S07E13: Surviving the Startup Climb with Thomas Vles – Founder of GoDutch

In Check with Fintech

Founding a fintech isn’t just about product-market fit, it’s about resilience, timing, and making brutal calls when the stakes are high.

In this episode of In Check with Fintech, host Rogier Rouppe van der Voort sits down with Thomas Vles, Founder of GoDutch, to unpack the emotional and strategic reality of startup life — from raising funding to walking away from a near-exit.

Key topics covered:
🧗 Startup Setbacks & Survival – Why Thomas compares founding a company to climbing a mountain, and what it takes to keep going when the summit keeps moving
💸 Funding Without VC – How GoDutch raised €500K+ from users, and why traditional VC wasn’t the right fit
📉 When the Deal Falls Through – The hard lesson Thomas learned after celebrating too early
🔁 Building Again After Burnout – How previous exits, near-failures, and becoming a parent changed his leadership style
🔍 Founder Vulnerability & Truth-Telling – Why we need more honesty in startup storytelling and what it unlocks for teams and investors

Thomas brings candid reflections from his journey building Poopy Cat, We Do I Do, and now GoDutch, including how he rebuilt after nearly losing everything. Whether you're a founder, operator, or investor, this episode is a reminder that growth is never a straight line and sometimes, the hardest climbs build the best entrepreneurs.

Tune in now for real stories from the frontlines of fintech. 🎧