I help founders and decision-makers de-risk new business ideas and grow from 0 → 1⚡️
Sharing and applying 10 years of experience in idea validation and early-stage startup development through consulting, coaching, free resources, and paid digital products.
I work with founders and leaders on their business and growth challenges through coaching and consulting engagements.
A collection of free and paid resources to help you rapidly investigate, validate, and launch your startup ideas.
I regularly share actionable tactics and insights on exploring, validating, and growing ideas into viable ventures.
What my clients say about working with me.
Over the years I've worked with dozens of founders, business leaders, and teams on the development and growth of their business ideas.
I found Bram's coaching to be highly beneficial to both my work and personal life. Bram's positive attitude and enthusiasm were contagious, and he helped me to stay on track and focus on what's truly important. I appreciated that our conversations weren't limited to just work-related topics; we also discussed life in general, which helped me maintain a good work/life balance.
Rick Waalders
Entrepreneur & Co-Founder Flitsmeister
Bram is an outstanding business coach and challenger. His experience with tech products and startups is clear, and his insights and advice were incredibly valuable to me. What I appreciated most was the way he approached our sessions, being able to balance the business-related topics we discussed with my personal struggles as an entrepreneur.
Jasper van Elferen
Founder Postcode API & Jump Ventures
I am very happy that I worked with Bram as my coach. His genuine interest in my success is evident as Bram is clearly focused on helping someone else succeed. With Bram's guidance, I successfully achieved my goals, significantly changing how I approach and present my online materials. I wholeheartedly recommend Bram to anyone seeking to achieve their goals.
David Beckett
Europe’s #1 Pitch Coach
When you have ideas, it's important to remember combination of assumptions. It's up to you to find out if they are true.
An actionable guide to setting up and running customer interviews when you are investigating your startup ideas.
In an early-stage startup, the primary goal is learning, not selling. Founders need to do initial sales before scaling.
Hi! I'm Bram.
I am an early-stage startup expert and creative digital entrepreneur with a knack for turning abstract ideas and concepts into viable ventures.Everyone has ideas! That’s never the problem. The real challenge is knowing where to start, how to investigate and validate your ideas, and deciding which idea(s) to pursue and which to discard.I'm all about giving structure to this initial chaos, helping founders and teams understand and prioritize ideas, getting started, and creating a foundation for success. From business and growth strategies to creative ventures, I've got you covered.Over the last 10 years, I've contributed to the development of new ideas in various roles, working for creative agencies, a growing media company, a tech investor, a famous Silicon Valley startup, and two financial corporations. I've also pursued my own ventures, such as a marketing agency, consulting for startups and scale-ups, and building my own digital products.Having lots of business ideas myself, I realized early on that I had to be resourceful to prevent myself from wasting time, money, and energy on the wrong ideas.One of the principles I adhere to is thinking “SHOULD I build this?” (mostly NO) instead of “COULD I build this?” (mostly YES). This helps me to be strict with the ideas I decide to pursue, instead of falling in love with them and letting my ego make the decisions.Eventually, I failed at over 25 ideas, but 5 of my ideas have been acquired. One of these even had over a million users, and I have made over $500k with my structured approach to ideas. I leverage principles from Lean Startup, maintain a stoic mindset, and always keep the focus on structure, reflection, objectivity, and taking action.I understand that many people are bursting with ideas but struggle with questions like:› How do I get started?
› How do I validate my assumptions with a structured approach?
› How much time, money, and motivation should I commit?
› What should my Minimum Viable Product (MVP) look like?
› What is my go-to-market strategy?
