Dear Gerard

I totally agree with your opinion about misplaced feelings of superiority. No nation is superior over another and unfortunately this is a major problem in the geopolitical environment in which we live.
However, if you can convert superiority into a pure form of competition under equal conditions you have reached your goal as an entrepreneur: ‘the winner takes all’. (more…)

Dear Jan,

There are many differences between Eastern Europeans and the Dutch. The biggest difference that strikes me is that the Dutch think they are superior to Eastern Europeans while many Eastern Europeans have a positive attitude towards the Netherlands. The Netherlands and the Dutch have a positive image in Eastern Europe: cheese, windmills, the flat landscape, football, flowers and the royal family. All these things make Eastern Europeans think positively about The Netherlands. (more…)

Dear Gerard,

It is good to hear that entrepreneurs in Eastern European countries deal more positively with mistakes compared to Western companies. One reason is rooted in the relative freedom of companies in Eastern Europe experienced since the communist era under Tito (Balkan countries) and Lenin, Stalin, etc in the former Soviet Union. Communism meant the centralized control of individuals and companies and corruption at the highest levels, which ensured all creativity was repressed. Years of this style of management of the country led to the collapse of communism. Eventually in 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall led to the freedom that is now enjoyed in Eastern Europe. It is not surprising that the generation that grew up after 1989 have a much more positive outlook than the older generations. (more…)

Dear Jan,

I have little faith in the European Union and governments that, in their zeal to provide as much as possible for Europe or their country, try to regulate almost everything with innumerable laws and rules. (more…)

Dear Gerard,

I would like to illustrate our discussion of entrepreneurial vision in this article using the example of a very successful investment.
(more…)

Dear Jan,

you wrote about the changes the government needs to implement for the next generation to succeed. To govern is to look ahead and that’s exactly what most governments (should) keep themselves busy with. But as an individual this is irrelevant as you have no control over whether the government in your country is successful or not. I would not recommend anyone to put their fate in the hands of their government or anyone else. (more…)