Joost Verhage - The future of Development

Meet Joost and Sweet Spot:

In today's fast-paced and interconnected world, traditional notions of professional development need to evolve. Coworking spaces in exotic locations, workcations, and working from anywhere are considered normal. But there is still so much more potential in helping people to achieve more when collaborating, working in teams, and contributing to projects.

Enter Joost Verhage, the founder of Sweet Spot, a groundbreaking concept based on the Remote Development Experience. 

Sweet Spot takes an innovative approach to professional growth and offers individuals the opportunity to immerse themselves in a month-long journey of learning and reflection, all while working remotely.

The Remote Development Experience:

With the Remote Development Experience, participants spend four days a week working from a co-working space in Barcelona or Cape Town, surrounded by like-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds. On the fifth day, they engage in tailored training sessions designed to enhance their soft skills and leadership.

Sweet Spot’s unique format and approach allows participants to step outside of their comfort zones, embrace new challenges, and tap into their full potential. By being away from their usual distractions and routines, individuals can fully focus on their professional development and gain valuable insights that may not be attainable in their day-to-day lives.

The Perfect Match:

By partnering with espresso Displays, participants have access to high-quality, portable monitors that enhance their remote working experience. Whether collaborating with teammates or attending training sessions, these displays offer crisp visuals and seamless connectivity, empowering individuals to stay productive and engaged wherever they may be.

What do you do, and what originally inspired you to do what you do?

With Sweet Spot, we foster job happiness by connecting the needs of companies and employees. We do this by organising Remote Development Experiences where employees develop and grow while continuing their full-time job. 

As a former strategy consultant, I’ve seen both companies and employees struggle with job happiness. The growing needs of the new generation, (workplace) flexibility and personal growth, are difficult to fulfil for companies. A CEO of a company I worked with told me that the problem of our generation is that “we want it all” and we should realize this just isn’t possible. Well… challenge accepted. 

What is your biggest goal in your chosen path?

Promoting and enabling job happiness so both employees and companies can thrive. In our situation, this means that we want to let companies see opportunities for innovation instead of risks.  

What draws you to keep doing what you do?

I am constantly inspired by the impact our program has on participants. Seeing individuals step outside their comfort zones, embrace new challenges, and grow in ways they never thought possible is incredibly rewarding. I am also driven to continuously listen, improve and innovate, ensuring that our offering remains at the forefront of professional development. 

How would you describe “flow state,” and how do you achieve it?

For me, there are two very different flow states. The first is a day when I forget to eat and drink because I’m fully immersed in a piece of work. The second is the opposite, this can be a day when I’m talking to a lot of different people about different topics and the ideas keep flowing. What’s the same is the way I achieve it, no distractions (phone calls, missing equipment, etc.) and an environment that facilitates productivity. 

How many locations do you work from in any given week, month or year?

So, during the year, I move around between The Netherlands, Spain, and South Africa. Last week, for example, I worked from a coworking space, a hotel, and a very remote cabin.

What is your work-from-anywhere toolkit in terms of products and software?

A good cup of coffee, my laptop, airpods, mouse and recently my espresso Display are indispensable. Software-wise we can’t go without Slack, Notion, Hubspot . 

How do you use espresso Displays products?

Often working from a coworking space I love the fact that I can easily install my set-up on any desk and also have the comfort of taking my espresso display when moving to a meeting room or phone booth, a game-changer! 

Conclusion:

In Joost’s vision of the future of professional growth, the Remote Development Experience represents a bold new frontier. By combining unique learning experiences with cutting-edge technology from espresso Displays, individuals have the opportunity to unlock their full potential and chart a course towards success. Learn more about Sweet Spot by visiting their official website at https://www.sweetspotabroad.com/