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In the Cockpit

As a former operations manager at Alcatel and advisor to countless SMEs, he kept seeing the same pattern: strategies that never get executed, meetings without outcomes, and action points that disappear into thin air.

At forty, he shifted to interim management; at fifty-two, he made the leap to full-time entrepreneurship. His motivation: to bundle proven methodologies into one practical tool that turns meetings into a strategic engine.

The DNA of Too Doo: Focus on Meetings

Too Doo is not your typical project management platform. It deliberately starts from meetings to connect all facets of business operations. By preparing each meeting structurally, facilitating it tightly, and following up consistently, teams gain the tools to translate expectations into concrete actions and measurable results.

What does that mean in practice?

• Clear agendas and defined roles.
• Recording of decisions, action owners, and deadlines.
• Linking back to goals, KPIs, and strategic themes.
• One single source of truth instead of scattered notes, spreadsheets, and Teams channels.

From Chaos to Control

“Our ideal customer lives in chaos,” says Gert. Think of growing SMEs drowning in tools and scattered agreements. Too Doo centralizes that chaos, so the management team no longer needs to dig through eight different apps to keep the strategic line in sight. The result: less friction, more focus — and above all, visible progress.

AI as the Silent Co-Pilot

AI in Too Doo is deliberately positioned as an intelligent assistant, not a flashy gimmick. Think of:

• Automatic summaries of meeting transcripts.
• Monitoring of actions and early detection of deviations.
• Insight into where time actually goes (strategy vs. operations) — without losing human interpretation.

This allows a CEO to see, at a glance, where the team’s attention is going and make targeted adjustments.

From Freemium to Commitment

After dozens of demos each year with a conversion rate of around 10%, Gert realized: a demo alone doesn’t create lasting adoption. That’s why Too Doo now offers a freemium model with a diagnostic conclusion: after the trial period, users receive an in-depth analysis of their meeting behavior. Those “aha moments” form the foundation for a well-grounded collaboration — driven by data and behavior, not gut feeling.

Scaling Without the Consultancy Culture

The ambition: to scale sustainably without drifting into an expensive consultancy model. The strategy follows three tracks:

1. Licenses as the backbone: software-first, supported by clear implementation standards.
2. Implementation partners: an ecosystem of specialists helping organizations adopt the tool effectively.
3. Methodical AI tools: built-in support for frameworks such as OGSM, RACI, or ISO — ensuring teams remain consistent as they grow.

In this way, Too Doo stays true to its core: using technology to strengthen collaboration, not replace people.

Lessons from the Cockpit

Meeting discipline is not an annoying obligation, but a lever for progress. Gert combines personal experience with academic insight to build a platform that seamlessly connects strategy and execution.

The First Customers: Effectuation in Action

The very first customers came through effectuation. Gert started with what he already had — his network, knowledge, and interim projects — and experimented with small-scale pilots among trusted contacts. By quickly delivering minimum viable implementations and keeping feedback cycles short, he built a foundation of enthusiastic references.

Growing Beyond Chance: Three Strategies

1. Network expansion through referrals
   Each pilot is turned into a case study and shared within industry groups to build credibility.
2. Differentiated product-service mix
   After the freemium phase come modular add-ons such as advanced AI analyses and targeted workshops — creating clear upsell and cross-sell paths.
3. Partner ecosystem
   By collaborating with specialized consultants and software vendors, Too Doo gains co-marketing opportunities and access to new segments.

With this approach, Too Doo moves beyond the randomness of early wins and builds a deliberate growth engine.

Conclusion

What if meetings were no longer seen as “lost time,” but as the cockpit for direction, focus, and execution? That’s the promise of Too Doo — one place where decisions, actions, and strategy converge, allowing teams to make progress that can be seen, measured, and celebrated.

Want to learn more or start a pilot?
Visit addbusiness.be or schedule an introductory call with Gert van De Vijver.

