Since I became an entrepreneur (again) in 2008 Sanne and I have not worked in an office. From 2008 to 2021 our work (for Spotted by Locals) was visiting cities around the world and meeting people. After work, we had to catch up on computer work in bars, short rental flats or hotel rooms. Our “home” and our base is… Continue reading 18 years of hybrid work – 12 tips
When Spotify launched in 2008, I was one of their early users. My friend Vasco in Stockholm sent me one of the invites he received from the founder of this übercool Swedish startup. Before Spotify I had a big hard drive full of illegally downloaded music (Napster, BitTorrent). Searching for an artist and just pressing play on Spotify was revolutionary… Continue reading Tip for Spotify haters & music lovers: NTS Radio
Do you make (most of) your money by clients booking time in your calendar – for example as a consultant, coach or therapist? And are you frustrated by all the time you spend on administrative tasks? We can help. Since 2026 programmers Lucas & Teun and me (Ordo ab Chao) helped optimize and automate many tasks for ergonomist Sanne (DeskGuru).… Continue reading Selling Your Time? Stop Losing It to Admin.
I used to check and answer my email at least 50 times a day. Multitasking by checking email regularly is one of the best things you can do to fry your brain…. It was difficult to change this habit, but when I finally did it it made me so much more productive and creative. Now I do so just twice… Continue reading Stop checking your email!
In the last few months, I helped Stichting Bostherapiecentrum get ready for working with companies. Stichting Bostherapiecentrum (“Forest Therapy Center)” is a group of experienced coaches who are specialised in “nature based inventions” in the forest like Shinrin-Yoku (“Forest bathing”). The coaches have helped many individuals reconnect with nature (of course I did a session too!) and now decided to… Continue reading Project case study – Stichting Bostherapiecentrum
In the last years, I’ve increasingly felt anxious about my dependence on a few big U.S. tech giants. I waited too long, but finally pulled myself together and did it! What I did: moved my personal data over to European servers. And made sure no private information about me is sent to American servers anymore. It took me a year… Continue reading Goodbye U.S. Big tech (+ step by step guide)
In het Amsterdamse Bos werd de “alweer 8e” (in 19 jaar tijd…. kom op jongers) editie van de #bestof180 competitie gehouden langs 12 fitness toestellen (De “Bosscross route”). Gelukkig waren er geen toeschouwers. De prestaties van alle vier de deelnemers waren bij vlagen uiterst beschamend. Na een spannende inhaalrace door Reinier (unaniem uitgeroepen tot de fitste allrounder) & “ijzeren kuiten”… Continue reading Best of 180: Sport parcours
On a recent visit to the very cool Fenix museum – an art museum about immigration in Rotterdam that opened last year – I saw this “World Passport”. Nice idea and piece of art, I thought. “If only this existed”. And I took a picture. The concept stuck though, and I started reading more about it at home. It turns… Continue reading How to become an official “World Citizen”
6 hours a week. That doesn’t sound like too much — until you realize it’s 7 full 40-hour work weeks every year, gone to repetitive admin tasks. Here’s how we got them back. The situation Since DeskGuru launched in 2020, the “Guru” at DeskGuru (Sanne) has been been almost exclusively spending time on the “real” work for clients: online ergonomic… Continue reading Project case study – automate boring tasks at DeskGuru
We spent part of our winter in Thiruvananthampuram (yes, took us some practice) – the capital of Kerala India. Workation in Thiruvananthampuram India – the summary:🍚 South-Indian food paradise- dosa, biryani and many unique Kerala specialties (think spicy & coconut)🌴 Coconut trees & rich green nature everywhere☀️ Tropical heat. January is doable, from February it gets sweaty🚊 Good rapid train… Continue reading Workation: Kerala 🇮🇳
