who works for a small magazine aimed towards the Christian community in our …

Go rogue

I had the honour of speaking at an event about constructive journalism organised by the Brussels Center for Journalism Studies. The other speakers - both professors - brought some awesome research about what constructive journalism is and how it may benefit public debate in our society. But I learned even more from the conversations with …

Tough love

Whenever I'm working on a new plan, I try to make a list of people who are more knowledgeable than I am on the subject at hand and ask for their advice. The earlier I am in the process, the more it resembles "thinking out loud". Instead I'm not under the shower and alone but …

Impact

For a long time I didn't really understand what the value of our work at ZIGO was. The personal value was clear: I just love asking honest questions to people I look up to. But why were people watching and sharing? Why did people offer to pay for something we gave away for free? The …

For profit

I find myself annoyed by the artificial divide between non-profit organisations doing good for the world and for-profit companies only caring about profit. Of course, their respective company structures create different incentives and incentives shape behaviour. But on a global scale I see too many examples of beneficial impact by for-profit companies to agree with …

From 4 believers to $10k MRR

I previously wrote how we got our first 4 customers without having a product. And I can't stress enough how important these first customers are. How small a milestone it may seem in your incredible dream of start-up success, these 4 customers are the difference between certain death and the small chance of making your …

The pitch vs reality gap

Like everyone, I've been following 'My start-up has 30 days to live'. It's an honest and emotional story about 'a start-up going south'. One interesting quote was this one: Of course, it’s only lying if you don’t believe it’s true right? We set the stage for greatness and then scurry away to make it happen …