Nobel Podcast

From Sales Leader to Startup Founder: Thijs' Leap into Recruitment Tech

In this episode of the Nobel Podcast Vladan speaks to Thijs Visser, sales leader and co-founder of Cruit, one of the Netherlands’ most promising recruitment tech startups. Thijs shares his journey from sales leadership to entrepreneurship, insights on referral hiring, and tips for building a successful sales team. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction & Guest Background 00:27 - The Story Behind Cruit01:46 - Thijs’ Journey: From Sales Leader to Co-Founder 03:09 - Meeting the Co-Founders & Launching Cruit04:25 - Taking the Leap: Risks & Rewards 05:24 - Landing the First Client & Early Challenges 07:12 - Selling to Large Enterprises as a Startup 08:23 - Remote Sales Success & Online Selling 09:02 - Sales Motion: Outbound vs. Inbound 09:44 - Standing Out in the Age of Automation 10:01 - Vertical Selling & Webinars 10:37 - What Makes a Great BDR? 11:19 - Training, Onboarding & Team Building 18:15 - Closing Thoughts & Outro If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and follow for more inspiring conversations!

Patrick on Scaling Docker’s Sales Team from 5 to 70 FTEs in EMEA

In this episode of the Nobel Podcast, we welcome Patrick Wittenberg, VP of Sales for EMEA & APAC at Docker. With nearly two decades of sales experience at leading tech companies, Patrick shares his journey of scaling Docker’s commercial team from just 5 to 70 FTEs and driving revenue growth across international markets.
Patrick opens up about:
Building and leading high-performing global sales teams
How Docker became the de facto standard for containerization
Balancing strategic vision with day-to-day sales leadership
The importance of culture, trust, and curiosity in sales success
Lessons learned from hitting and missing ambitious quotas
The impact of AI on developers, sales models, and the future of Docker
This conversation is packed with insights for sales leaders, founders, and anyone interested in scaling teams, managing growth, and navigating the challenges of global sales.

How Sandra is acing the execution of Deel's partnerships strategy in Europe (200%+ quota attainment)

What does a Partnership Manager really do? 🎙️ In this episode, Sandra Mittica, Partnerships Nordics, Benelux & Strategic Alliances at Deel, shares her journey, explains different partnership types, and reveals how she hit 258% of her quota while managing multiple regions. A must-listen for anyone in sales, partnerships, or business development.
In this episode, we talk with Sandra Mittica, Partnerships Manager at Deel, about her inspiring career journey. From the creative industry and Angry Birds 🎮 to becoming one of the top-performing leaders in partnerships and business development.
Sandra explains what a Partnership Manager really does and breaks down the differences between channel sales, affiliate marketing, resellers, integration partnerships, and strategic alliances. She also shares how she hit 258% quota attainment, expanded into multiple regions, and built strong partner ecosystems that drive revenue growth.
If you’re curious about sales enablement, indirect sales, partnership strategy, or careers in partnerships, this episode is packed with insights you can apply right away.
👉 Follow the podcast for more conversations on sales leadership, partnership growth, and business development strategies.
 

In the spotlight: Billy Grace - one of the fastest growing A.I./SaaS companies in NL

Discover how Billy Grace is using AI to transform marketing, freeing creatives from data overload and giving them the space to focus on what truly matters.In this episode of the Nobel Podcast, we sit down with Mitch Voskuilen, CEO and founder of Billy Grace. Billy Grace is a fast-growing scale-up that has built an AI-driven marketing platform with a clear mission: to free marketers from endless data and give them back the space for creativity.
Mitch shares how his career in digital marketing and recruitment led to the idea for Billy Grace. He explains how the platform tackles two of the biggest challenges in the industry: automating complex data tasks and independently measuring the effectiveness of campaigns. The result is that marketers not only gain back valuable time but also get a clear and honest picture of how their budgets perform across channels such as Google, Meta, and TikTok.
We also dive into the growth journey of Billy Grace, from the early building phase in 2020 to the official launch in 2022 and the impressive scaling that followed. Today the company has more than 40 employees, partners with agencies across the Benelux, Germany, the UK, and even the US, and is on a mission to expand further into Europe.
What makes this conversation especially valuable is Mitch’s vision for the future of marketing. He believes AI can take over the complexity of data so that marketers can return to their creative roots. We also discuss why agencies play a central role in Billy Grace’s strategy and what makes the company such an exciting place to work.
Whether you are a marketer curious about the impact of AI, an entrepreneur building your own business, or simply someone interested in the evolution of marketing technology, this episode offers fresh insights into one of Europe’s most promising scale-ups.

