Humans of Technology — Jappe Pollentier, Co-Founder & COO at Octotrip
Meet the cool college drop-out and online poker player, Jappe Pollentier, the mastermind behind Octotrip, the flight, hotel and airport transfer all-in-one app for business travelers.
At the age of 17, young Belgian Jappe Pollentier had already won an award for ‘Best Advertisement’ from JA Europe. However, after working in sales & marketing for several months, he decided to quit to study more about this subject in VIVES Kortrijk. Feeling disappointed by what he was learning, he dropped out of these studies as they didn’t provide him with the answers he was looking for. He had specific questions in mind regarding technology and marketing, but it seems that the courses on offer simply could not keep up with the speed of his entrepreneurial mind and thinking.
Attracted by the 8 to 9% growth rate in business travel in Asia, as opposed to 2 to 3% in Europe, Jappe and his pal moved to Thailand in 2015 to raise investment funds in Singapore to kick start the world’s first business travel all-in-one service app — Octotrip.
While working in both sales and as an active freelance journalist on tech and startups, not forgetting his secret ambitions as an online poker player, Jappe finally found his funding from investors. This enabled the official launch of Octotrip in 2016. Now, with the company up and running, we can look forward to trying out the app within this year.
1.Android or iOS?
Android
2. Bitcoin or Ethereum?
The one that makes me the most money.
3. Gmail or Outlook?
Gmail
4. Best gift you’ve ever received?
An Octotrip branded poker set from my Co-Founder and a business class flight to Hong Kong.
5. Best gift you’ve ever given?
Love
6. What is the one book you’ve read over and over again?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
7. What is the one book you would recommend all fresh graduates to read?
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
8. What is the best thing that happened this year?
Launching Octotrip!
9. Most memorable career moment so far?
Winning Best Advertisement of Europe award when I was 17.
10. What’s your favourite country to visit?
Australia. I really love the vibe there, particularly Melbourne.
11. Last country you visited?
Singapore
12. What country would you like to visit?
Finland
13. What is something you always travel with?
An inexpensive pair of headphones because I keep losing them
14. What’s the world’s most pressing issue today?
The world needs Octotrip.
15. What’s your go-to news source
Techcrunch
16. What’s your go-to social media channel?
Twitter. Follow me via @jappepollentier
17. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Hydrate
18. What’s the last thing you do before leaving the office?
Lock the door
19. What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in the travel industry?
Know your ideal customer. Business-to-customer approach differs greatly from Business-to-business approach. Also, the business travelling industry involves less travelling than you think. So, don’t consider it a vacation, or being frequently on-the-move.
20. If you were not COO at Octotrip what would you be doing?
Professional poker player
21. Who is your role model?
I look up to my parents for always giving me freedom to do what I need, like quitting college to move to other side of the world. I told them one day I’m going to have a trillion dollars, and they believe me.
22. What did you study at university? Why?
Sales and Marketing
23. What is your valuable skill?
Targeting Facebook ads.
24. What is one skill you wish you had?
Photographic memory.
25. What is the best advice you ever received?
Listen to others, but always keep following your own ideals and ideas.
26. What is the best advice you’ve ever given?
It’s okay not to sleep. Skip a night of sleep.
27. If you had one superpower, what would it be?
Read minds
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About Humans of Technology
Humans of Technology gives a glimpse into the minds of the people behind Asia’s most dynamic tech companies. An initiative led by GetLinks, Humans of Technology aims to inspire newbies and veterans alike to join the thriving tech community.
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