At the dawn of our new year, while still in a daze of the old one, we gladly our reflection on 2018, and our aspirations for the future at November Five.
At the dawn of our new year, while still in a daze of the old one, we gladly share our reflection on 2018, and our aspirations for the future at November Five.
“A year rich in achievements thanks to our team of like-minded and exceptional people.”
Not long after moving into our brand new office on January 2nd, we started with building an equally brand new product organisation. A unique homegrown way of working, fit to drive and inspire the products and product organisations of both our clients - who we consider as our partners - and our own portfolio companies.
We started to branch out in activities, levering our intelligence, assets and capabilities in entirely new fields of discipline. We advised partners on how to manage their own transformation & change, and with the assessment of digital products and operations during M&A.
We defined and started to execute the next iteration of Spencer’s growth strategy, leading towards an additional investment round. We ventured Gorilla thanks to our winning product team. And acquired all Appmiral company shares to get in the lead, and grow their product to the true potential it holds.
We will also remember 2018 as the year of plenty new team members and their fresh perspectives. And a year – such is life – of having to see people leave and having to let people go.
A year of significant growth and change, where many of us truly got to meet each other, and where some of us - myself included - truly got to meet themselves. A year where many made the difference by staying committed, by working hard, and by going strong. A year for which we are truly grateful.
In 2019, we will continue to build and grow towards our aspirations. This year, and in the years to come, even more pragmatically and with much clearer focus.
We will make our aspirations more tangible and clear in our operations, our roadmap, and the decisions we make. To our partners, so they know what to expect from working with us; and to our people so they can contribute and recognise their impact along the way.
“More than ever before, will we work towards our aspiration to create leading digital intelligence, products & companies, together with a small community of like-minded people.”
To achieve this, we’ll lead driven by our outside-in views and differentiating strategies. By making optimal use of our tried-and-tested digital assets & capabilities. By our (almost compulsive) focus on meticulous execution. And by simply purging everything that is unnecessary.
We will lead together with our team and partners, profoundly connected by pragmatic ambition, integrity and value for organisation. By keeping our community small. By being strict about who we hire, who we work with and who we work for. By growing the quality, not the quantity, of our relationships.
“More than ever before, will we work towards our aspiration to have an even-minded impact.”
On our partners with the results of the work we get to deliver; On the quality of the individual lives we all get to live; And on the progression of the world we all get to live in.
November Five aims to grow its margins, profit and equity, just like any other business. But unlike many other businesses, we are very much aware of the fact that there’s more than growing numbers. These numbers are the means and reward we get for placing the quality of the work we deliver, and the quality of life we can create through them, at the heart of our business.
We aspire to differentiate by growing together with, and never at the expense of, our people. By making significant time for individual intelligence and capabilities, by rewarding differentiating contribution and results, and by promoting a true work-life symbiosis for the one and only life we all get to live.
November Five is in business because we believe we can do business as it should be done. To connect, inspire and enable our partners, their people and their businesses to do the same.
Yes, it’s all very aspirational, very much a dream. But with persuasion and perseverance, every single day, we get a few steps closer to making it a reality.
May 2019 bring growth at the expense of nobody and to the benefit of all!
Happy New Year everyone!
Co-founder & CEO
Co-founder & CEO
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Working in collaboration with Penny Black and its joint venture incubators, Agfa and ninepointfive, November Five delivered a technology project that strengthened Penny Black’s business case and lowered its backers’ investment risk.
Our Vanbreda Healthcare platform has been awarded a UX Design Awards nomination by International Design Center Berlin – the leading, independent design institution promoting design as a driver for business and social innovation.
November Five was named one of Fast Company’s global 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators in both 2020 and 2021. This annual list, developed in collaboration with Accenture, recognises and honors the top 100 businesses from different industries that inspire, support and promote innovation at all levels. For the consecutive year, November Five was the single Belgian workplace listed.
Fast Company is the world's leading progressive business media brand, with a unique editorial focus on innovation in technology, ethical economics, leadership, and design. Written for, by, and about the most progressive business leaders, Fast Company and FastCompany.com inspire readers and users to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead conversations and create the future of business.