How Koen successfully expanded Personio's business in Benelux as a regional leader

In this episode of the Noble Podcast, we welcome Koen Stam, one of the most energetic and inspiring sales leaders in the SaaS industry. From growing up in an entrepreneurial family business, to founding his own SaaS startup in 2015, to taking on leadership roles at Teamleader, 24sessions (later acquired by MessageBird), and now Personio, Koen has built an outstanding track record in scaling SaaS companies, driving revenue growth, and leading high-performing teams.
Today, Koen is Head of Benelux at Personio, an ambassador for Winning by Design and Trumpet, chapter lead at Pavilion, and the founder of GTMOS, where he helps SaaS companies scale to 50M ARR. He is also a proud father of two, balancing personal and professional life while continuing to inspire the next generation of sales leaders.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
How Koen transitioned from individual contributor to sales leadership, and why spreading energy and knowledge drives bigger impact.
Insights into his role at Personio, managing sales, marketing, partnerships, customer success, and operations across the Benelux.
Why cross-functional leadership is critical in today’s AI-driven SaaS market and how to align teams around the customer, not departments.
Proven lessons on hiring, retention, and career development—including why Personio’s top performers often started as SDRs.
The six pillars of great sales leadership: strategic vision, operational excellence, collaboration, hiring & retention, motivating teams, and coaching for performance.
How to design fair and motivating compensation plans, set realistic quotas, and create transparent career frameworks.
Practical frameworks for sales coaching and performance management that turn training into measurable growth.
Koen shares candid stories of mistakes, lessons learned, and strategies that any sales leader, SaaS founder, or GTM strategist can apply immediately. From setting up satellite offices in new markets, to leveraging local partnerships, to balancing short-term execution with long term scalability, this conversation is full of actionable advice.
Whether you’re a sales manager aiming to inspire your team, a SaaS entrepreneur scaling internationally, or a professional looking to build a career in sales leadership, this episode will give you both inspiration and concrete tactics to succeed.

Lessons on how to sell successfully into the DACH region

In this episode Nobel founder Vladan Soldat interviews Fabian Bacher on everything there is to know about selling into the DACH region. 

How Mees books over 100 meetings as a BDR in 1 month

In this episode Nobel founder Vladan Soldat interviews Mees Koning on how he is crushing it as a BDR. 

From Dropout to Serial Entrepreneur: Hans de Penning, CEO and Founder of Neople | SaaS Unscripted Podcast

Welcome to another exciting episode of SaaS Unscripted! 🎙️ Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Hans de Penning, the CEO and founder of Neopel, one of the hottest SaaS start-ups out there. Join us as Hans shares his incredible journey from being an engineering dropout to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
In this episode, Hans dives into:
His early days as an engineering student and the pivotal moment that led him to drop out.
The challenges and successes of starting his first engineering consultancy business.
The evolution of his career, including the founding of a car-sharing company, Amber.
The impact of COVID-19 on his business and the strategic pivots that followed.
The birth of Neopel and how AI is revolutionizing customer support.
Insights into building a high-performance team and scaling a SaaS business internationally.
 
Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction
(00:17) - Hans' background and early career
(00:48) - Dropping out of engineering school
(02:29) - Founding the first consultancy business
(05:04) - Transitioning to a car-sharing company
(10:04) - Prototyping and pivoting during COVID-19
(16:57) - Landing ABN AMRO as a first customer
(19:28) - The impact of COVID-19 on the business
(22:39) - Lessons learned and bad decisions
(23:55) - Achievements with Amber and the eventual sale
(26:23) - Taking a break and soul-searching
(28:19) - The inception of Neopel
(30:52) - Building the AI-driven customer support solution
(35:26) - Early traction and growth
(38:58) - Future ambitions and scaling internationally
(43:33) - Final thoughts and advice for aspiring founders
Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a SaaS professional, or just curious about the startup world, this episode offers valuable insights and inspiration from someone who's living it. Tune in to learn about Hans’ experiences, the evolution of the SaaS industry, and the innovative solutions Neople is bringing to the SaaS world. 
🔗 Connect with Hans de Penning: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-de-penning/
Website: https://www.neople.io/
 
 🔗 Nobel Recruitment & Nick van Eeten:
 Website: https://www.noblerecruitment.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-van-eeten-saas-sales-recruitment/
 
Don't forget to subscribe to SaaS:Unscripted for more behind-the-scenes stories from the SaaS industry, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app! 

