Are Dutch founders playing it too safe? Building a European culture of ambition

But during the closing panel of Upstream Festival 2026, it quickly opened up a wider discussion about entrepreneurship, ambition and the kind of companies Europe wants to build.

Moderated by Constantijn van Oranje, the session brought together Bart Lubbers, co-founder of Fastned; Vicky Kuang, investor at Draper Associates; and Melissa Ablett-Jordaan, founder of Sibyl.

The panel did not argue that Europe should simply copy Silicon Valley.

It explored a more interesting question.

How can European founders build globally competitive companies while holding onto the qualities that make the ecosystem valuable: collaboration, responsibility, creativity and a more sustainable way of working?

Winning means getting things done

Lubbers offered a direct definition.

“Winning is when you get things done.”

For founders, ambition is not only about creating a compelling vision. It is about translating that vision into action.

Fastned was built around an idea that required patience and conviction: creating a network of fast-charging stations for electric vehicles before electric driving had become mainstream.

The company needed to think ahead of the market. But it also needed to execute: raise capital, secure locations, build stations and keep expanding the network.

Ambition is easy to describe in theory.

The real test is whether a company can continue turning that ambition into visible progress.

Do not be afraid of failure

Kuang emphasised a different starting point.

Before founders can think about winning, they need to become more comfortable with the possibility of failure.

“Ambition also develops along the way. But first, you cannot be afraid of failure.”

She described meeting people with ideas who hesitate to take the first step because they are already imagining how others might judge them if the business does not work.

But entrepreneurship does not begin with certainty.

It begins with action.

A founder tests an idea, learns from the response and improves the approach. Some experiments fail. Some assumptions prove incorrect. The ability to keep moving matters more than avoiding every mistake.

“You tried, you failed. You tried, you failed.”

Failure is not the objective.

But avoiding failure at all costs can also prevent founders from building anything meaningful.

Celebrate people who succeed

Ablett-Jordaan highlighted a cultural difference she has observed while building a company in the Netherlands.

In the United States, achievement is often made highly visible. People are encouraged to aim for the top, celebrate success and talk openly about their ambitions.

The Netherlands has a different relationship with achievement. There are clear strengths to that culture. It can create humility, collaboration and a more grounded way of working.

But it can also make people cautious about standing out.

“Support and celebrate people who are succeeding and believe in them.”

A healthy startup ecosystem needs visible examples.

When founders build something valuable, scale internationally or take an unusual risk, the ecosystem should not respond with suspicion. It should pay attention, learn from the experience and make space for others to aim higher.

Celebrating success is not the same as creating a culture of empty hype.

It is about showing people what is possible.

Europe should not copy the worst parts of Silicon Valley

The panel did not present Silicon Valley as a model to reproduce without criticism.

Ablett-Jordaan was open about the limitations of a growth-at-all-costs mindset.

“Some of the way I see the US is just stupid.”

Capital can accelerate progress. Speed can create a competitive advantage. But pressure to grow for the sake of growth can also encourage irresponsible decisions.

Not every company needs to pursue the same path.

A founder can move quickly without ignoring the fundamentals. A team can aim high without adopting a working culture that leads to exhaustion. An ecosystem can become more ambitious without treating every business as if it should follow the same venture-capital playbook.

The goal is not to replace a European approach with an American one.

It is to recognise where Europe’s caution becomes a limitation.

Speed matters, but the definition of speed depends on the market

Kuang emphasised that urgency varies by industry.

In fast-moving fields such as artificial intelligence, a company may need to adjust its product and strategy rapidly as the market evolves.

“One month in AI is like one year in another industry.”

New tools, competitors and customer expectations emerge constantly. Founders cannot spend too long perfecting a plan built around yesterday’s assumptions.

But speed does not always mean working longer hours.

Lubbers challenged the idea that performance should be measured primarily through visible exhaustion.

“Think about solutions instead of just working 80 hours a week.”

Creativity matters. Responsibility matters. A team that is constantly depleted will struggle to make strong decisions over the long term.

European companies should not confuse a sustainable working culture with a lack of ambition.

The two can coexist.

Responsibility creates performance

Lubbers described a model of performance built around trust.

Highly capable people do not always need more oversight. They need enough responsibility to do meaningful work and the freedom to solve difficult problems.

“Their main motivator is responsibility.”

When people understand the mission and have ownership over their contribution, they are more likely to take initiative. They can think creatively, solve problems and feel proud of the result.

This does not mean standards become less important.

A sustainable company still needs to perform. It needs to make decisions, maintain momentum and remain competitive.

But there is a difference between creating high standards and normalising burnout.

The strongest companies should be designed to win repeatedly, not only briefly.

Solve real problems

Kuang explained that her early-stage investment decisions are not always based on an extensive list of metrics.

At the earliest stage, the numbers may not exist yet.

She looks at the founders, their conviction and the scale of the problem they are trying to solve.

“Is it a real problem? Are they providing a real solution?”

The distinction matters.

Some startups begin with a desire to build something entrepreneurial and search for a problem afterwards. The stronger opportunities often move in the opposite direction.

They begin with a difficult problem that has existed for years.

The solution may require patience, specialist knowledge and a willingness to challenge assumptions that others have stopped questioning.

This is one of Europe’s potential advantages.

The ecosystem has strong universities, technical expertise and founders with deep industry knowledge. It can build companies around difficult and meaningful problems.

But those companies still need the support and ambition to scale.

Europe needs its own route to winning

Van Oranje brought the discussion back to a broader question.

“I do think that winning is actually a non-European strategy.”

Europe was built around interdependence and cooperation. Its institutions are designed to prevent destructive competition and create outcomes that different countries and communities can live with.

That history matters.

But Europe is now operating in a world shaped by intense technological, economic and geopolitical competition.

The question is not whether Europe should abandon collaboration.

It is whether collaboration can become a competitive advantage rather than an excuse to move slowly.

How can Europe build companies with a global footprint while retaining the qualities that distinguish it from other ecosystems?

How can founders think bigger without embracing irresponsible growth?

How can governments create policies that make it easier for employees, investors and entrepreneurs to benefit from taking risks?

How can the ecosystem celebrate success without losing its sense of perspective?

There is no single answer.

But the conversation needs to happen.

Choose the right shade of orange

Ablett-Jordaan suggested that Europe does not need to choose between two extremes.

“It is picking shades of grey that fit the European identity, but that enable competitiveness and allow businesses to move fast.”

Van Oranje offered a small correction.

“Shade orange.”

It was a light moment at the end of a serious discussion. But the point stayed with the audience.

Europe does not need to become Silicon Valley.

It needs to become more confident in its own version of ambition.

That means supporting founders who want to build globally. It means recognising that responsible growth can still be fast. It means celebrating the people who succeed, learning from the people who fail and making it easier for the next generation to try.

Winning in a European way is possible.

But it requires the courage to say that winning matters.

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