Quatt owes its success to a young product and senior staff

  • Amber Kuipers
  • Background
  • 2 October 2024
  • Edited 7 November 2024
  • 2 min
  • Managing and growing
  • Staff

In 2021, brothers Bas and Marijn Flipse founded Quatt, a hybrid heat pump company. A year later, they successfully launched their product. Three years later, they are the market leader thanks to a striking choice they made. Bas Flipse tells the story of their success.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and gas prices rose, Flipse and his brother realised that the demand for alternatives to gas was going to increase. They decided that their first heat pump would be ready by the end of the year. In a short time, Quatt had to design the product as well as organise the production process, operational processes, and customer service. “Whereas the development of such a product sometimes takes years,” says Flipse. Something he knows from his own experience at a German technology company. “Often, technology companies develop their product first and only then the rest of the business, such as the installation company, a customer service department, and a sales department. We had to develop all this at the same time, in a short time and in a scalable way.”

At first, the Flipse brothers still did a lot themselves: product development, financial reporting, customs paperwork, and hiring employees, for example. The founder explains: “After 6 months, HR administration occupied half my time. To launch a product within a year, we needed people who could do it much better than us and who we didn’t have to supervise.”

Only senior employees

The founders hired 10 employees in 4 months and made a striking choice in the process. They hired only senior employees. In doing so, they did not look at age but work experience. Flipse: “Many entrepreneurs start with an intern or a junior. But an older employee can do things faster, makes fewer mistakes, needs little or no guidance, and can solve problems structurally. Like salaries, for instance. A junior pays them out. A senior devises a system to spend less time on this. A senior employee plans for the longer term and larger context. That's how you prepare for huge growth.” As an example, he cites an engineer who improved the product in a short time, while it would have taken them years to do so themselves.

Result

Most of the senior staff they hired 3 years ago are still working for the company, have evolved into a team, and are now part of the company's leadership. Quatt launched its product in a year and was selling 150 heat pumps a week within a year and a half. The company has increased its target and is going to expand its product line, both domestically and internationally. Delegating work to senior staff was a bold move but that is precisely why Quatt has grown so fast.

Getting started with staffing and delegating

By delegating work, you as an entrepreneur can concentrate on growing your business. To delegate work safely and responsibly you should:

Bas Flipse

Co-founder Quatt

“A clear structure allows you to make quick decisions but with an open office and mixed desks you encourage contact between different colleagues.”

  • Bas Flipse
  • Co-founder Quatt
  • Producer hybrid heat pumps
Hierarchy does not always have to lead to a hierarchical culture.

Result

Most of the senior staff they hired 3 years ago are still working for the company, have evolved into a team, and are now part of the company's leadership. Quatt launched its product in a year and was selling 150 heat pumps a week within a year and a half. The company has increased its target and is going to expand its product line, both domestically and internationally. Delegating work to senior staff was a bold move but that is precisely why Quatt has grown so fast.

Getting started with staffing and delegating

By delegating work, you as an entrepreneur can concentrate on growing your business. To delegate work safely and responsibly you should:

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