Onwards and Upwards is a candid account of building a real company over ten years — from the first uncertain steps to scaling across continents. It explores what happens between the optimistic start and the polished success story: the grind, the mistakes, the pressure, the people, and the decisions that slowly shape both the business and the founder. It is a reflection on persistence, creativity and learning while moving forward, written by a founder who spent a decade growing a global business in the real world. For founders, operators, and anyone curious about what it truly takes to build something that lasts, this book offers hard-earned lessons and honest perspectives.
Ivan Landen is the founder of Blue Wireless, a global service provider built from the ground up over the span of a decade. Ivan was born in Netherlands and spent much of his career working in the telecommunications industry across Asia-Pacific. In 2015, he founded Blue Wireless in Singapore and together with co-founder Joop Gerlach, they built the company into a global service provider supporting multinational companies with wireless- and satellite services in over 80 countries globally. The company was acquired by Wireless Logic in 2023 and continues its mission within the group to provide worry-free wireless to some of the largest enterprise customers globally.