References (Selection)

• Davenport, T. H., & Harris, J. G. (2007). Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning. Harvard Business School Press.
• Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2008). The Execution Premium: Linking Strategy to Operations for Competitive Advantage. Harvard Business Press.
• Leonardi, P. M. (2014). Social Media, Knowledge Sharing, and Innovation: Towards a Theory of Communication Visibility. Information Systems Research, 25(4), 796–816.
• Mintzberg, H. (1979). The Structuring of Organizations. Prentice-Hall.
• Sarasvathy, S. D. (2001). Causation and effectuation: Toward a theoretical shift from economic inevitability to entrepreneurial contingency. Academy of Management Review, 26(2), 243–263.
• Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004). Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing. Journal of Marketing, 68(1), 1–17.

Young, focused, and unstoppable

Their engine? DNA as a filter: they only select companies that match their values. Fun, team spirit, tangible impact, and local relevance are the criteria steering every decision.

From coincidence to strategy

Is it coincidence that these three companies ended up in their hands? Not at all.

Toon Missotten: “In the process, we looked at the same criteria: region, traditional businesses (instead of tech companies), our own DNA. And fun is an important one. If it doesn’t give us energy, we don’t do it.”

Paintball Leuven was their learning ground, ’t Galetje the first real acquisition, followed by Brabanthal and Belgotap through networking and proactive outreach. The pattern shows how they deliberately translate their background and values into choices.

At the family kitchen table, this mentality was instilled. One of the fathers is an entrepreneur himself, and the stories shared there—about taking risks, seizing opportunities, and building something together—still form the foundation today.

A friendship team as foundation

The trio is no random team. Their roots lie in childhood friendship, shared studies, and a common entrepreneurial outlook.

Toon Missotten: “We know each other inside out. We’re not afraid to challenge or correct each other. That makes us stronger and faster in decisions.”

That trust is their buffer. It gives them the courage to run multiple companies simultaneously.

Growth challenges and further growth

Belgotap – declining beer market

The beer market is shrinking, and Belgotap is indirectly affected.

Toon Missotten: “Being a small team open to growth allows you to pivot flexibly and seize new opportunities with the resources you already have. That’s a huge advantage compared to cumbersome multinationals that first need consensus among decision-makers.”

Further growth: Beyond consolidating our market position, we’re exploring opportunities in the broader beverage and logistics market, where untapped potential exists to leverage our expertise and services.

’t Galetje – capacity limits

The ice cream shop is running at full speed but is slowly hitting physical limits.

Toon Missotten: “We’re almost at the maximum of what we can do with this team and this location.”

Further growth: requires removing the current physical and staffing constraints. There are certainly opportunities—renovating the shop could increase capacity in the long run.

Brabanthal – renewal

The event location has a strong reputation and is reinventing itself.

Toon Missotten: “We want to attract more public events again. At the same time, we want to refresh the image with more digitalization and flexibility.”

Further growth: lies in attracting more public events and strengthening the image through digitalization and flexibility to win ‘new’ customers. Again, customer experience is central.

People as the key

Their employee selection is sharp and decisive.

Toon Missotten: “Those who work with us show they can come up with their own solutions. If someone brings three proposals for a problem, we know it’s good.”

Autonomy and resilience are the decisive criteria.

Growth & ambition

Their growth and ambition are not about quick profits but about consolidation and impact.

Toon Missotten: “We want to show that you can transform classic companies. We’re not after short spikes but sustainable growth.”

Academically underpinned entrepreneurship

Their cockpit story directly connects to insights from literature:

• Acquisition entrepreneurship leverages succession issues in SMEs as a growth engine (Drexler & Clarke, 2025).
• Jobs-to-be-Done helps formulate propositions that address real customer needs (Christensen, 1997).
• Team fit and resilience are crucial for scalability and innovation (Blank, 2013).
• Network expansion requires conscious choices rather than hockey-stick thinking (Blank, 2013).

Conclusion

Their path is not the usual start-up hype. It is the choreography of acquisition, renewal, and DNA. A cockpit with three engines, manned by entrepreneurs who turn tradition into scalable growth.

The next step? Developing new first customers and moving beyond the familiar network. Not by chance, but by deliberately building an ecosystem of partners, clients, and connections that reinforce one another. That is where their real growth potential lies: beyond their own circle, toward a broader market that recognizes and embraces their energy and approach. But always with fun at the core 😊

References

• Blank, S. (2013). The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products That Win. K&S Ranch.
• Christensen, C.M. (1997). The Innovator’s Dilemma. Harvard Business School Press.
• Drexler, J., & Clarke, T. (2025). Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition in the Digital Age: Exploring Strategies for Sustainable Growth. SSRN Working Paper.