› When can I decide which idea(s) to pursue or discard?I love helping others with these challenges and giving them clarity on how to start, what to measure and judge, and how to move forward. As a founder coach and consultant for companies, I offer structure and guidance to leaders and decision-makers eager to investigate their innovative business ideas.I do this by applying structured idea investigation, focusing on key aspects like desirability, feasibility, viability, and the foundational principles of an idea. We engage in targeted experiments, consistently lowering risks, and adopting a step-by-step approach that has proven effective over time.As a firm believer in honesty and a holistic approach, I never forget that at the heart of entrepreneurial aspirations is a real person with real stakes. Leveraging these insights, I bridge the gap between personal aspirations and tangible business success.Next to coaching and consulting I also offer (free) resources and an online course, share my thoughts on exploring and validating ideas in my newsletter, and am currently working on two new product ideas.Below you’ll find some of my podcast appearances, connect with me on Twitter or Linkedin, send me a message, or book an intro call if you’re interested in working together.Cheers!
Work with me.
I have worked with dozens of ambitious entrepreneurs, startups, and corporate innovation teams as a coach and consultant. On this page, you'll find the options for working with me.
If you have any questions don't hesitate to send me a message.
Coaching
As a personal challenger for business leaders and entrepreneurs, I provide an unbiased and outside perspective to help them identify the risks and opportunities of their ideas.Through tough but fair inquiry, I challenge traditional assumptions and encourage a search for more information from all sides, explore other strategies, and apply my creative and practical thinking to suggest alternative solutions that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.All with the goal to invest in the right ideas and turning them into viable ventures.We can discuss and work on:
🧠 Idea mindset
🔎 Customer Discovery
🎯 Idea validation & Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
🧲 Go-to-market & Growth strategy
💸 Business Model Creation & Validation
⚡️ Feedback on your startup concept and/or pitch deckIf you are looking for an honest, objective, professional, and enthusiastic partner to challenge and guide you in a sustainable way toward success, you can book a coaching call with me below ⤵
Thoughts from some of my clients:
I found Bram's coaching to be highly beneficial to both my work and personal life. Bram's positive attitude and enthusiasm were contagious, and he helped me to stay on track and focus on what's truly important. I appreciated that our conversations weren't limited to just work-related topics; we also discussed life in general, which helped me maintain a good work/life balance.
Rick Waalders
Entrepreneur & Co-Founder Flitsmeister
Bram is an outstanding business coach and challenger. His experience with tech products and startups is clear, and his insights and advice were incredibly valuable to me. What I appreciated most was the way he approached our sessions, being able to balance the business-related topics we discussed with my personal struggles as an entrepreneur.
Jasper van Elferen
Founder Postcode API & Jump Ventures
I am very happy that I worked with Bram as my coach. His genuine interest in my success is evident as Bram is clearly focused on helping someone else succeed. With Bram's guidance, I successfully achieved my goals, significantly changing how I approach and present my online materials. I wholeheartedly recommend Bram to anyone seeking to achieve their goals.
David Beckett
Europe’s #1 Pitch Coach
Work with me.
I have worked with dozens of ambitious entrepreneurs, startups, and corporate innovation teams as a coach and consultant. On this page, you'll find the options for working with me.
If you have any questions don't hesitate to send me a message.
Consulting
Over the past few years, I have seen 1000s of startups launch and have worked with dozens of ambitious entrepreneurs, startups, and corporate innovation teams to explore, develop and grow ideas into sustainable ventures. I’m experienced in analyzing, and advising on, the development and go-to-market strategy of early-stage startups and business initiatives.My expertise revolves around the "blueprint" of a (new) business or product. This includes business strategy, idea validation (problem-solution fit & product-market fit), building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and go-to-market strategies: finding the right target audience, and launching a first product with the help of the right messaging and communication channels.By combining my extensive theoretical knowledge and being an actual practitioner, I provide a unique perspective with innovative ideas, while using my broad (international) network to help the people and companies I work with go forward.I am always open to meet and discussing a possible collaboration. You can schedule a 20-minute intro call below. I am excited to meet you and learn about your challenges and opportunities ⤵
General Business Challenger
I act as an objective "devil's advocate" to help you with current challenges and opportunities.
Investment Due Diligence
Assisting angel investors, VCs, and family offices with due diligence on possible investments.
