Time for change

Abstract

We are living in a time of exponential technological change. All around us there is evidence of digital breakthroughs. Whether it’s an octogenarian ordering groceries online, a student updating a Facebook page or a celebrity entertaining fans through Twitter, the Web and its applications have rapidly and fundamentally altered our lives. They are having a profound effect on the way we communicate, learn and socialize. You may well be reading this book electronically on a Kindle, iPad or other such device.

Bram Meulenbeld and Martijn van der Linden, both in their early 30s, started out in traditional high-flying corporate careers, working for ING bank and Philips among other employers. During the global economic crisis, each concluded it was time for a change. ‘I didn’t want to go to an office all my life,’ says van der Linden.

The two Dutch friends heard about a young firm called Amplify Trading in London’s Canary Wharf that recruits people to trade financial futures electronically from wherever they are located. In 2009, they moved to a remote chalet high in the Austrian Alps, enjoying mountain sports in the mornings and switching on their computers in the afternoons to earn a living by trading shares on the New York stock exchange. They worked for as much or as little time each day as it took to make enough money.

A year later, they moved back to the Netherlands to embark on new careers in sustainable development. Bram set up a consultancy and website, Martijn turned to writing a book, both working mainly from their homes.

Bram says he is grateful that he can work in a way that would not have been possible 20, or even 10, years ago. ‘I decided that “structured” life in an organization did not meet my requirements. I moved to Austria to benefit from two valuable things in life: a very interesting and challenging job and at the same time being able to fully benefit from all the things I value in life.

‘Now, as I’m working from home, I can offer lower hourly tariffs because I don’t have an expensive office. I use all kinds of online tools — Skype, Dropbox, Prezi — to work with others, while having all the freedom that I want around my work.’ ¹