Welcome back to The Big Exit Show! I'm Johan, and with me is Anke, and today, we dive deep into the world of entrepreneurial grit and personal triumph with our guest, Gerrit. From his days as a Royal Marine to the challenging world of banking, Gerrit's story is a compelling tale of transition, embodying resilience and determination. In this special episode, we uncover the inception of Appical, Gerrit's brainchild, borne from his marine experience and onto the demanding tech landscape. We'll explore how his unique approach to customer relationships and financing helped scale the company and navigate international expansion. Gerrit doesn't shy away from discussing the tougher times—raising funds, surmounting cultural shifts, co-founder dynamics, and the mental toll it took on him. We'll delve into the lessons learned from the stressful and hostile environment that led to his difficult exit from the company he passionately built. Post-exit, Gerrit faced an intense period of recovery, choosing personal well-being over legal battles. Now, living life on his terms, he imparts those hard-earned insights, revealing the gift within the challenge—finding growth in struggle. For startup founders, Gerrit's story offers valuable guidance on adding value, smart hiring, and charting your path with a mindfulness toward the dynamics of your team and potential future exits. So buckle up for a truly enlightening journey as Gerrit shares the roller coaster ride that has now transitioned into teaching and consulting, shaping his profound message for entrepreneurs everywhere. Stay tuned, and let's learn how to navigate the complexities of building and exiting a company, the Gerrit way.  We will talk about:  00:00 Grit and resilience crucial for successful founders.05:21 Military induction, transformation, completion, reevaluation, departure decision.09:45 Founding mobile learning app despite investment business.13:37 Working with big brands, intense meetings frustration.17:31 Received letter about shareholder meeting, solved problem.21:45 Close customer relationship, upfront payment, cash flow.23:42 Transition from Harriet to Hank, building relationships.28:53 International expansion required customer and product scalability.33:11 Seeking market leadership, secured funding, expanded into Europe.35:38 Unfavorable work environment led to colleague's exit.39:27 Exit from company, loss of control, burnout.43:32 Prepare for exit while building your business.46:09 Chose to exit legal battle, faced consequences.52:03 "Adding value, hire right, create roadmap, coach."55:41 Entrepreneur's personal story, struggles, and leadership reflection.Get to know Gerrit better:Born and raised in Bolsworth within a Frisian community, Gerrit harbored an unwavering aspiration from a young age to join the Royal Marines. And now  a business builder and a team enabler. He is an active interim manager for tech startups and scaleups and as an interim HR specialist for employee onboarding & retention. Furthermore, he specialised in data analytics to support data-driven initiatives in the candidate & employee journey. Want to have contact with Gerrit you can do that through his LinkedInThis is his book The Big Exit Show is an initiative by Peak and NP-Hard. Want to know more about Peak and the ventures we back? Check out our website. Want to know more about NP-Hard? Have a look at our website. Feedback for our podcast or want to be featured on our show? Please reach out at [email protected].