Business Models
(re-)Defining your business model by using your current learnings combined with a new perspective.
Innovation Strategy
Helping established companies act on the challenges and opportunities in their market.
Growth Strategy
You've managed to get this far but how can (and should!) you grow sustainably beyond this point?
Education
Teaching you or your company how to integrate the best innovation practices and skills.
Testimonials.
Here's how some of my clients have experienced working with me.
Think I could be of value to you? I'd be honored to help!
I found Bram's coaching to be highly beneficial to both my work and personal life. Bram's positive attitude and enthusiasm were contagious, and he helped me to stay on track and focus on what's truly important when I felt overwhelmed. I appreciated that our conversations weren't limited to just work-related topics; we also discussed life in general, which helped me maintain a good work/life balance. With Bram's guidance, I achieved my desired results by improving multiple skills, gaining motivation, and having someone to bounce ideas off of. I highly recommend Bram as a coach for his open-mindedness, enthusiasm, and broader perspective beyond just basic work topics.
Rick Waalders
Entrepreneur & Co-Founder Flitsmeister
I had an exceptional experience working with Bram. His ability to ask the right questions and offer valuable insights really made all the difference for me. I was challenged to think differently and got the support I needed to make difficult decisions. Bram has a wealth of knowledge and experience that he leverages to ask tough questions, challenge assumptions and push me out of my comfort zone. With his help, I was able to achieve some important business goals and identify solutions to complex problems. I am grateful for his expertise and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a skilled and knowledgeable business coach.
Oscar de Bos
Co-founder Focus Academy & Best-Selling Author
I found my 1:1 coaching call with Bram to be valuable. He provided insightful guidance on future platform features and acted as a helpful sparring partner. Although our call felt a bit short, I enjoyed Bram's approach and would recommend him as a coach.
Onnick Jessayan
CEO Greenmeister
I found my coaching call with Bram and really valuable. He helped me think more critically about my idea and made me more aware of the potential issue that users might not (be able to) provide the information we need to make the product a success. Bram has a great gift for quickly identifying which part of the idea needs (more) user validation. Our call felt super informal and that made the experience even better. I would highly recommend Bram as a coach, he was really helpful and I appreciated his insights.
Hein de Wilde
Data Scientist & Aspiring Entrepreneur
Bram listened attentively to my ideas and generously shared a ton of useful links, insightful questions, and practical suggestions during our call. If you're seeking clarity and valuable input for your own projects, I highly recommend scheduling a call with Bram.
Tristan Owen
Product Manager & Web Developer
Patient, kind, to the point, & very insightful! Bram was able to summarize my pain points within a single session and present them to me through just a few questions to answer. Now I am using those questions to guide my growth & focus and it is really helping! Definitely look forward to connecting with him again in the near future!
Valerie Louissaint
Founder THE EMPRINT LAB
I am very happy that I worked with Bram as my coach. His genuine interest in my success is evident as Bram is clearly focused on helping someone else succeed. With Bram's guidance, I successfully achieved my goals, significantly changing how I approach and present my online materials. Bram's understanding of my objectives, unwavering enthusiasm for my success, and extensive knowledge across various tools and concepts have greatly enriched our sessions. I wholeheartedly recommend Bram as a coach to anyone seeking to achieve their goals.
David Beckett
Europe’s #1 Pitch Coach
Having Bram as my coach really benefited not only my work life but also my personal life. His guidance facilitated a shift from pure ideation to pragmatic, value-oriented thinking. I now prioritize value and effective niche targeting in my approach. The coaching engagement allowed me to achieve my intended goals by providing a sparring partner who challenged my ideas constructively and prevented one-sided thinking. Bram's particular strength was his ability to help me refocus on the core of my ideas and easily identify implementable MVPs to assess their value. I highly recommend Bram as a coach to help anyone to simplify their ideas and define actionable MVPs.