In the Cockpit

Marco has a technical background but entered the field through account management and sales training. Today, he guides organizations in the Netherlands and beyond with methods such as Clients for Life, Value Based Partnerships, and Fresh Eyes Reviews. His starting point: customer expectations define value. That’s what you need to gain grip on.

Belgium – Netherlands: Two Airspaces

We quickly noticed the cultural differences. In Belgium, sales management often remains informal, sometimes even amateurish in its approach. In the Netherlands, the maturity is clearly higher: more structure, more professionalism.

Still, both markets face the same issue: how do you ensure sales and account management are not just an individual trick, but an organizational capability (Workman et al., 2003).

Methodologies That Provide a Handhold

Clients for Life: Originally developed in the U.S. for large enterprises with complex stakeholder structures. Workshops in which both teams make expectations explicit and set priorities.

Value Based Partnerships: A derivative for SMEs and less complex customer relationships. Here a one-on-one conversation suffices, but the principle remains: value starts with explicitly stated expectations.

Both models align with academic research emphasizing that customer expectations are dynamic and must be managed proactively to retain loyalty (Homburg et al., 2010).

Fresh Eyes Reviews – Looking Through the Customer’s Lens

Marco elaborated on the Fresh Eyes Reviews: qualitative customer interviews at senior level, often with strategically important clients. They go further than NPS scores or standard satisfaction surveys. Here, the customer decides what matters.

The insights are often confronting: sometimes it turns out decision-makers hardly have contact with their supplier, or that expectations were never explicitly discussed. The result: concrete improvement actions and a sharper picture of what is truly valuable in the collaboration.

Christensen’s “Jobs to be Done” theory resonates strongly here: customers “hire” a supplier to make progress in their own context (Christensen et al., 2016). Only by explicitly understanding those jobs can a supplier sustainably add value.

AI as Co-Pilot

Innovation was also on the table. Marco is currently developing CCO Insights, an AI-driven tool that collects feedback on won and lost proposals through short chat conversations.

The data is translated into dashboards with patterns and recommendations. This ties in with my own experience: AI accelerates the analysis of conversations and reports. It makes commercial learning not only faster but also more objective.

Research shows that AI in account management mainly adds value in analysis and decision-making tasks, as long as human interpretation and relationships remain central (Davenport et al., 2020).

Conclusion – Setting Course with Tenacity

Tenacity lives up to its name: persistently working on customer relationships, not with loose tips & tricks, but through processes that make expectations measurable and discussable. From the cockpit, I see the same focus I apply at Add Business: strengthening human relationships by systematically working on trust, value, and control.

And at the same time, I keep learning. Because alongside my role at Add Business, as co-founder of Companyonwise and the NBB HUB, I see the value of combining methodologies and tools. Marco and I may start from different angles, but we land at the same destination: helping organizations grow sustainably—with grip on what truly matters.

References

Christensen, C. M., Hall, T., Dillon, K., & Duncan, D. S. (2016). Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice. Harper Business.

Davenport, T. H., Guha, A., Grewal, D., & Bressgott, T. (2020). How artificial intelligence will change the future of marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), 24–42.

Homburg, C., Müller, M., & Klarmann, M. (2010). When should the customer really be king? On the optimum level of salesperson customer orientation in sales encounters. Journal of Marketing, 74(2), 55–74.

Workman, J. P., Homburg, C., & Jensen, O. (2003). Intraorganizational determinants of key account management effectiveness. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 31(1), 3–21.

In the cockpit

In this conversation, I sat next to Wouter, an entrepreneur who built a company with nineteen employees and more than a hundred clients in just four and a half years. His mission: to unburden sales departments with campaigns that look surprisingly simple, but are highly effective.

The Leap of Faith

Wouter started in the middle of the COVID period. While many companies saw their sales grind to a halt, he built an alternative. Not call centers or anonymous lead factories, but personal, hyper-targeted emails sent in the name of the account manager.

The idea arose almost by coincidence but turned out to be gold: 40% response rates, up to 70% open rates, and above all – warm contacts that the account manager could personally follow up on.

Research confirms this: personalized outreach significantly outperforms generic campaigns because relevance and timing are crucial factors in breaking through commercial noise (Bhatia & Yetton, 2020).

