Give a Nudge — A story worth remembering

What was Give a Nudge?

Some ideas become companies. Some become products. And some become something else entirely.

Give a Nudge was born from a simple belief: sometimes people do not need a big push. They simply need a little encouragement — a little nudge — to turn intention into action. A thoughtful gesture. A promise to yourself. A moment you decide not to postpone.

It was designed as a digital concept, but it was never just about technology. It was about people. About encouraging one another to achieve meaningful goals and create meaningful moments.

Although the concept never reached the world the way we had imagined, the idea behind it never disappeared.

This website was created to preserve that story.

It is a place where you can discover how Give a Nudge came to life, relive its journey through photos, videos and memories, and learn about the people who believed in it.

Because some ideas deserve more than a launch.
They deserve to be remembered.

Welcome to the story of Give a Nudge.

A runner tying a shoe beside a phone displaying a Give a Nudge challenge

The story

Some ideas start in a meeting room. Give a Nudge started with a challenge between friends.

Like many good stories, this one started by accident.

After more than twenty years without exercising, I was persuaded to run a local 5 km race called De Ballonloop. The question came on a bar terrace after a couple of beers — which is probably why I accepted the challenge.

It was not pretty. It was painful, even. But crossing that finish line sparked something unexpected. After nearly twenty years without sport, completing that challenge felt like a small pat on the back — and it motivated me to continue.

A few weeks later, I watched my son’s Pokémon GO app motivate him to walk just a little further. Another piece of the puzzle fell into place.

What if we could use technology not to keep people behind a screen, but to gently encourage them to take action?

That simple question became Give a Nudge.

Together, my close friend and business partner Johan and I spent the following year transforming that idea into a platform where family and friends could challenge one another to pursue meaningful goals, offer encouragement along the way and celebrate success together.

People often do not need a big push. They just need a little nudge.

At its heart, Give a Nudge combined a personal challenge, a deadline, encouragement from friends and family and a reward waiting at the finish line. It was more personal than another bottle of wine, bouquet of flowers or traditional gift voucher — and if a challenge was not completed, part of the reward supported a charity chosen by the recipient.

Go the extra mile before the extra treat.

In September 2017, after countless evenings, weekends and conversations, Give a Nudge was launched.

Although the project eventually came to an end, we remain incredibly proud of what we created together.

This page preserves the story behind that journey.

Dennis and Johan raising their glasses together — Two friends. One idea.

The original concept

From a personal challenge to a shared celebration.

This is a first visual proposal for explaining the original five-step experience. In the next build, the original app screens can be matched to each step.

Choose a challenge

Give someone a personal goal that matters to them.

Accept the Nudge

The recipient accepts the challenge and makes it their own.

Make progress

Small steps turn an intention into visible momentum.

Encourage each other

Friends and family support the journey along the way.

Celebrate or give back

Complete the challenge, enjoy the reward — or support a charity.

The app

The concept, translated into a digital experience.

The app turned a simple idea into a journey — first creating and giving a personal challenge, then following it together all the way to the finish line.

The original onboarding · in motion

Challenge. Motivate. Succeed. Donate.

A short fragment from the real app introduces the four ideas at the heart of Give a Nudge.

Press play to see the original onboarding.

Before the Nudge is given

Turn an intention into a personal challenge.

The giver could find inspiration, choose or create a challenge, personalise it and attach a reward.

Give a Nudge challenge categories — **01 · Find inspiration**Browse categories such as running, walking and cycling.

Give a Nudge running challenge — **02 · Choose a challenge**Swipe through ideas or create one of your own.

Give a Nudge personalised challenge overview — **03 · Make it personal**Edit the challenge, set a deadline and shape the Nudge around the recipient.

Give a Nudge reward selection — **04 · Add a reward**Choose a reward waiting at the finish line.

After the Nudge is given

The challenge becomes something you experience together.

The recipient activates the Nudge, shares progress and receives encouragement. At the finish line, the challenge is completed — or the value goes to charity.

List of received Give a Nudge challenges — **01 · Receive**Your active Nudges stay together in one place.

Give a Nudge challenge progress screen — **02 · Keep moving**A visible progress bar and countdown keep the goal in sight.

Give a Nudge challenge completion question — **03 · Complete**At the end, the app asks whether the challenge was achieved.

Give a Nudge reward earned screen — **04 · Be rewarded**Success unlocks the reward waiting at the finish line.

Give a Nudge celebrate achievement screen — **05 · Celebrate**Share the achievement with the people who helped you get there.

And if the challenge was not completed? The value of the reward could be donated to a charity chosen by the recipient — an important part of the original Give a Nudge idea.

Technology was the tool. The real product was encouragement.

The films

Give a Nudge in motion.

The films were an important part of the original launch.

Main filmGive a Nudge — Explainer

The journey

October 2016 — September 2017

One year from idea to launch.

We met almost every week. To talk, build, question, change things and start again. Meanwhile the sporting bug kept spreading: races, marathon training, the occasional ride together — we were slowly living the idea we were building.

Building it

Meetings, miles and momentum.

Give a Nudge became part of everyday life long before launch night. Goals were set, kilometres were covered and the logo started appearing well beyond our screens.

Working on Give a Nudge while supporting Belgium during a football match

21 September 2017

Launch night.

After almost a year, Give a Nudge moved from conversations and prototypes to a cinema screen full of friends, family and people who had helped us along the way.

Give a Nudge launch in the cinema — Welcome to the launch.

Give a Nudge campaign film on cinema screen

And people noticed.

The story travelled beyond the launch room.

Press coverage became part of the same journey — not a separate chapter, but a record of the moment when an idea between friends started reaching people we did not know.

Gazet van Antwerpen article about Give a Nudge — Gazet van Antwerpen · September 2017

Bloovi article about Give a Nudge — Bloovi

Running.be article about Give a Nudge — Running.be

Made in Oost-Vlaanderen article about Give a Nudge — Made in Oost-Vlaanderen

A turning point

And then, unexpectedly, everything changed.

Later, Johan passed away following a tragic cycling accident. Give a Nudge eventually came to an end.

But some of what it stood for stayed with us.

The idea kept travelling.

From city runs…
To mountain trails.
From everyday challenges…
To life's biggest adventures.

Because Give a Nudge was never about an app.
It was about encouraging people to keep moving forward.

Johan's legacy

A legacy of his own.

Johan left behind more than memories.

For years, he made his own walnut wine from a personal recipe, a tradition that was simply part of who he was.

After his passing, his sons found the recipe written on the barrel he used each year. They made a few bottles themselves — and soon discovered the same passion their father had.

Today, they continue that tradition as Johan’s Apero, refining his original recipe and keeping his story alive — a way of honouring their father by carrying on something he loved.

Discover Johan’s Apero

In Memoriam

Sometimes all it takes… is a little nudge.