October 1, 2024

Connecting European software entrepreneurs to discover the key factors of success

Last Thursday, on the 26th of September, we at Rubio partnered up with the Boardwave network and hosted an event at our office for European software leaders!

Phill Robinson, founder of Boardwave and former CEO of Exact Software, led a panel discussion featuring our very own Partner, Ilonka Jankovich, Founder & CEO of Blinqx, Ruud Van der Kruk, and Chairman of ServiceNow, Ulrik Nehammer. Together, they shared stories from their entrepreneurial journeys, and discussed topics such as the critical role of company culture, a resilience and impact-driven mindset, scaling strategies, and diversity in leadership.

Key takeaways from the panel:

• Ilonka: “The early stage of a company is all about people. I find that key factors of success in this stage are the founder’s ability to go through ups and downs, excel in some important characteristics, be open and honest about potential shortcomings, and always look to improve upon them.”
  
• Ulrik: “When you scale, you risk losing the culture that is so vital to a company. To protect your culture, always aim to keep founders involved and set meaningful goals that everyone in the company can identify with.”
  
• Ruud: “It is important to ensure that your entrepreneurs stay connected with the organization, maintain close contact with colleagues to drive innovation, and are supported in this process by managing directors.”

We believe that the discussions provided valuable insights into the factors that drive growth and success in the European software landscape. We’re glad to have had the opportunity to host this event, and it was great to see the audience and panelists exchange thoughts and ideas after the panel talk was over.

As a not-for-profit, Boardwave organizes informal networking events, such as dinners and debates, that facilitate open discussions and collaboration among software leaders on business issues and personal development. Boardwave also offers a mentoring program specifically tailored to support developing CEOs and founders, regardless of their business size. This program connects founders with seasoned senior executives, helping them enhance their leadership skills, address business challenges, and accelerate their companies’ success with expert guidance.

We’re proud to support initiatives like Boardwave and believe that their events and mentoring program provide invaluable advice to founders. It’s great to have them as part of our venture support program.