The Flywheel of Growth

His approach works best with traditional companies, where sales often still run “on gut feeling” and with little structure.

That is where Wouter and his team make the difference: manually built lists, carefully chosen words, and always a human tone. No generic messages, but a first contact that inspires trust.

Trust is the key here. Studies show that the first minutes of a customer relationship disproportionately affect the course of collaboration (Cialdini, 2016). That makes such a first email not a detail, but a flywheel moment.

Two Worlds, One Cockpit

What stays with me from our conversation is how his story aligns with what I do at Add Business. Where my focus is on improving the actual client conversation – the moment where trust is made or broken – Wouter ensures that there are more conversations in the first place. Two sides of the same cockpit: he turns on the radar, I help with the landing.

Lessons from the Sky

• Wouter shared how he learned that “wanting to be liked” can sometimes stand in the way of growth.
• Making choices, daring to ask for prices, while staying true to the belief that you cannot outsource the first contact – that is what sets him apart.

Interestingly, this aligns with research on assertive selling: salespeople who set clear boundaries experience more sustainable customer relationships than those who focus mainly on being liked (Schwepker & Good, 2021).

Conclusion – Charting a Course with Complementary Strength

In the cockpit of commercial growth, it is not the technology or the channel that makes the difference, but the way people connect.
Wouter shows that cold acquisition can become warm again – if you approach it with humanity and intelligence.

References

Bhatia, A., & Yetton, P. (2020). Personalization in B2B sales outreach: Effects on engagement and response rates. Journal of Business Research, 116, 375–386.
Cialdini, R. (2016). Pre-suasion: A revolutionary way to influence and persuade. Simon & Schuster.
Schwepker, C. H., & Good, D. J. (2021). Improving sales performance through ethical assertiveness. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 36(13), 76–88. 

In the cockpit

That’s what I discussed with Ines Feytons, cofounder and CEO of Nascent. After six years as a legal consultant at Deloitte, she chose entrepreneurship. Her mission: helping founders find the right co-pilot so that teams can fly further than the first thermal lift.

The leap from the runway

“It was now or never,” says Ines. In April, together with her cofounders, she launched Nascent, a matchmaking platform that helps founders find a cofounder—or, conversely, step into an existing team. She saw the problem up close: team fit is underestimated—and that is precisely where Nascent wants to make the difference.

The platform: balancing supply and demand

Two sides, one goal: better matches.

Demand side: start-ups actively looking for a cofounder.
Supply side: often experienced professionals eager to embark on entrepreneurship, without their own idea, ready to step in.

The first users often come from accelerator programs, where the importance of a strong cofounder becomes immediately visible. On the other side: professionals who want to apply their experience in a new adventure. Active seekers, not casual browsers.

Navigating a complex airspace

Ines experiences the Belgian ecosystem as fragmented: there are many valuable initiatives, but players often work within their own programs and communities. Referrals between initiatives occur less spontaneously than in the Netherlands, where collaboration emerges more easily. On top of that, the geographic reality plays a role: Flanders and Wallonia each have their own networks and funding structures. This makes the landscape rich but sometimes less transparent for those navigating through it.

Internationally, she sees opportunities, especially in Scandinavia, where the human side of entrepreneurship takes center stage. Partners remain crucial: without a ground crew, there’s no safe landing.

Flying beyond the first customers

The biggest challenge is awareness: many founders realize too late that their greatest risk lies in the collaboration itself.
That’s why Nascent relies on partners who help carry the story and integrate the platform into their communities.

• Focus for the coming months (as Ines sees it):
• Setting up and testing international partnerships.
• Further refining the target audience and sharpening positioning.
• Developing a recurrent check-in for teams so collaboration becomes measurable and discussable.

Lessons from turbulence

“We should have probed willingness-to-pay more quickly. Enthusiasm didn’t always turn into a paying user,” Ines reflects.
That is entrepreneurship in unexplored airspace: iterating, adjusting, and staying on course. Impact over volume remains the guiding principle.

Conclusion – choosing course with the right crew

Nascent is more than ‘Tinder for cofounders’: it makes the often underestimated factor of human fit tangible and discussable. From the cockpit I hear in Ines the same pattern I see in many growth companies: technology and market are necessary, but without the right crew you won’t get past the first turbulence.

