Jarno van der Velde

“I like building software and seeing it work. For a while now I've been building Jarvel on my own, a set of apps (mail, chat, video calls, calendar, docs, notes, project management, storage and more) that all share one account. It works and runs on my own server, but nobody outside of me is using it yet. What keeps me going is that I think there's room for a simpler, privacy-friendly alternative to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, especially for smaller companies. I might be wrong about how big that room is, and that's exactly what I want to find out. I'm motivated by turning something I built for myself into something real people pay for. Even a small group of happy customers would mean more to me than adding another feature.”

“Someone who covers what I can't. I'm technical and can build the product, but I have no real experience with sales, marketing, pricing or fundraising. I'm looking for someone who wants to own that side. You don't need a big track record, but some experience talking to customers, selling a product or pitching to investors would help a lot. You should be comfortable reaching out to people, hearing "no" a lot, and bringing back honest feedback, even if it means we change direction or cut things I've built. I'm looking for a co-founder, not an employee: equity and an equal say in decisions. There's no funding and no revenue yet, so I understand if you can't start full-time right away, but the goal is to raise a first round together so we both can. Most of all: honest, reliable and willing to put in the work while it's still uncertain.”

“Long term: Europe's own answer to Google and Microsoft. A full workspace (email, chat, video calls, calendar, docs, files, project management) built and hosted in Europe, that businesses and governments can choose without giving their data to US tech giants. I know that's a huge goal, and right now Jarvel has zero users. So the realistic path starts small. First, pick one group, for example small businesses that want everything in one place without depending on Google or Microsoft, and make it really good for them. Then get to a profitable company that pays a few salaries and has customers who stick around because the product is good. From there, grow step by step, on the back of real customers and revenue, toward that bigger goal.”