What Remains Unmistakably Human?
Many years ago, I was sitting in the metro, tapping on a small grey screen with a plastic stick. The man next to me kept glancing over, visibly intrigued. Finally, he asked what I was holding and what I was doing. Had he asked that question in 2026, it would have been strange. But at […]
Why Your Business Needs to Be Designed for Tired Days
Motivation is often interpreted as the fuel of a business, but it doesn’t last. When motivation is there, everything moves more easily. Decisions feel lighter. Messages are answered quickly. Work is done smoothly. The business feels under control. It feels like proof that the system works. When motivation drops, the story changes. Nothing dramatic breaks. […]
Why Confusion Costs More Than Bad Execution
When I started my business almost twenty years ago, the fashion industry worked in a very different way. The fashion world was pre-everything as we know it today. Pre-internet. Pre-social media. Pre-fast-fashion. The rhythm of the industry was clear and widely shared. Everything revolved around seasons. Trade shows were central. You prepared for them for […]
Why Capable Founders Struggle More Than They Should
I met Sara in Istanbul. Sara is a couture fashion designer based in Belgium, with more than fifteen years in business. Her work is shown at major events (film festivals, fashion shows, tradeshows…) and she sells and collaborates internationally. From the outside, this looks like success. She runs a serious atelier. She is visionary and […]
Why a Business that Heavily Relies on Its Founder Is Not Viable
There is a situation that many founders have already experienced. Your business works. Things move. Decisions get made. Problems get solved. Until you’re tired. Not exhausted. Just a bit worn down. Less sharp. Less available. Less willing to push. And suddenly, everything feels heavier. Emails pile up. Small issues take longer to resolve. Decisions that […]
Why Strong Economics Is Not The Enemy of Impact
I work a lot with mission-driven engineers on the financial side of their entrepreneurial projects. Once they have identified their innovation and have an idea of how to bring it to market, I help them translate their project into financial terms and build the economic backbone of their business. One thing always strikes me: money […]
Why Being Understood Is Essential to Survive in a Noisy Market
Lilly creates beautiful silk scarves. They are hand-painted with flowers, plants, and birds layered in subtle colours that illustrate the changing seasons. Each piece takes dozens of hours to make. The silk is prepared carefully. The design is painted by hand. The edges are hand-rolled and sewn with a needle, following the tradition of luxury […]
Why “I need more information” Is Often a Survival Response
“Why don’t we go to this tradeshow?” Or this trunkshow. Or this sponsorship opportunity. Or this pop-up store. Or this event. Or… You get the picture. These are the sorts of questions that your teams, or yourself, have probably asked many times and it keeps coming back. They are real opportunities: more visibility, potential sales, […]
Why Avoided Decisions Are Still Decisions
There is a pattern I see again and again with business founders. When they talk about their business, whether they are fashion designers, scientists or artists, they speak with passion about their products: how they are designed, made, and how they will be like in the future. That obsession on perfecting the product is real […]