What stays with me from the conversation with Ines: clear choices, sober measurement, and smart use of partners—that’s how you climb safely.

Ellen Dupont, founder of Online ED, is at a crossroads. Her agency is doing well, clients keep coming, and the reputation is solid. But under the hood, she’s making some serious adjustments.

“What we do works, but it no longer feels right. We deliver quality, but the model we’re working in is wearing out. Margin pressure is increasing, clients expect speed and strategy, yet still think in hourly rates. I don’t want to become a factory. Or a stress machine. But meaning? Yes, please.”

Positioning: from production to purpose

“We’re at the table for the content plan, but also for strategic decisions. The problem is: that role often isn’t priced. Or even seen.”

Ellen notices she’s increasingly contributing to direction, not just visibility. But this kind of strategic thinking rarely shows up in the pricing.
According to Moenaert & Robben (2022), lasting client value only emerges when the service provider takes on the role of co-creator. That role isn’t granted – you have to claim it and prove it.

Best practices

• Start every project with a role conversation: Is this about content or about course-setting?
• Make strategic contributions visible: with templates, roadmaps, or reflection notes.
• Offer phased services – from strategy to execution – to make your value more explicit.

Pricing: when speed makes you seem worth less

“A good video edit used to take three hours. Now? Thirty minutes with AI. And clients expect it to be cheaper.”

So, efficiency gains are immediately translated into lower pricing expectations. But according to Liozu et al. (2020), value-based pricing is all about the ability to define and anchor impact – not the number of hours.

Best practices

Link output to results: brand clarity, click-through rates, or conversion.
• Productize your work: “Brand campaign with intake and output test” sounds different than “18 hours of work.”
• Use examples: show how your work accelerated results or provided clarity.

Trust: the invisible contract

“Sometimes I just feel it: this is going to work. And then everything flows. But sometimes… I have to prove myself every step of the way. That’s when things get hard.”

For Ellen, trust is everything. It determines whether clients give her space – or second-guess every move. According to Zeithaml (1988), it’s the process – not just the outcome – that defines how valuable the collaboration feels.

Best practices

• Use visual journey models with clear phases and decision points.
• Schedule regular check-ins – even when things seem ‘fine.’
• Set clear expectations from the start: feedback, approvals, and iteration loops.

AI: accelerator and pitfall

“We use AI a lot. For copy, subtitles, structure. And it helps. But it also makes our work invisible. And therefore… vulnerable.”

AI saves time, but it makes the creative process less tangible. Clients only see fast output and forget the thinking behind it. According to Huang & Rust (2021), value is shifting from execution to interpretation and choice – that’s the real differentiator.

Best practices

• Position AI as a quality booster, not a replacement: “We make better choices faster.”
• Show your interpretation: why this tone? Why this order?
• Offer packages that combine AI efficiency with a human touch.

Choosing the right clients

“Sometimes I know in advance it’s going to be tough. But I still say yes. Because the calendar needs filling. And then it costs me twice: time and energy.”

Ellen speaks from experience: not every client fits your way of working. Yet saying “no” remains difficult. According to Porter (1985), defining who you don’t serve is key to sustainable positioning.

Best practices

• Define your ideal client – and name who isn’t a fit.
• Use an intake form to assess rhythm, feedback style, and collaboration habits.
• Plan a reflection moment after each project: are we continuing or was this one-off?

Conclusion

“I want to do meaningful work. Not grow for growth’s sake. But tighter, cleaner. With clients who fit us. Then it flows.”

Ellen’s story will likely resonate with many service providers.
Not doing more, but doing it better.
Not running harder, but choosing more consciously.
In times of acceleration, hourly rates, and AI, purpose may be the strongest compass we have.

Sources

Moenaert, R. K., & Robben, H. S. J. (2022). Strategic Market Management. Leuven: Acco.
Liozu, S. M., Hinterhuber, A., & Somers, K. (2020). Value First, Then Price: Quantifying Value in Business Markets. Routledge.
Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality, and Value. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 2–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298805200302
Huang, M.-H., & Rust, R. T. (2021). A strategic framework for artificial intelligence in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49(1), 30–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-020-00749-9
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press.