Standing Out in a New Market

Anyone who has attended one of my lectures knows that I have been working on this topic for a long time. AI is not a new concept, ideas and research have existed since the 1950s. I followed developments at Google DeepMind and OpenAI before the ChatGPT hype broke loose.

When that hype started, I knew: now is the moment to really get to work. Not by simply traveling around the country for lectures, but by starting my own company and assembling a team around me that together comes up with the best solutions.

The Right People in a New Market

What struck me? Finding the right people. I've conducted quite a few job interviews.

Most say: "I like AI", but that's not what I was looking for. What I needed were people with the right knowledge and experience, people with a completed master's in AI or with demonstrable AI or domain-specific experience.

Fortunately, we managed to find those experts, and with their expertise - supplemented with talents in marketing, project management and other fields - we form a team that truly thinks along and delivers.

The team now consists of 3 developers, 1 project manager and 1 content person, besides myself of course. We see growth so we're always looking for more talent!

Clients Who Co-Innovate

Our clients understand that technology is evolving. In our projects you can see that both we and the client are continuously looking for new insights. We work with companies that dare to experiment. That sometimes requires investments, and yes, mistakes will be made. But through those mistakes you learn what works.

The companies that dare to invest in new ideas and leave their competition far behind with smart moves ultimately reap the benefits.

Additionally, our clients understand that flexibility and security are important. Whether we work with OpenAI's European API (announced last week), via Azure (Microsoft) or with a local open source model, we always ensure everything is safe and tailored.

This gives everyone the assurance that they've come to the right place for a workshop, a consultation or a complete implementation.

Processes Are My Second Obsession (Besides AI)

I'm also working daily on improving our own processes. The goal is simple: involve our clients as closely as possible in every step, so they know exactly how things are going. Of course, that's a process where you constantly improve, but that's exactly what ensures we keep learning and growing.

For us, it's about directly converting knowledge into practical solutions that deliver real results.

Every day it becomes clear there's more to learn. It's fascinating to see how quickly things change, and that's why we constantly invest in new knowledge. Whether it's a new tool or an innovative approach, we're always looking for ways to improve. This ensures both our own processes and those of our clients are always up-to-date and aligned with practice.

What excites me enormously is the collaboration within our team. We share our experiences and challenges, so everyone can learn from each other. This not only makes us stronger, but also ensures that we stay a step ahead as a collective. No "one size fits all" solution, but a custom approach per project that truly works.

The Future

I also look forward with great pleasure to what the future brings. There are plenty of opportunities to explore new markets and further optimize existing processes. We're ready to take the next step together with you, whether you're just starting out or already further along in your innovation process.

Meanwhile, the AI market is no longer that new. Companies and freelancers are popping up like mushrooms, but existing companies are also jumping on the AI train.

But you never know which of those (new) competitors will sprint ahead. I keep a close eye on the competition, but if I've learned anything, it's to keep looking at yourself. Because yes, they often just wing it too...

Looking at how you can grow, improve and stay ahead. Especially by staying continuously informed, but also truly diving deep into new technologies.

Because as long as you keep delivering the highest quality with the best people, you grow as a company — that applies not only to a relatively new market.

Until next time,

Olaf Lemmens
Founder, NinA AI Agency