Marieke Ammerlaan is founder of MyBeats and a graduate of the previous StartupLeap edition. Realising the importance of community and peer support, she quickly utilised it during StartupLeap. Learn how she used it in her benefit and what it taught her.
How did you benefited from being part of a community?
Being part of a community is great for your general knowledge, networking and looking from another perspective, when you need it. Hearing new things and the confirming your assumptions, provide you confidence and reassurance that you are on the right track. Best way to do it is through discussions, but of course proactive attitude is essential.
When did you need support the most and how did it help you?
When you just feel stuck, it is nice to look around and see others also stuck and others getting unstuck. Being around people who are struggling with the same things, but rarely are any competition is really stimulating. Sometimes you can get that extra boost to continue with your tasks and to keep your motivation up.
Why do you think founders should be part of a community?
You never know where the help you need will come from. Sometimes community can actually provide you not only with an opinion or support, but also network and knowledge. Startup communities are often diverse, making them great to expand your horizons and learn new things, even if they are not in your sector. Therefore it’s very useful for the creative process.