Only one out of hundred start-ups becomes a success. Why even starting one, you might think? For me the reason was simple: what do I have to lose? I’ll always regret it if I didn’t try and would be speculating "what if…" for the rest of my life.

In March 2015, together with some friends, I co-founded a start-up called Wundernacht. A few months later, half of the team dropped out and, together with one of the other co-founders, I decided to go all in. All my savings. All my time. Put all your eggs in one basket if you really want to make something into a success. Well, that’s what we did.

Reality check, 18 months later (Dec 2016) the story is over, we shut down the shop. But what an experience. So much fun and many learnings. Priceless! When I talk to people, they highly respect the fact we gave it a try and even made it quite far. We raised an investment, expanded our network, build a strong and loveable brand. People bought our product and we made them smile. We learned how to write a business plan (not a very good one), cope with interns, stakeholders and so much more.

Will I give another idea another try in the future? For sure, because I have plenty ideas and I’m convinced that I’ll be that one out of the hundred.

Experiences are the most valuable in life, also the ones without a happy ending. You’ll grow and evolve as a person and a professional. Period.

Wout Arets