# Chatting about tech startups

**Language:** Dutch  
**CEFR Level:** B1  

> Listen in as Daan and Sanne talk about the highs and lows of the Dutch tech startup scene in real, everyday Dutch. By the end of this course their conversation will feel easy to follow, and you'll be ready to join in.

**Setting:** In Daan's traditional brown café in the Amsterdam Jordaan, Sanne stops by for a drink while attending a modern water-tech startup seminar nearby. Over the course of a week, Sanne uses the café as a quiet spot to work and debrief, leading to daily chats with Daan about the rapidly changing tech landscape.

## Lessons

### 1. Criticizing the use of jargon

Sanne complains about the tech seminars she attended, and Daan agrees that modern entrepreneurs use far too much business jargon.

### 2. Discussing recent business news

Sanne tells Daan about an Amsterdam startup that raised millions for water-monitoring drones, though Daan remains skeptical about the idea.

### 3. Asking about someone's workspace

Sanne explains the practical use of the drones before asking Daan about his workspace, prompting him to joke about working behind the bar.

### 4. Discussing rising business costs

Sanne and Daan discuss how high rental prices are driving startups out of Amsterdam to Utrecht, as well as the struggle to find qualified staff.

### 5. Discussing job market demand

Sanne explains the high demand for IT graduates, while Daan jokes about his own irreplaceability as a long-time bartender.

### 6. Explaining why a company failed

Sanne shares news about massive layoffs at a tech company in Eindhoven, and she and Daan discuss the dangers of growing a business too quickly.

### 7. Discussing the benefits of automation

Sanne and Daan discuss the pressure from investors before Sanne explains how a new AI tool saves her hours of administrative work.

### 8. Expressing skepticism about technology

Daan admits the AI tool sounds useful but expresses his skepticism about algorithms, while Sanne defends how much time it saves her.

### 9. Discussing startup funding

Sanne and Daan talk about a new plant-based protein product and joke about starting a croquette startup to attract investor money.

### 10. Asking about upcoming work plans

Sanne laments that people at seminars ignore her focus on dike safety, prompting Daan to show support by asking about her upcoming drone tests.

### 11. Reassuring someone about job security

Sanne explains how autonomous drones will scan dikes, and she reassures a skeptical Daan that her job is safe because humans are still needed to analyze the data.

### 12. Demanding proof before believing

Sanne highlights the benefits of using drones to prevent floods, while Daan remains highly skeptical and insists on seeing the results first.

### 13. Comparing different work environments

Sanne explains to Daan why she prefers his quiet bar over her noisy co-working space after a long day of work.

### 14. Wishing someone good luck

Daan wishes Sanne good luck with her upcoming drone project, and Sanne promises to return to the bar tomorrow to tell him how it went.