{"id":1619,"date":"2025-10-16T10:21:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T10:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/?p=1619"},"modified":"2025-10-16T13:12:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T13:12:42","slug":"cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Cockpit Conversation with Gert van De Vijver: How One Tool Became the Cockpit of Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;157292&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1724092097497{padding-bottom: 100px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;4\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;214169&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h2>In the Cockpit<\/h2>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<h2>The DNA of Too Doo: Focus on Meetings<\/h2>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What does that mean in practice?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clear agendas and defined roles.<\/li>\n<li>Recording of decisions, action owners, and deadlines.<\/li>\n<li>Linking back to goals, KPIs, and strategic themes.<\/li>\n<li>One single source of truth instead of scattered notes, spreadsheets, and Teams channels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>From Chaos to Control<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cOur ideal customer lives in chaos,\u201d 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 \u2014 and above all, visible progress.<\/p>\n<h2>AI as the Silent Co-Pilot<\/h2>\n<p>AI in Too Doo is deliberately positioned as an <strong>intelligent assistant<\/strong>, not a flashy gimmick. Think of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Automatic summaries of meeting transcripts.<\/li>\n<li>Monitoring of actions and early detection of deviations.<\/li>\n<li>Insight into where time actually goes (strategy vs. operations) \u2014 without losing human interpretation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This allows a CEO to see, at a glance, where the team\u2019s attention is going and make targeted adjustments.<\/p>\n<h2>From Freemium to Commitment<\/h2>\n<p>After dozens of demos each year with a conversion rate of around 10%, Gert realized: a demo alone doesn\u2019t create lasting adoption. That\u2019s why Too Doo now offers a freemium model with a <strong>diagnostic conclusion<\/strong>: after the trial period, users receive an in-depth analysis of their meeting behavior. Those \u201caha moments\u201d form the foundation for a well-grounded collaboration \u2014 driven by data and behavior, not gut feeling.<\/p>\n<h2>Scaling Without the Consultancy Culture<\/h2>\n<p>The ambition: to scale sustainably without drifting into an expensive consultancy model. The strategy follows three tracks:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Licenses as the backbone<\/strong>: software-first, supported by clear implementation standards.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Implementation partners<\/strong>: an ecosystem of specialists helping organizations adopt the tool effectively.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Methodical AI tools<\/strong>: built-in support for frameworks such as OGSM, RACI, or ISO \u2014 ensuring teams remain consistent as they grow.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In this way, Too Doo stays true to its core: using technology to strengthen collaboration, not replace people.<\/p>\n<h2>Lessons from the Cockpit<\/h2>\n<p>Meeting discipline is not an annoying obligation, but a lever for progress. Gert combines personal experience with academic insight to build a platform that <strong>seamlessly connects strategy and execution<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>The First Customers: Effectuation in Action<\/h3>\n<p>The very first customers came through <em>effectuation<\/em>. Gert started with what he already had \u2014 his network, knowledge, and interim projects \u2014 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.<\/p>\n<h3>Growing Beyond Chance: Three Strategies<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Network expansion through referrals<\/strong><br \/>\nEach pilot is turned into a case study and shared within industry groups to build credibility.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Differentiated product-service mix<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter the freemium phase come modular add-ons such as advanced AI analyses and targeted workshops \u2014 creating clear upsell and cross-sell paths.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Partner ecosystem<\/strong><br \/>\nBy collaborating with specialized consultants and software vendors, Too Doo gains co-marketing opportunities and access to new segments.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>With this approach, Too Doo moves beyond the randomness of early wins and builds a <strong>deliberate growth engine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>What if meetings were no longer seen as \u201clost time,\u201d but as the cockpit for direction, focus, and execution? That\u2019s the promise of Too Doo \u2014 one place where decisions, actions, and strategy converge, allowing teams to make progress that can be seen, measured, and celebrated.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Want to learn more or start a pilot?<\/strong><br \/>\nVisit <a href=\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/\">addbusiness.be<\/a> or schedule an introductory call with Gert van De Vijver.<\/p>\n<h3>References (Selection)<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Davenport, T. H., &amp; Harris, J. G. (2007). <em>Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning<\/em>. Harvard Business School Press.<\/li>\n<li>Kaplan, R. S., &amp; Norton, D. P. (2008). <em>The Execution Premium: Linking Strategy to Operations for Competitive Advantage<\/em>. Harvard Business Press.<\/li>\n<li>Leonardi, P. M. (2014). Social Media, Knowledge Sharing, and Innovation: Towards a Theory of Communication Visibility. <em>Information Systems Research<\/em>, 25(4), 796\u2013816.