In the podcast Designers Inc. by BNO, Roel Stavorinus talks with designers about the business side of the design profession. In this episode: Micha Commeren on the connection between creation and entrepreneurship.
Micha Commeren is actually a designer and strategist, but mostly an entrepreneur at heart. He founded agencies such as Resoluut and Soda Studio. He was founding partner of MakerStreet, a collective of digital agencies. And his latest entrepreneurial feat is founding the collective CreateNew, which brings together freelance designers. In this podcast, Micha shares his views on the connection between creation and entrepreneurship, the common thread that runs through his career.
From designer to strategic entrepreneur
Micha Commeren began his career as a designer, but soon discovered that his strength lay in strategy and entrepreneurship. He ended up at the Grafisch Lyceum in Rotterdam by chance. “I actually went to do my parents a favor, but at the first assignment – making a TV program about money for young people – I knew: this is what I want.”
After several wanderings at broadcasters and advertising agencies, he found his niche in the digital world at Satama Interactive (later Lost Boys), where he saw technology, design and strategy merge. This led to the creation of Resolute, specializing in interface design, and later MakerStreet, an ecosystem in which agencies collaborate autonomously. Commeren: “As an entrepreneur, I basically do the same thing as a designer all the time: analyze a problem, design a solution and then test and hone it.”
A fairer freelance industry
During his career, Commeren experienced the downside of freelancing. He found it distressing how self-employed designers are often treated unfairly, take poor care of themselves and barely have direct access to clients. That had to change.
After a period of introspection during the Corona pandemic, he founded CreateNew, with the goal of making the freelance industry fairer and more transparent. The collective now has over 200 members and helps freelancers work directly with clients, without intermediaries. “The best people and the best brands always find each other in the end. We just want to be the shortest possible route between the two.”
CreateNew does more than just bring supply and demand together. It also offers freelancers a sense of community and a creative culture. “Freelancing is autonomous and free, but it also feels quite lonely at times,” he said.
Listen to the podcast via Buzzsprout
About CreateNew
The Deregulation of Assessment of Employment Relationships Act (DBA) imposes stricter requirements on cooperation between clients and freelancers. This brings challenges, but also offers opportunities. CreateNew offers a platform on which freelancers and clients can work together DBA-proof and naturally, without hassle and without losing assignments. For clients it is just as simple: no extra costs, no risks, but access to the best creative freelancers.
Designers Inc.
In Designers Inc., Roel Stavorinus talks with designers about the business side of the design profession, their collaboration with clients or each other, strategy, development and growth, and their own positioning and visibility.
Designers Inc. is an initiative of Roel Stavorinus and the BNO. The podcast is made possible in part by the Pictoright Fonds and Roland Geelen.
