# Summary: In Episode
#167 Ari speaks with [Eelco DeBoer](http://www.eel.co/), a Dutch serial entrepreneur who got his start in online business selling hip-hop CDs and other wares over eBay. Since then, Eelco has grown into one of Holland’s most prolific digital businessman, with no less than six different companies to his name.
**Special Announcements:**
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**Time Stamped Show Notes:**
– 29:00 – Introduction of internet entrepreneur [Eelco DeBoer](http://www.eel.co/)
– 29:30 – Eelco defines his business background—it all started with hip hop records
– 31:38 – For five years, Eelco sold thousands and thousands of products on Ebay and other online platforms to make money
– 32:18 – Information products slowly became Eelco’s bread and butter
– 33:33 – Strategy wasn’t a part of Eelco’s development—in some sense, success just fell out of the sky based on what Eelco needed and enjoyed doing
– 34:10 – Eelco labored furiously to educate his customers so they would buy from him
– 35:30 – The main resource Eelco used to build his business?—pure luck
– 36:45 – Europe still struggles with accepting Entrepreneurship
– 38:45 – Why Eelco focuses his operations on Holland as opposed to the globe
– 40:50 – The absence of a business model can provide a certain level of freedom and flexibility that’s empowering
– 42:50 – Exciting marketing tools and technologies on the horizon
– 43:20 – The great thing about Facebook is – in a short amount of time – you can reach large volumes of your ideal audience
– 44:30 – Forget investing in real estate, invest in virtual real estate
– 45:20 – Bridging the gap between followers and buyers
– 46:10 – Just because something is simple doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea
– 46:25 – Business is two things—sowing and reaping—most people are only good at one or the other
– 48:06 – Eelco’s _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective_
– 48:14 – Switch off the internet
– 49:29 – Give away your password to your Facebook account to someone you trust
– 50:50 – Exercise and outsource your discipline
– 52:05 – [Eel.Co](http://www.eel.co/)
**7 Key Points:**
1. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones.
2. Like it or not, luck will play some role in your success.
3. Invest in virtual real estate.
4. To create a winning business, you don’t necessarily need a business model.
5. Follow your passion and it will lead you places you never thought possible.
6. Social media marketing is shockingly under-utilized.
7. Business is two things: reaping and sowing.
**Resources Mentioned:**
– [The Annoyance of the Unread](http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/05/why-some-people-cant-stand-having-unread-emails/394031/) – An Atlantic article using science to explain why unread emails are so annoying – [Right Signature](https://rightsignature.com/?ref=producthunt&utm_content=buffer38ea2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer) – Quick and easy digital document signing – [Lollie.biz](http://lollie.biz/?ref=producthunt) – Same idea as Bump-Sale—every time someone buys your product, the
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