Jan Van de Vyver
Sales Manger & Entrepreneur
I had a 1:1 coaching call with Bram and was impressed by his ability to help me differentiate between the 'pitch' I gave and the value I want my product to bring, with a focus on quantifying the problem I solve. Bram brought real enthusiasm to the conversation, which helped a lot. I appreciated his emphasis on viability and experience in the field, launching a product simply, iterate, and then scale or kill. I got valuable insights on the importance of validating your business, which can save you money in the long run. Overall, I found the coaching session to be effective and valuable. I would definitely recommend Bram as a business coach.
Sjoerd Schwering
COO & Entrepreneur
I recently had a coaching call with Bram to discuss the validation of my business idea, and it was a great experience. As someone who hasn't built a business from scratch before, it's hard to know if you're on the right track. But Bram has a gift for asking the right questions and providing critical feedback in a way that is both direct and supportive. No bullshit trying to be yet another yes-man! This call helped me refine my business idea and feel more confident about its potential. I also appreciated the additional resources shared with me after the call, which allowed me to continue learning and growing. Bram's upbeat and enthusiastic attitude made our session both enjoyable and productive. I would highly recommend him as a coach for anyone looking to start or grow a business.
Patrick Kool
Software Developer
Bram is one of my favorite coaches so far. He provided some new insights into how I may be over complicating the messaging around my value proposition. He also gave me some killer resources to tap into.
Sammy James
Founder Leverly
Holy cow, you better put on your seatbelt before talking to this guy! Bram went through our challenges like lightning and helped me move forward. Validation is hard, and someone who has mastered it is a rare and invaluable find. Congrats, you have definitely found one in Bram.
Bastiaan van Dreunen
Co-founder Verbalens.com
Bram is an outstanding business coach and challenger. His experience with tech products and startups is clear, and his insights and advice were incredibly valuable to me. What I appreciated most was the way he approached our sessions, being able to balance the business-related topics we discussed with my personal struggles as an entrepreneur. His guidance and support helped me grow both personally and professionally, and I feel more confident and capable as a result. I would highly recommend Bram to anyone looking for a business coach who can help them achieve their goals and overcome their challenges.
Jasper van Elferen
Founder Postcode API & Jump Ventures
Having Bram as my coach has been extremely beneficial. His external perspective on our internal challenges offers both critical and fundamental insights crucial for our company's growth. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Bram's unique insights broadened my business perspective significantly.Bram's strengths include a deep understanding of our market, astute inquiries, and quick problem articulation, followed by effective reflection. I highly recommend Bram to any entrepreneur looking to define their next growth steps.
Erwin Luijendijk
Founder Cut the Code
Bram's coaching was highly beneficial to me. He has a talent for asking critical questions at the right time which helped me gain new insights and develop a strong plan of attack. His guidance allowed me to improve my critical thinking skills and learn how to ask myself the right questions to make progress. I highly recommend Bram as a coach for his strengths in critical questioning and ability to help formulate actionable plans.
Juriaan Karsten
Startup Entrepreneur
Bram’s quick thinking and understanding of the context brought instant food for thought during our call. Bram is opinionated but fair, which I appreciated and found very important. I would definitely recommend him for anyone seeking a coach. The only downside was that our call went by too quickly. So we might book more sessions ;)
Lennart Visscher
Co-founder Bookingmood
My coaching call with Bram was really helpful in clarifying our next steps towards validation. Bram provided practical insights and a clear overview of what needs to be done. He was a great sparring partner, helping me gain more clarity. I highly recommend him as his insights were really appreciated.
Jim Niemeijer
Account Executive & Entrepreneur
Bram was fantastic. He was very easy to talk to and had great insights. The guidance he provided was invaluable. I feel very clear on what I need to do next and feel a renewed sense of motivation. Thank you so much!
