Last night I walked my first AvondVierdaagse with my kids. It's a great annual initiative in 600 municipalities across The Netherlands getting kids out on long walks with friends and family 4 evenings in a row.
Preparing for today's newsletter, I got to thinking about how actually getting kids out and doing stuff is pretty common and widespread in Holland. Childhood obesity is a global bummer. And every EU country will be more obese by 2030 - except one. The Netherlands.
"One thing is that the Dutch move a lot," says Brouns, confirming everything I've seen. "So if you look outside, you see cycling everywhere… Most of the children go to school on foot or by bicycle. That is one big difference to most European countries."
Learning the importance (and benefits!) of just getting up and doing something vs. talking about it at a young age can't be overstated.
Putting words after another is easy but one foot after the other can be so much harder.
As always, thank you for reading!
with appreciation,
Jon
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p.s. some exciting client news:
- Congrats Pure Cycles & and Amsterdam-based Springtime Design on winning the Transportation Award of Core77 Design Awards 2017!
- Congrats to Komoot for WWDC cameo last week! They are also is one of 16 apps worldwide in Google Play’s new Android Excellence collections.
- Some Sales & PR clients are in Amsterdam this week! Paul of Bristol based UX research firm Nomensa (also a silver sponsor of the UX Strat conf here) & Michel, founder of Basel bike shop: OBST & GEMÜSE.
Cycling
🐆 Check out the LPRD skinsuit 🐆
.LPRD creates fashionable high performance athletic clothing, with a touch of leopard print.
Our clothes are designed and produced right here in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Be fast like a leopard.
Podia - Keira McVitty
Recent interesting interview with Keira McVitty, a first year Pro-Cyclist with the British Women’s UCI Professional team WNT. 🚵♀️ 💨
Soigneur - The Women's Strade
The latest issue is out this week!
One of my favorite photo series in edition is by Ian Walton of themusette.cc
Check it out here.
Follow @themusette_cc on insta & consider commissioning Ian at your next product launch, event or other engagement.
Startups
The benefits and challenges of running a slow-growing business
For a start there’s a lot less stress involved, and a lot less risk in something going spectacularly wrong. You have much more time to build the right team, and ensure the culture sticks, rather than just papering over the cracks. More importantly, you get to build a sustainable business under your own terms, rather than those of external funders. The biggest benefit for me is where you place your focus.
Marriott Hotels TestBED accelerator
The Marriott Hotels TestBED accelerator programme aims to find cutting edge technologies that can transform our guest experience. They're doing an event in Amsterdam tonight at Rockstart!
Nova in The Netherlands
Nova is looking for a co-founder in the Netherlands. Nova is a Swedish network for high performers and makes money through building relationships between high performers and employers. Apply here.
Sales
So You Need to Fire Your PR Agency, But Then What?
Check out companies we've helped with PR on our new portfolio page.
Hire a Head of Sales – Andreessen Horowitz
As a former software engineer and CEO, I used to hold the “engineer-centric” view that sales is not a critical function in an organization.
Free Comprehensive SEO Audit
My friends Greg & Clayton at oneiricsearch.com offered to provide subscribers of the Twotone newsletter with a detailed 10 point SEO audit of your website for free. Find out the more urgent areas for improvement of your site now.
Radness
TEN | KROOKS Records
KROOKS Records is celebrating its first TEN releases, by its first TEN artists among which Satori, Arjuna Schiks, SidiRum, Bremer and more.
LISTEN: They've put together a compilation filled with alternative electronica, bringing you a pallet of deep, romantic and cinematic vibes.
Keep updated at www.krooks-records.com for their developing catalog with hefty & unique pieces. TEN comes with the artwork by artist Robert Groenewald.
p.s. In Amsterdam? Come celebrate Saturday night!