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 that has enabled him to travel to all corners of the gig- end flex economy, and engage with all relevant players including the labor unions, and regulatory bodies like the Inspection SZW, the SNA, ABU, as well as relevant software providers for the necessary integrations​.

Let’s Meet
  • The gig-economy consists of all industries and companies that rely heavily on temporary and part-time positions filled by temp workers and freelancers rather than fixed and formal contracts. It concerns the entire flex-worker ecosystem, including platforms, temp agencies, software providers and all (regulatory) stakeholders​
  • This is a heavily regulated and scrutinized industry, subject to public debate, uncertain future and an increasing level of (European) regulatory oversight, heavily dependent on a small number of specialized software providers​
  • Having been around in the area of the gig-economy, for years, The Blue Mind Company is very well, connected with all players in the field, including, regulators labor unions and software providers.​
  • Let me be your sparring partner during you journey into unchartered and help you navigate through regulatory challenges, payment solutions, and implications of WFT, WDBA, WAB, the European platform workers directive and other labor law related issues etc. etc. ​
  • Regulatory challenges (PSD2, Labour law, WAB. DBA etc.)​
  • Payment solutions​
  • Platform
  • Building
  • Mergers & Acquisitions ​
  • Get projects going and finished at speed​
  • Challenge and break the status quo​
  • Navigate through the political mine field to engage with regulatory bodies and orchestrate towards the desired outcome​

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!​

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.​
  • 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 ARCHITECT

  • 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