Ninlil Wheeldon
Marketing Agency Owner
The best part of my 1:1 call with Bram was the business Q&A where he highlighted a few key blind spots in our pitch and messaging. Without knowing much about our business, he helped me brainstorm different ways we could address our customers' needs. I also appreciated Bram's ability to challenge me in defining our core audience and messaging, and I recommend him to anyone looking for a business challenge session.
Ben Hoffman
Co-founder Housenumbers.io
Resources to rapidly investigate, validate, and launch your startup ideas.
Everyone has ideas! That’s never the problem. The real challenge is knowing where to start, and how to investigate and validate your ideas. These resources are here to help you with that ⤵
The MVP Experiment Canvas
A practical framework for turning your big idea into a Minimum Viable Product you can test and validate with potential customers. 10.000+ downloads.
Idea Stash
A collection of 100 researched startup ideas. Each idea has actionable details included. Start instantly, save time, and turn your chosen idea into a venture!
No-Code MVP
Join 900+ others who're already using the mindset, process, and tools from this actionable course, to rapidly turn your idea into a first product you can test.
Notion Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas (BMC) is an easy-to-use tool to quickly define and communicate a business concept including all its parts in one place.
Notion Goal Setting Framework
A proven 7-step framework that has been empowering founders and decision-makers to shape their vision and execute their strategies effectively.
More to come!
I will be adding more free and paid recources to this page. Subscribe to my newsletter for updates and my regular insights on rapid idea validation.
I recommend reading these articles before validating your ideas ⤵
When you have ideas, it's important to remember combination of assumptions. It's up to you to find out if they are true.
An actionable guide to setting up and running customer interviews when you are investigating your startup ideas.
In an early-stage startup, the primary goal is learning, not selling. Founders need to do initial sales before scaling.
Idea Stash 💡
A collection of 100 researched and actionable startup ideas.
As a creative and ambitious individual, you have the power to work on any idea.
But the real challenge lies in validating and finding value in your ideas.In today's digital age, building (digital) products has become easier than ever. With the help of AI, generating ideas has also become more accessible.That's where Idea Stash comes in.A curated collection of 100 startup ideas to kickstart your journey!Explore the collection to find the perfect idea that aligns with your passion and ambitions.Each idea has been researched and includes actionable details, saving you time and helping you focus on turning your chosen idea into a viable venture.
Schedule a 20-minute intro call with me ⤵
Pick a time below that suits your schedule. Talk soon!
I found Bram's coaching to be highly beneficial to both my work and personal life. Bram's positive attitude and enthusiasm were contagious, and he helped me to stay on track and focus on what's truly important. I appreciated that our conversations weren't limited to just work-related topics; we also discussed life in general, which helped me maintain a good work/life balance.
Rick Waalders
Entrepreneur & Co-Founder Flitsmeister
Bram is an outstanding business coach and challenger. His experience with tech products and startups is clear, and his insights and advice were incredibly valuable to me. What I appreciated most was the way he approached our sessions, being able to balance the business-related topics we discussed with my personal struggles as an entrepreneur.
Jasper van Elferen
Founder Postcode API & Jump Ventures
I am very happy that I worked with Bram as my coach. His genuine interest in my success is evident as Bram is clearly focused on helping someone else succeed. With Bram's guidance, I successfully achieved my goals, significantly changing how I approach and present my online materials. I wholeheartedly recommend Bram to anyone seeking to achieve their goals.
David Beckett
Europe’s #1 Pitch Coach
Thanks for scheduling an intro call with me.
I have sent an invitation to your inbox/calendar.
If we don't know each other yet, you can already get to know me
and my mindset by reading my about page or listening to this 15-minute podcast ⤵
I am looking forward to our conversation. Talk soon!
Schedule a 30-minute call with me ⤵
Pick a time below that suits your schedule. Talk soon!
Thanks for scheduling a call with me.
I have sent an invitation to your inbox/calendar.
If we don't know each other yet, you can already get to know me
and my mindset by reading my about page or listening to this 15-minute podcast ⤵
I am looking forward to our conversation. Talk soon!