Big thoughts...

Inspiration from the big city got me thinking bigger during a stay in Singapore in 2012. Seeing an impressive skyline and experiencing something beyond everyday life made me want to start new things.

Inspiration from the big city raised my ambitions

I recognised the feeling from New York and Tokyo, among other places. The cities’ scale and energy could shift my own idea of what was possible.

It didn’t mean I needed to build a skyscraper. But I wanted to do more with the businesses and ideas I was already working on.

From a view to concrete tasks

On the trip, I worked on Amino Freelancer, among other things. I explain that I got ideas for making the service easier to use and providing more value for both those posting jobs and those bidding on them.

I passed tasks on to developers. My thinking was that if users got more from the service, it could become better business for Amino too.

In the video, I estimate potential extra turnover. That was my expectation for the ideas at the time, not a verified result.

Different surroundings can bring different thoughts

I also describe an earlier stay on Gran Canaria, where new surroundings inspired the family to a business idea.

For me, a journey and a special place could provide energy. I also say less might do it. What mattered was getting away a little and feeling something that set thoughts in motion.

The hotel prices and my calculations in the video are from 2012. The story is my personal experience of inspiration, not a promise that an expensive holiday brings a particular financial return.

Singapore, a skyline and a pool high above the city

I’m standing in Singapore looking over downtown and the financial district. Across from me is one of the impressive hotels. In the video, I say it cost eight billion dollars to build and has a 150-metre infinity pool on top. Imagine lying in a swimming pool looking over all of Singapore. That’s pretty impressive.

I’m here to visit Steffen, whose company provides clippings from Danish media to Danish businesses. It’s another interview in my project travelling around the world visiting Danish entrepreneurs. The interviews go on Amino TV. But right now, it’s the view and the thoughts it sparks that I want to share.

Inspiration from the big city makes me want bigger business

When I’m somewhere like Singapore, New York or Tokyo, I think: Wow! There’s tonnes of power and money. Yes, there’s surely misery and other sides to the cities too. But for me, seeing that scale and energy shifts the bar. It makes me want to aim higher with what I do.

I’ve saved up to stay at the Mandarin Oriental here in Singapore. It might not look particularly special from where I’m standing, but in the video I describe it as one of the world’s best hotels and the highest-rated in Singapore. That’s my description on the trip back then.

It costs quite a bit to be here. I’m not saying you need to do exactly the same. But I’ve noticed that when I spend slightly more than perhaps I should and get a view like this, I’m inspired to put in an extra effort.

It’s great fun being waited on hand and foot and looking over a fantastic skyline. Less could probably do it too. This just really fires me up. I’ve experienced the same walking around New York. London or Paris could probably give that feeling too.

I want to do bigger business. I’ll never afford an entire building like the one I’m looking at. But if I can just reach the first floor, I’ll have come much further than where I am today. I don’t know whether it works like that for you. For me, it makes me want to work hard.

Ideas by the pool and messages to developers in Manila

Yesterday and today, I’ve been lying by the pool getting ideas. Then I’ve jumped up, grabbed the keyboard on my laptop or iPhone and sent new tasks to our developers in Manila.

It’s mainly Amino Freelancer I’m working on. I’ve found ways to make it easier to use and give both freelancers and those posting jobs more value. I don’t go into all the details in the video because it would take too long.

If someone posts a job and gets more bids, they can get a better price. If more jobs appear, freelancers can earn more too. That’s how I create more value for Amino users.

When users get more value, they’re willing to pay more too. If I help someone earn an extra hundred kroner and get five myself, I think that’s very reasonable. That’s my philosophy, and it always has been. You’ll find more of my experiences of building businesses in Iværksætter til jeg dør.

DKK 15,000 for the stay and my expectations for the ideas

At that point, I estimate the ideas I’ve worked on by the pool over those two days could give Amino around half a million kroner in extra annual turnover. That’s an estimate of what I expect the work might lead to.

The hotel costs DKK 3,000 a night, and we’re here five nights. So DKK 15,000 including the best breakfast I’ve ever had. The whole family is here. In my head, it’s both a good family stay and ideas that could become business. It makes me want holidays like this a little more often.

Gran Canaria, a cheap hotel and an idea for my wife

I’ve also travelled when I was completely broke. On Gran Canaria, we stayed in a really crappy hotel, but right next door was a five-star one. I sneaked in with the family, and we used its pool area. It was great being there.

While there, we had an idea for a new business. In the video, I initially say I earned the money, then correct it: My wife earned around DKK 60,000–70,000 extra a year from the idea. She did that for eight years with very few hours’ work.

The very next year, we could book a week at the five-star hotel and pay for it with money from the work. We’d got the benefit we wanted, and the idea later gave a substantial return.

Feel the possibilities and choose for yourself

My point is that sometimes you just need to get away. Perhaps a slightly more expensive holiday somewhere a little fancier than usual. Try tasting the sweetness of sitting in a fantastic hotel, being pampered by waiters and drinking drinks that cost a little too much. Feel how great having more money can be. Because more money gives more options.

You can certainly say trekking and camping are great too. Yes, yes, that’s fine. Here, I’m giving advice to someone who wants to earn more money: Try experiencing what you could use it for, just for four or five days. See the grandeur. For me, it sparks the thought: Fuck it, that’s what I want.

I want to be able to stay in a five-star hotel when I feel like it. Then I can go camping in Sweden when I want too. But it’s a choice because that’s what I feel like doing. Without the money, you don’t have the same option of choosing the expensive hotel.

You’re welcome to call me an upper-class pig. I can live with that. Now I’ll have a gin and tonic before meeting Steffen to hear how he’s come to have 55 employees and live so well in Singapore. Perhaps you’ll also want to create more opportunities for yourself.

I end with another look at the skyline. The hotel opposite looks beautiful, and I enjoy sitting in what I think is an even better one looking at it. Go travelling. It can set big thoughts in motion.

Also read about enjoying what you already have.

Best wishes, Martin

Original interview mention from 2012: My interview at the time with Thomas about a design centre in Hawaii, described in the announcement as worth DKK 250 million. The original interview page can’t be opened.