“We Need to Listen More to System Breakers”
Lunch with Joris Luyendijk.
Last week, I had lunch with Joris Luyendijk - a great thinker, compelling writer, and journalist. It was part of the TechMeUp donation auction. Thank you Nikky!
We talked about systems, the 7 check marks, generational gaps, Europe's declining trajectory, tech ecosystems, and the crisis of leadership.
One thing is clear:
Europe is stuck in old, broken systems, clinging to bureaucracy while the world moves forward. The Overton Window—what the mainstream considers politically acceptable—is shifting. But who is shaping it? Bureaucrats? Career politicians? Corporate elites?
If we want real change, we need a new narrative—one that challenges conformity, fuels public debate, and empowers young digital leaders to break the cycle.
The bureaucrats had their time.
Who Are System Breakers?
“System Breakers are brave individuals who broke away from dysfunctional systems to build parallel, improved alternatives”
Self-learners who walked away from outdated education models.
Entrepreneurs who escaped the corporate hamster wheel to build new systems.
Refugees who left oppressive regimes and understand freedom’s true value.
Independent creators who ditched the mainstream media’s manipulation machine.
They have been rejected by traditional systems but refuse to be silenced. Instead, they build parallel solutions and speak up with courage.
Examples:
Ali Niknam – Refugee turned entrepreneur (Bunq, TransIP). Built his own banking system.
Pieter Levels – Digital nomad, solo bootstrapper, proof that you don’t need VC money to build real businesses.
Fidias Panayiotou – YouTuber turned MEP. Ignored the traditional route to power and won on community, not politics.
All of them ignored the script (school → university → corporate life), took the hard road, their learning curves were steeper and their experiences more diverse.
All divergent thinkers. As a result, they can think inter-disciplinarily, resist conformity, and take high risks.
Europe Needs System Breakers.
We need to listen to them. Respect them. Support them. ❤️
Because if we keep relying on bureaucrats, committees, and the same old leaders, Europe will keep sleepwalking into decline.
Definitions:
Divergent thinking: Divergent thinking is a mental process where an individual generates multiple creative solutions to a single problem by exploring various possibilities, brainstorming, and taking unconventional paths to reach novel conclusions. Key characteristics: Creativity, Curiosity, Flexibility, Non-linear Thinking and Risk taking.
Vertical Adulthood Development: Vertical adulthood development is a unique form of personal growth that focuses on enhancing an individual's internal operating system and developing the sophistication of their cognitive, emotional, and relational abilities.
Great mental model to see if someone is an Dependent Conformer and Independent Achiever or an Interdependent Collaborator.
Key aspects of vertical development include:
Expanding mindsets and enhancing cognitive complexity
Widening the window of tolerance for stress and challenges
Improving emotional regulation and sophistication
Developing a more mature and nuanced worldview
