{"id":350372,"date":"2025-12-18T23:57:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T23:57:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/angel-investor\/dutch-startup-changemakers-nalden\/"},"modified":"2025-12-18T23:57:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T23:57:51","slug":"dutch-startup-changemakers-nalden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=350372","title":{"rendered":"Dutch Startup Changemakers: Nalden"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Ronald Hans aka Nalden first came to prominence with his pioneering blog, <\/span>Nalden.net<\/span><\/a>, which he started as a teenager. He co-founded <\/span>WeTransfer<\/span><\/a>, bootstrapped it to profitability, raised $25M, opened an office in LA and left a decade later. In addition to WeTransfer, he is the co-founder of the design studio\u00a0Present Plus and is now building <\/span>Adelee<\/span><\/a>, a private social network for you and your inner circle only. He\u2019s both a founder and an investor so we asked him what he learned over the years in the startup world. Find out what is it about entrepreneurship that particularly attracts him and what he thinks needs to improve in the Dutch startup ecosystem.
\"A<\/span>
1. Hi Nalden<\/a>, thank you for agreeing to do the interview. Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you first entered the startup world? You started building websites at the age of 13. Where did the interest in the digital world come from?<\/b><\/p>\n

Cheers! Thanks for having me. My interest in technology started at a young age due to playing video games. After discovering the world wide web and feeling connected to like-minded people I started building websites, just as a means of expressing myself, I guess. This evolved to blogging and that kind of decided the course of my life as a teenager. It\u2019s a combination of a DIY mindset, learning by doing, playing around, experimenting with new stuff online while being connected to peers doing similar things.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. You started with a blog<\/a> at the age of 16, founded WeTransfer<\/a>, co-founded Present Plus and Present Plus Film<\/a>. Now you\u2019re building Adelee<\/a>, a private social network. How did you go from blogging to becoming a serial entrepreneur? What is it about entrepreneurship that particularly attracts you?<\/b><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say I like the vehicle of a startup, which is all about experimenting, failing and learning fast. I like to kickstart things, ideas, movements, counter cultures. Or maybe it\u2019s even simpler, I like to <\/span>try<\/b>. When I was a bit younger I tried many things. Now I\u2019m a bit more selective due to the phase I\u2019m in my life. Yet being a parent is the one thing that trumps everything.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. What are the lessons for founders you\u2019ve learned throughout your journey?<\/b><\/p>\n

Well, some personal lessons are that it took me a long time to destroy the idea that you have to be constantly working or grinding in order to be successful. Whatever successful means. How to allocate your finite time and energy efficiently is something you constantly have to revisit. And the most important thing is to know yourself. Really understanding who you are helps to interact with the world around you. Stay healthy, stay sane.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. You\u2019re also an investor. How does it feel to support other founders in their journey after founding several startups yourself?<\/b><\/p>\n

I feel privileged to support other founders by sharing perspectives, opinions and experiences. It\u2019s good fun because with angel investing you kind of get paid for being right first, and to be first, you can\u2019t wait for consensus. It\u2019s a bet on people. These bets are great because they have nonlinear outcomes, but on the downside, you can only lose 1x. On the upside, you can make 10,000x. Regardless of the outcomes, my thesis is as follows:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n