After a successful career in finance and investment banking, Rienk Franken has been able to re-invent himself. Not only as a specialist in (corporate) innovation, but also as an entrepreneur, amongst others by the successful creation of Payday, an instant payment solution for the gig economy. 
A journey which was travelled with the DARE innovation methodology, a combination of Lean startup, Design Thinking and Agile, making use of a funnel through the innovation Funnel Prove Problem, to Prove Solution and Prove the Pay, towards Prove Scales. ​
​Despite of the success of Payday, the journey also unveiled many design flaws in a standardized corporate innovation playbook as well as many iterations that were necessary, often driven by corporate politics, compliance, regulatory pressure, but pretty much always by driven fear and accepting of some sort status quo​

Let’s Meet
  • Combined with a certification in Corporate Venturing and Innovation, today The Blue Mind company aims to help other corporates through​
  • Mentoring, coaching and accelerating Corporate Ventures at any stage in your funnel​
  • On the ground, feet in the dirt from the ground Venture Building ​
  • Today, as the business landscape becomes increasingly dynamic and unpredictable, corporate innovation has become more critical than ever, the Blue Mind Company distinguishes itself as the preferred discussion partner for CEOs and founders who strive to challenge the status quo and pursue growth through corporate venture building. ​
  • At Blue Mind Company, we understand the unique challenges faced by established corporations when it comes to innovation. We bridge the gap between entrepreneurship and corporate structures, fostering an environment that nurtures creativity, agility, and forward-thinking. ​
  • Through our specialized expertise, we enable companies to harness their existing resources and capabilities, leverage external partnerships, and cultivate a culture of innovation that drives long-term success. The Blue Mind Company can help you navigate in an agile way the political minefield of corporate compliance and regulatory oversight:​
Rink Certificate Corporate Venture Building

Building Payday

(by ABN AMRO)​

  • Payday is a corporate lean start-up, build through prove problem, prove solution, prove pay and prove it scales stage gates in the ABN AMRO corporate start-up funnel using the DARE methodology, a combination of Lean Startup, Design Thinking and Agile.
  • Payday is providing Gig-work and labour platforms with the tools to make flex workers earnings available instantly after work done 24/7, creating a superior worker experience. The solution includes an API integration, access to the instant payment engine, a home build dedicated front-end wallet app, web based admin panel and the working capital funding to facilitate this.
  • We’ve build a from a 2 cowboys founding team with a blank piece of paper to a 17+FTE rebel team running an actual business, with multiple clients and significant revenues. The team includes product owners, developers, UX design & validation, scrum master, finance, compliance, operations and sales. At time of exit, we were paying 25k+ freelancers with their earnings instantly, making 2,000+ payments a day.
  • After running pilots and scaling with various platforms, including Charly Cares, Packaly, YoungOnes, Level.Works, RGF Staffing, 365Werk and others, we have obtained formal product approval from the Management Board, marking the completion of the startup phase with an exit towards the mother ship into business as usual and the execution of the business plan and growth strategy.

What can I do for you?