<\/li>\n<li>Mintzberg, H. (1979). <em>The Structuring of Organizations<\/em>. Prentice-Hall.<\/li>\n<li>Sarasvathy, S. D. (2001). Causation and effectuation: Toward a theoretical shift from economic inevitability to entrepreneurial contingency. <em>Academy of Management Review<\/em>, 26(2), 243\u2013263.<\/li>\n<li>Vargo, S. L., &amp; Lusch, R. F. (2004). Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing. <em>Journal of Marketing<\/em>, 68(1), 1\u201317.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][uncode_block id=&#8221;887&#8243; inside_column=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sitting next to Gert van De Vijver in the virtual cockpit, you immediately sense his energy: a mix of down-to-earth pragmatism and an unstoppable drive to make real change happen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cockpit-conversations"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cockpit Conversation with Gert van De Vijver: How One Tool Became the Cockpit of Growth - Add Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cockpit Conversation with Gert van De Vijver: How One Tool Became the Cockpit of Growth - Add Business\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sitting next to Gert van De Vijver in the virtual cockpit, you immediately sense his energy: a mix of down-to-earth pragmatism and an unstoppable drive to make real change happen.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Add Business\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-16T10:21:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-16T13:12:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/addbusiness.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/gert.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"sander\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"sander\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/\",\"name\":\"Cockpit Conversation with Gert van De Vijver: How One Tool Became the Cockpit of Growth - Add Business\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/gert.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-16T10:21:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-16T13:12:42+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/2e465c90b32744eeee9df62b73a3edef\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/gert.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/gert.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":512},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cockpit Conversation with Gert van De Vijver: How One Tool Became the Cockpit of Growth\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Add Business\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/2e465c90b32744eeee9df62b73a3edef\",\"name\":\"sander\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e42fd0a759484647d4b7b0ec7af6e80d7b6deebc2c0e260079ca51e22354149?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e42fd0a759484647d4b7b0ec7af6e80d7b6deebc2c0e260079ca51e22354149?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"sander\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/addbusiness.be\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/author\/sander\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cockpit Conversation with Gert van De Vijver: How One Tool Became the Cockpit of Growth - Add Business","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cockpit Conversation with Gert van De Vijver: How One Tool Became the Cockpit of Growth - Add Business","og_description":"Sitting next to Gert van De Vijver in the virtual cockpit, you immediately sense his energy: a mix of down-to-earth pragmatism and an unstoppable drive to make real change happen.","og_url":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/","og_site_name":"Add Business","article_published_time":"2025-10-16T10:21:37+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-16T13:12:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":512,"url":"http:\/\/addbusiness.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/gert.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"sander","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"sander","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/","url":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/","name":"Cockpit Conversation with Gert van De Vijver: How One Tool Became the Cockpit of Growth - Add Business","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/gert.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-16T10:21:37+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-16T13:12:42+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/2e465c90b32744eeee9df62b73a3edef"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/gert.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/gert.jpg","width":1200,"height":512},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/10\/16\/cockpit-conversation-with-gert-van-de-vijver-how-one-tool-became-the-cockpit-of-growth\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cockpit Conversation with Gert van De Vijver: How One Tool Became the Cockpit of Growth"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/","name":"Add Business","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/2e465c90b32744eeee9df62b73a3edef","name":"sander","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e42fd0a759484647d4b7b0ec7af6e80d7b6deebc2c0e260079ca51e22354149?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e42fd0a759484647d4b7b0ec7af6e80d7b6deebc2c0e260079ca51e22354149?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"sander"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/addbusiness.be"],"url":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/author\/sander\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1619"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1621,"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1619\/revisions\/1621"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}