Startup Founders Under 33 features young entrepreneurs, diving into their journeys and predictions for the future. This week, we feature Joris Van Aelst, co-founder of B-Craft

What was the “aha” moment that led you to start your company?

It was a classic case of ‘we couldn’t find what we wanted, so we built it ourselves’.

When we were younger, on holidays, we used to wake up early and go waterskiing or wakeboarding. The afternoon was for chilling, town visits or restaurants in the evening. As long as we did it by boat.

As a designer in the superyacht industry, I helped my parents look for a boat with classic, luxurious riviera vibes as well as the capabilities of a waterski/wakeboard boat. As I mentioned, we couldn’t find it anywhere, so I went to work and designed one for us.

From the very positive feedback we had while planning, we decided to build a company to offer more people this perfect mix between style and water sports.

What has been your biggest challenge as a young founder in this industry?

3 spring to mind, during 3 different stages.

At the beginning of the journey, the biggest challenge was to be taken seriously. We are working with big names in the industry, so it was quite tricky to convince certain partners to work with us, partially due to my age at the time and partially due to the difficulty of the project that was ahead.

During the build of our prototype, as a solution-minded individual, the negativity of some people (fortunately a rarity) was the biggest challenge. It’s a waste of time, it drains energy and at the end of the day, it was proven time and time again that you cannot let yourself get dragged down by negative people. Not in a metaphorical, cheesy kind of way, but practically, it’s simply a major inconvenience. For me, that was the biggest learning lesson throughout. Just get on with it.

Nowadays there is also the bubble factor, where you start to believe – because it takes up all of your time and headspace for so long – that your product is obviously the best option out there. And although that may be so, you are essentially unknown to most. So, the process of introducing us to the market and getting noticed by potential buyers is the biggest challenge we face today.

Where would you be without your business?

I would probably be a yacht designer at a firm somewhere, or a project manager, or perhaps a surf instructor at some kind of beach resort… You can never be sure with me…

Any advice for other startup founders?

Just do it. I know a lot of people with an ’employee-mindset’. It’s a settled way of thinking, which usually leads to blaming others for (futile) things.

Being an entrepreneur is all about having the guts to face your challenges head-on without finding excuses or pushing blame elsewhere. You are the one at the helm. You have the vision. You see the problem from all angles. Hold the wheel and adjust your course if need be, but by all means, keep going forward.

I love this quote: “Everyone knew it was impossible, until a fool who didn’t know came along and did it.” Be the fool.

What are you most looking forward to in 2025?

Our first sale! It’s bound to happen. Not a question of if, but when. I can’t wait!

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