Marelle van Beerschoten, owner and managing director of Digital Shapers: 'When people follow their interests, they often discover their talents too.'

If you were given a million to give away, who or what would you give it to?
To an organisation that supports vulnerable people in society. Looking at my own field, I’d say helping people to become more digitally skilled. The money could, for example, go to libraries that are working on this. But I also know that it’s not always about budgets or developing materials, because people are often simply not reached. In that case, funding those courses doesn’t achieve very much. You’re better off investing that money in outreach, in making personal connections and supporting people who are being left behind digitally. You have to go to them.

Who exactly are you talking about?
People who don’t have a good command of Dutch, who can’t afford to travel by public transport to attend a course, who are single-handedly caring for young children. That’s an enormous untapped potential. These people want to contribute and take part in society. And society has a real need for people who are digitally skilled. First, you want people to no longer feel intimidated about opening a laptop and visiting a government website. You want them to be able to bank online. But ultimately, it’s also important to train people in how to work with AI. And that comes down to empathy, curiosity and compassion. Those are precisely the capabilities we’ll need to innovate successfully in the future.

I don’t quite follow.
When I started out as an entrepreneur, people told me from all sides: your idea isn’t unique, thousands of others could have it too. What matters is whether you can execute it and bring it to market. In other words, creativity counts for little, it’s all about execution. What we’re seeing now is that with AI we can build and execute very quickly, which makes creativity far more distinctive again.

Which achievement are you most proud of?
The brand we’ve built, and the fact that we do meaningful work. We support people within organisations in adopting technology. Companies often invest in technologies such as AI, but to be successful you also need to focus on how people use them and on adapting processes. When usage is optimal, the returns are too.

I do that work with a strong, enjoyable team that functions well even without me. I’m proud of that as well. As an entrepreneur, I have the freedom to adjust direction day by day, and to do what I enjoy. And I’m proud of the AI inspiration trip we’ve been organising for several years now for senior leaders from a range of organisations.

What does that trip involve?
We look at how AI is applied within organisations. Is it driven by the business, is it an IT matter, or does responsibility sit with management? During the programme, it becomes very clear why one organisation opts for a particular model, and another for something entirely different. And what I also like is that the trip doesn’t take us abroad. We’re often quick to look to Silicon Valley or China, but for inspiring examples of AI applications, you don’t even have to leave Amsterdam.

Who or what has shaped you most as a leader?
The first thing that comes to mind goes back quite a while, when I became chair of AIESEC, a student organisation. I suddenly became president, as it was called, of a board and several teams, about 25 people in total. During that time, I discovered what worked for me. Every week I had to stand up and explain what we were going to do, what the results were and what I expected from everyone. I could experiment with both form and content and learned what worked and what didn’t. At the time, I was best at persuading people by inspiring them. I often left more technical matters to those who understood them best, such as sales and finance. Until I gradually realised how important it is to be substantively involved yourself. That’s crucial as an entrepreneur: you need a clear understanding of every aspect of your business. After that, you have to find the right balance and avoid getting involved in everything. Over the past fifteen years, I’ve continued to develop my leadership in that way.

What would you like to pass on or leave behind?
I’d like to encourage people to commit to something. I don’t have much patience for idleness, and I think it’s a shame when people feel they don’t matter. When you encourage people in their talents, give them trust and reward their initiative, they flourish. I’d like to leave behind a more active society.

Which mistake or disappointment taught you the most?
A few years ago, I sold part of my shares, and about a year and a half ago I bought them back. The idea was that partnering would help us expand the business, but in the end it wasn’t the right fit. That period did bring opportunities: we hired people and expanded into the US. But ultimately, it mainly cost money. I could have invested that differently. Still, it was quite an extraordinary experience. As an entrepreneur, you invest in your own development, so I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it.

How do you bring out the best in others?
My work is one long journey of discovery. I like to be surprised, and I want the same for the people I work with. I invite them to explore: we’re a small, flexible company, so think about what you most enjoy doing, and we’ll try to make that happen. There are no fixed boundaries with us. When people follow their interests, they often discover their talents. And perhaps I can help refine those talents a little further.

How have you changed over the past ten years?
I’ve become more relaxed as an entrepreneur, I no longer feel the need to do everything myself. The team does everything, including the more enjoyable parts, and that often brings enjoyable things back to me as well. More space in my diary creates more room to think. People sometimes ask whether I can combine running a company with having a child, but when I’m at the playground on a Wednesday afternoon, my mind settles and ideas start to flow. I’ve also become more efficient. I used to pursue every opportunity and meet everyone for coffee. Now I’m much more selective. At the same time, I’ve learned to share more of myself. I used to be very businesslike, now I open up more and ask more about people’s personal lives: what’s on your mind, how are things at home? That bit of small talk at the start of a meeting strengthens almost every relationship, and it’s brought me a great deal. And yes, ten years ago I was still something of an underdog, a young woman in tech. I take myself much more seriously now. I’ve built something genuinely worthwhile.