👋 Welcome to The Honest Founder Community
I built and sold my AI startup for $60m in just five years.
Now, I’m sharing how I did it so you can do it too, in a way that’s healthy and sustainable.
Join a community of 20,000+ CEOs, founders, and operators.
🔓 What you’ll get
This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s your unfair advantage.
Here’s what you can expect:
Two new articles a week:
A raw, behind-the-scenes stories from my startup journey including the messy parts no one talks about (Included in your free subscription).
Example of free articles:
My success playbook: tactical frameworks, founder tools, investment strategies, productivity hacks, and mental models I use today to scale companies (and stay sane) (You need to upgrade here).
Example of paid articles:
🗝️ What Paid Members Get
✅ Full access to all articles, deep dives & the complete archive
✅ Investment insights: how I invest across asset classes (Venture Capital, Private Equity, public markets & more)
✅ Tactical tools: productivity hacks, founder playbooks, book lists, pitch decks, supplements & more
✅ Exclusive perks: 72% off NordVPN, 6 months of Notion Business for free, 15% off AVEA supplements…and new deals added regularly
✅ Priority access to 1:1 coaching slots
✅ Inner Circle invite: exclusive founder Q&As & private community events
✅ Plus a few surprises along the way
Join 20,000+ CEOs, founders & builders from worldwide known companies
Who am I
At 24, I co-founded my first AI startup during my finance studies in the Netherlands.
No experience. Just curiosity, obsession, and a bit of naive ambition.
What followed?
→ 130+ employees
→ 5 offices (London, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Munich)
→ $10M+ raised
→ 30+ awards
→ Acquired in 2021 for $60M by a NASDAQ-listed company
Stayed on as Managing Director EMEA to scale the European business.
Burned out.
Still hadn’t learned to slow down so I jumped right back in.
I launched my second AI company.
We raised $3.6M from EQT Ventures in 3 months.
By the end of 2024, I stepped down due to health reasons.
Now?
I run LX Investment, my family office:
→ Backing early-stage founders
→ Supporting VC & PE funds
→ Coaching builders through the messy parts
I also support causes I care about like wildlife conservation in South Africa through AMES and families in Cape Town, specifically a Kindergarden in Laan.
And I was honored to be listed in Forbes 30 Under 30 (Europe & DACH).
What’s next?
I’m building The Honest Founder - a global community of 20,000+ founders, CEOs, and operators. It’s where I teach how to build successful companies without sacrificing your health, relationships, or sanity along the way.
I’m donating 100% of all Substack proceeds
Every euro I make from this newsletter goes directly to causes I care about deeply:
1. AMES Foundation – protecting endangered wildlife in Africa from poaching. I spent time with them in South Africa last year and saw firsthand how deeply important and impactful their work is.
2. Handsandfeet.org.za – helping families and restoring communities in South Africa. I visit them every year and can see how much help is needed.
If you choose to subscribe, know this:
You’re not just investing in your own growth you’re contributing to something bigger.
