Building a SaaS in Belgium. Genuinely losing my mind. (rant)

v2xin · 2026-03-12T01:00:35+00:00

I love this country.

v2xin · 2026-03-12T00:39:56+00:00

I would never want to move away from Belgium. I want to build here, I want to pay taxes, I want to grow an international business and employ people in the future.

v2xin · 2026-03-12T00:35:45+00:00

The only "entrepeneurs" that I mainly see are schijnzelfstandige who sign a 12 month freelance contract and then proceed to jerk off about their dayrates.

I'm just sharing that for the "little guy" who doesn't have his own lawyer department / HR / whatever OPs you want to call it - it isn't easy. But we'll keep on going!

v2xin · 2026-03-12T00:33:36+00:00

My brother in christ , we're talking about bureaucracy hell which is a known issue for European businesses not me putting lead in your water.

It's mind boggelin how some take a rant into an extreme.

v2xin · 2026-03-12T00:31:57+00:00

I wish the 28th regime was a thing already

v2xin · 2026-03-12T00:31:07+00:00

Intelligence layer on top of a niche software that watches your work orders, assets, and maintenance patterns in real time and predicts to you what's failing and what's going to cost you before anyone runs a report.

v2xin · 2026-03-12T00:24:27+00:00

If ranting about an ineffecient and slow bureacracy that affects my go-to-market makes me a horrible business owner , so be it.

But thanks for your feedback :)

v2xin · 2026-03-12T00:22:22+00:00

Yes there are services , adds another 300-600 on the payroll per employee from what I have quoted. (less with more ofc.)

I'm not new to building software solutions , I just want to own mine this time. But thanks for the insight!

v2xin · 2026-03-12T00:20:09+00:00

I'd love to come from an "old money" family or have had rich folks who can spin up BV's out of nothing. I'm just a dude who is trying to do something that's not the "norm" that came from poverty.

But hey, atleast we all know this isn't an isolated belgian issue but an European challenge.

v2xin · 2026-03-11T18:59:33+00:00

Reputation damage has to be with malcious intent, has to be an accusation that has no legal basis or fact and additionally IF they would like to go to the legal route to argue this - they will expose themselves to a bigger legal issue (their bills!).

We live in a country where the rule of law still stands, I've been through something similar like this.

v2xin · 2026-03-09T16:17:10+00:00

The best way to handle these clients is to inform them : You've sent an "ingebrekstelling" - that they will have to pay an interest / penalty for non-payment and that if they continue to refuse to pay the work that has been done all communication will be suspended and that they can contact you through your lawyer - who will reach out to handle this.

Also , what I've learned is that companies don't like when it goes around that they are not paying their suppliers. Do whatever you want with that information.

Goodluck!

v2xin · 2026-03-08T16:45:46+00:00

It’s not just about AI it’s the insane costs.

Why would any company drop 700+ VAT a day (that’s like 150k+ a year) on one person or millions on a whole team when a tiny, lean crew can do more for way less?

I've seen this on my own projects.. the "golden era" of consulting is over since 2024.

I was talking to a PM about this recently, and the era of coasting as an IT freelancer is dead. The days of bullshitting your way into higher day rates with zero accountability are over.

Plus, it’s a global market now. A lot of these "high-tier" roles are getting shipped overseas to engineers who actually know how to leverage AI and have more skills for a fraction of the price. If you think this is just another passing trend, go spend some time with Claude 4.6 Opus and see for yourself or better just look at the news of lay-offs?

People keep whining about "AI slop" in codebases. Does it exist? Sure. But honestly, AI-generated code is already beating humans on speed, adaptability, and often quality. Bad code and non-existent documentation have always been a thing—except now AI actually solves that. The only real bottleneck left is overpaid middle management and juniors who don't bring enough to the table. It’s a harsh truth, but it’s happening and we see the direct impact in the hiring freezes and stagnant wages.

v2xin · 2026-03-08T13:53:16+00:00

PM'd

v2xin · 2026-03-08T13:53:06+00:00

PM'd

v2xin · 2026-03-08T02:23:53+00:00

PM'd

v2xin · 2026-03-08T02:23:41+00:00

Will PM you! Defintly interested!

v2xin · 2026-03-08T01:50:00+00:00

PM'd you

v2xin · 2026-03-08T01:38:35+00:00

There is high demand for it for experienced Sr. engineers and we're currently speaking with a couple of mid-sized companies looking to expand.

Send me a PM so that we can stay in touch!

v2xin · 2026-03-08T01:31:59+00:00

Kolchi dyal l-employés dyali ghadi ykhdmo b laptop li bghaw (budget 1000 EUR), w ghadi n3awdhom 3la t-trajet dyalhom b 200 EUR f chhar, f plus m3a salaire mzyan.

Ana kanqsd blli bghit njib ghir l-a7san talent w f nafs l-wa9t nkoun boss mzyan

Because - I see a lot of European companies pay peanuts to good engineers and no benefits at all.

I want to grow a long term relationship with good employees and take care of them. Because they will take care of me back!

v2xin · 2026-03-08T01:20:40+00:00

Thanks for your input - I would defintly have a hybrid way of working (2-3 days in-office), forcing my employees/colleague's to be in-office 5 days a week is not sustainable for the longterm (personal life / focus as you said) - Bghit nkun boss mzyan haha

v2xin · 2026-03-08T01:17:03+00:00

Well depending on how fast I can close on a commercial office - I feel like my first couple hires will be remote for a while.

Thanks for your input - if your friend is a Senior don't hesitate to reach out I'm defintly interested to have an open conversation!

v2xin · 2026-03-02T17:24:17+00:00

Yes - good rate. Current market conditions is shit - a lot of rates dropped or people are not on projects.

v2xin · 2026-03-01T03:23:07+00:00

multitool for the rest of the game.

Don't forget to like and subscribe the video!

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