Erwin van der Vlist - Start Small, Scale Big

Welcome to another exciting episode of SaaS Unscripted, brought to you by Nobel Recruitment! In this episode, our host Nick van Eeten sits down with Erwin van der Vlist, the co-founder of Speakap and talk about his incredible journey from working in a supermarket to founding a successful SaaS company.
Key Takeaways:
Erwin's early days and the inspiration behind Speakap.
The challenges and successes of expanding Speakap to the US.
Valuable lessons on perseverance, product-market fit, and strategic sales.
Insights into maintaining a work-life balance and hiring the right talent.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Meet Erwin van der Vlist
(01:02) - The Birth of Speakap
(03:41) - The Evolution of Speakap
(05:01) - Securing Investment and Growth
(07:07) - Expanding to the US Market
(12:03) - Personal and Professional Challenges in the US
(18:00) - Achieving Product-Market Fit
(21:12) - Key Learnings and Advice for Founders
(29:07) - Elevating Sales Strategies
(31:12) - Returning to Amsterdam
(33:29) - Current Role and Future Plans
(36:04) - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
(39:22) - Balancing Work and Life
(41:19) - Hiring the Right Talent
Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a SaaS professional, or just curious about the startup world, this episode offers valuable insights and inspiration from someone who's living it. Tune in to learn about Erwin’s experiences, the evolution of the SaaS industry, and the innovative solutions Speakap is bringing to the SaaS world. 
🔗 Connect with Erwin van der Vlist : 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/erwinvandervlist/
Website: https://www.speakap.com/
 
 🔗 Nobel Recruitment & Nick van Eeten:
 Website: https://www.noblerecruitment.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-van-eeten-saas-sales-recruitment/
 
Don't forget to subscribe to SaaS:Unscripted for more behind-the-scenes stories from the SaaS industry, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app! 

From Corporate Lawyer to SaaS Innovator with Martin Folke Vasehus

In this episode of SaaS Unscripted, host Nick van Eeten interviews Martin Folke Vasehus, CEO and founder of ComplyCloud, a Danish SaaS company. Martin shares his journey from being a corporate lawyer to founding a successful SaaS company, highlighting the challenges and achievements along the way. From bootstrapping the company to facing financial struggles and overcoming obstacles, Martin's story is one of resilience and determination in the world of SaaS.
Key Highlights:
Martin's career journey from corporate lawyer to SaaS entrepreneur
Founding and growing ComplyCloud
Overcoming financial challenges and bootstrapping the company
Importance of product-market fit and the evolution of ComplyCloud’s offerings
Hiring tips and the significance of a structured recruitment process
Personal ambitions and maintaining a work-life balance
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:12) - Martin's background and the journey to founding ComplyCloud
(05:45) - Early career as a corporate lawyer
(09:30) - Recognizing the opportunity in compliance and GDPR
(13:55) - The leap of faith: quitting the job to start ComplyCloud
(18:42) - Initial struggles and finding a new co-founder
(23:10) - Building the first prototype and securing early customers
(28:33) - Product-market fit and scaling the company
(32:25) - Importance of hiring the right people
(37:40) - Raising capital and choosing the right investor
(42:50) - Challenges in scaling and maintaining company culture
(47:18) - Personal ambitions and work-life balance
(52:00) - Advice for aspiring SaaS founders
(56:30) - Closing remarks
Subscribe to SaaS Unscripted for more behind-the-scenes stories and growth journeys in the SaaS world. Visit noblerecruitment.com for the latest career opportunities in the industry. Don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts on this episode. Stay tuned for more episodes of SaaS Unscripted!
🔗 Connect with Martin Folke Vasehus:
LinkedIn: Martin Folke Vasehus
🔗 Nobel Recruitment & Nick van Eeten:
Website: Nobel Recruitment
LinkedIn: Nick van Eeten
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