Everything has a price.
Robert didn't say it out loud. But it was in every answer.
Robert Kraal is former COO of Adyen and co-founder of Silverflow, the company rebuilding the engine behind card payments. 1 billion transactions per year. 15% growth month over month.
This is his full story.
📌 What you'll discover in this episode:
From geophysicist to fintech founder, the unlikely path to Silverflow
How Adyen planted the seed for a company of his own
Three years building without revenue: doubt, persistence, and the cost of both
When is success enough? Fun and culture as the measure
The hardest blow: a mistake that cost people their jobs
The dream: 5% market share and one trillion dollars processed
The birthdays you miss and the dinners you skip, what ambition actually looks like up close
The human side of building, like you rarely hear it.
Chapters - jump straight to what helps you:
0. INTRO
(00:00) Intro: Who is Robert Kraal and what is Silverflow
1. THE ORIGIN
(01:10) From geophysicist to Silverflow: the career overview
(04:05) A dull job, the oil price crash, and the leap to a startup
(10:35) The idea behind Silverflow: from Adyen to its own niche
2. THE PERSON BEHIND IT
(18:05) Who Robert is: from shy boy to boundary-breaker
(23:45) Leaving Adyen and the move into health tech
(31:35) Back to payments: follow your heart
3. THE REALITY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
(33:40) Three years building with no revenue and no customers
(38:45) The biggest doubt: ambition and the toll on personal life
(46:30) When is it enough? Fun and culture as the measure of success
(50:45) The hardest moment: a bookkeeping error and letting people go
(55:45) Growth strategy: 10–15% per month via fractional migration
4. REFLECTION & MEANING
(56:55) The dream: 5% market share and one trillion dollars processed
(57:50) The right team and am I the right person?
5. INSIGHTS & CLOSING
(1:00:40) Think: improbability and seeing the world as a puzzle
(1:03:20) Build: communication as the most important tool
(1:04:35) Live: sport, festivals, and music
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About Purpose Driven:
My name is Michel Breeuwer, founder and host of the Purpose Driven Podcast.
In this podcast we explore what lies beneath the surface of entrepreneurship. The stories, choices, strategies and inner processes that usually remain invisible.
Become Guest or Sponsor? email: info@purposedrivenmedia.nl
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Links from Robert Kraal & Silverflow:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkraal/