Fortunaly…
Hi, I’m Frank Oonk, 34 years old. February 1, 2016, I sold my software company Recognize, 1 of the 1st IOT and Virtual Reality companies of the Netherlands to VolkerWessels Telecom …
I founded this company in 2012 to create a “shelter for whizkids, nerds and creative technicians”. Not as a marketing campaign (as you see a lot now), but because I wanted to create an environment that I felt comfortable with. Organically, we grew a company where whizkids would like to work and feel at home (even for less monthly loan than their current job), so we did not really had difficulties to find staff (software developers). We’d wo go all out for this mission, from massages to virtual reality / gaming corners, nerf gun battles and LAN parties until Friday afternoon bubbles in expensive restaurants and 24/7 you-decide-for-yourself opening hours. And this went well in the 1st year, but then …
I’ve always sworn that Recognize would stay mine. However, if someone could have warned me of those big (financial) losses I suffered, stress situations I had to learn to deal with, friendships put at stake and rules that I had to adhere to, I would have stopped much earlier and I never made that statement. Then I was at least 15kg lighter, money was never a problem (you employee guys and girls have to be thankfull for your monthly pay 😉 and I was at home at 18.00, every day. Still, I’m glad, I continued. Now I am a free man; I spend a lot of time with my family, I can organize my day myself, I can be proud of Recognize, I am socially relevant  in a way I’m happy, I have secured my daughter’s future, I have many passive revenue streams and I’m working on my health again!
Today, I own a number of companies and a portfolio of participations with a total of 1 million unique visitors per month +/- 330,000 instagram followers. This goes from consumer electronics to entertainment markets and from IT / Tech to e-tail. In addition, I still make music (85,000+ views whaat! :-)) and I am widely invited as a public speaker / dragon and adviser.
In my urge for entrepreneurship, I’ve experienced a lot of beautiful moments like Recognize’s crowdfund campagin, were we got funded € 80.000,- within one day. serving big brands and customers like Reggefiber, Cogas, Coulisse, Toppoint and Kruidvat, with the most exotic software from terrorism tracking to set top box software and from augmented reality to big mobile apps. And I have been able to meet the most diverse people. But, I’ve made many more mistakes and learned from it.
I hope to inspire you with my story in ….
HOLLA AT YA BOY!
