From Student to CEO: Jeroen De Wit's Teamleader Journey

Dr. Niklas Richter · 2026-04-02

As a student, Jeroen De Wit noticed something frustrating. He watched entrepreneurs get bogged down in paperwork and clunky tools. They were spending more time on admin than on their actual businesses. That observation sparked an idea. Together with two co-founders, he started building software. But here's the interesting part—they didn't build in isolation. They literally created alongside their first customers. Selling during the day, coding through the night. That's how Teamleader began. ### The Cashflow Reality Check In this episode, Jeroen shares the raw truth about rapid growth. That initial surge? It created a cashflow problem, not just opportunity. He talks about how $75,000 from their parents disappeared in just three months. That's right—vanished. That first investment round wasn't about luxury or expansion dreams. It was pure survival. A necessity to keep the lights on while they figured out how to scale properly. ### The Founder's Evolution One of the toughest transitions? Moving from product builder to CEO while your company outgrows your financial runway. Jeroen describes that feeling vividly—your baby growing faster than your ability to support it. He had to learn on the fly: - How to manage a team instead of just code - When to delegate versus when to dive in - Balancing vision with practical financial constraints It's that classic founder dilemma: you're so good at building the thing, but suddenly you need to lead the people building the thing. > "We were selling what we hadn't even built yet. Every day was a promise, every night was a race to deliver." ### Where Teamleader Stands Today Fast forward to now. Teamleader serves over 35,000 customers across Europe. They've become part of the Visma family—a significant milestone for any SaaS company. But Jeroen keeps coming back to those early days. Three young guys with more ambition than sleep, proving that sometimes the best way to build is alongside the people you're trying to serve. ### Practical Takeaways for Entrepreneurs If you're building something right now, here's what you might learn from Jeroen's journey: - **Cashflow isn't theoretical**: Rapid growth can drain resources faster than you imagine - **Customer collaboration is gold**: Building with users, not just for them, creates better products - **The founder transition is real**: Moving from maker to manager requires conscious effort - **Investment timing matters**: Sometimes funding isn't about growth—it's about survival Remember those nights coding what you sold that morning? That's where real entrepreneurship happens. In the gap between promise and delivery, between vision and execution. Jeroen's story reminds us that even the most successful companies start with humble beginnings. With more passion than resources, more ideas than sleep, and a willingness to learn alongside your customers every step of the way. The journey from student observer to CEO of a company serving thousands isn't a straight line. It's filled with cashflow scares, parental loans, and learning to lead while your creation grows beyond you. But that's what makes the story worth telling—and worth learning from.