  • Open up my black book, and help you to quickly building and maintaining a network in any ecosystem​
  • Navigating the political & regulatory stakeholder minefield in an agile and smart way, and orchestrate the desired outcome with all stakeholders happy​
  • Open otherwise closed doors and get your slot in C-level executives’ agenda’s​
  • As an authentic entrepreneurial spirit, a quick thinker and a bin full of I will never fail to identify opportunities. Especially within a complex environment. ​
  • Let’s talk about your product, your plans, your vision and your challenges, we will identify opportunities, either to iterate, or to completely venture into new waters. Guaranteed!​
  • Everything stands and falls with the team, the timing AND the execution. Let me help you with orchestrating your opportunities in a complex multiple stake holder environment and bring to the finish line with a can-do-mentality.​
  • Have an idea, product, innovation, ​
  • Are you struggling with the go to market? How to close your very first clients, or even find an appealing pilot partner?  ​
  • Tell me your story, sell me your idea, and if you can convince me, I will go out there, and get you your first names, and close these dearly needed launching clients that will act as an accelerator for your business​
  • Based on me ample experience in finance, startup ecosystems and corporate culures, I would be happy to help you with any of the following topics: ​
  • Banking, finance, funding, Fintech loan structuring, derivatives, cash mgt, Equity Capital Markets. DeFi​
  • Innovation methodologies (Lean startup, Design thinking, Kanban, Scrum etc.). Certified PSPO1​
  • Corporate venture building: INSEAD Corporate Venturing & Innovation certified and ABN AMRO DARE methodology based on Lean Startup, Design Thinking and Agile working​
  • Platform-economy and platformification of markets and services​
  • SaaS and other WaaS (Whatever as a Service) models​
  • The challenges of life have triggered me to re-invent myself on several occasions over recent years, to come out as a more complete and mature person and professional.​
  • As a seasoned professional, I’ve been around in almost any imaginable situation and challenge, moreover, I have learned that I am capable to get to the bottom of thing a relative short time frame, by listening carefully, asking the right questions, which may be painful at the right point in time, and thus helping you to come to our own conclusions on what’s next, either in personal development, strategic choices, or simple iterations. I will never tell you what to do, but simply help you to organize your mind and reach the insights that you need to move on​

What can I do for you?

NETWORK NINJA​

  • Open up my black book, and help you to quickly building and maintaining a network in any ecosystem​
  • Navigating the political & regulatory stakeholder minefield in an agile and smart way, and orchestrate the desired outcome with all stakeholders happy​
  • Open otherwise closed doors and get your slot in C-level executives’ agenda’s​

OPPORTUNITY ARCHIECT​

  • As an authentic entrepreneurial spirit, a quick thinker and a bin full of I will never fail to identify opportunities. Especially within a complex environment. ​
  • Let’s talk about your product, your plans, your vision and your challenges, we will identify opportunities, either to iterate, or to completely venture into new waters. Guaranteed!​

EXECUTION ACCELERATOR

  • Everything stands and falls with the team, the timing AND the execution. Let me help you with orchestrating your opportunities in a complex multiple stake holder environment and bring to the finish line with a can-do-mentality.​

DEAL MAKER

  • Have an idea, product, innovation, ​
  • Are you struggling with the go to market? How to close your very first clients, or even find an appealing pilot partner?  ​
  • Tell me your story, sell me your idea, and if you can convince me, I will go out there, and get you your first names, and close these dearly needed launching clients that will act as an accelerator for your business​

STRATEGY ADVISOR

  • Based on me ample experience in finance, startup ecosystems and corporate culures, I would be happy to help you with any of the following topics: ​
  • Banking, finance, funding, Fintech loan structuring, derivatives, cash mgt, Equity Capital Markets. DeFi​
  • Innovation methodologies (Lean startup, Design thinking, Kanban, Scrum etc.). Certified PSPO1​
  • Corporate venture building: INSEAD Corporate Venturing & Innovation certified and ABN AMRO DARE methodology based on Lean Startup, Design Thinking and Agile working​
  • Platform-economy and platformification of markets and services​
  • SaaS and other WaaS (Whatever as a Service) models​

PERSONAL COACH

  • The challenges of life have triggered me to re-invent myself on several occasions over recent years, to come out as a more complete and mature person and professional.​
  • As a seasoned professional, I’ve been around in almost any imaginable situation and challenge, moreover, I have learned that I am capable to get to the bottom of thing a relative short time frame, by listening carefully, asking the right questions, which may be painful at the right point in time, and thus helping you to come to our own conclusions on what’s next, either in personal development, strategic choices, or simple iterations. I will never tell you what to do, but simply help you to organize your mind and reach the insights that you need to move on​
Gig -Economy
Corporate Venture Building
Startup Ecosystem