From building servers at home to leading a thriving tech business, Lennart Dreves’ journey from a small village in the Netherlands to CEO of Lennmedia has been driven by a lifelong passion for technology.
“I’ve always been busy with computers and servers,” he says. “I was the geeky guy of the family you could always ask questions to.” His early experiments with tech didn’t stop at simply tinkering. He started building servers in elementary school and even created his very first HTML webpage in primary school. “The colour scheme was a full vibrant red that would burn your eyes just looking at it,” he laughs. “I would never use that colour scheme anymore!”
This passion for technology was more than a hobby – it became a desire to build something of his own and turn his hobby into a business.
A different kind of New Year’s resolution
As a teenager, Lennart’s friends who played Minecraft led him to rent out servers for the game. With the game in its early alpha and beta versions, it was the perfect opportunity to provide fellow gamers with a service.
By 17, in his final year of high school, Lennart knew starting a hosting business was his next move. First, he had to convince his parents. “My mother said I had to finish school first,” he recalls with a smile.
But on December 31st, 2011, Lennart and his father (who he managed to convince) drove to the Chamber of Commerce to officially register his business. “We came back with a bottle of champagne,” he says – a fitting way to celebrate the final day of the year and the first day of business. “My parents knew there would be a lesson to be learned, no matter how it turned out.”
Shifting focus: Evolving from web hosting to MSP
What started as a straightforward web hosting business soon morphed into something more sophisticated. Lennart realised there was a gap for more personalised, high-quality service. “The web hosting market is quite B2C and doesn’t allow for personal connection,” he explains. That’s why Lennmedia evolved into a managed service provider (MSP). “We shifted from a simple hosting provider to offering tailored solutions for SMEs and marketing and web agencies.”
This pivot was a game-changer. Lennmedia could now offer a full suite of managed services, building deeper, more collaborative relationships with clients. Instead of just being a vendor, they became a partner in growth.
Today their offerings include:
- Dedicated servers: High-performance hosting that helps businesses leave a lasting impression.
- Virtual private servers (VPS): Scalable solutions that grow with your business needs.
- Real-time monitoring: Proactive alerts that keep clients informed and in control.
Learning to lead: The challenges of a young CEO
While Lennart had a solid academic foundation, including studies in International Business, there was one thing he would have to learn on the job: leading a team.
His leadership style is still largely based on intuition. “I love putting people front and center, helping them reach their full potential, but a lot of it is driven by gut instinct,” he says. He believes in trusting his team to excel, rather than micromanaging.
“It’s not always easy, though,” he laughs. “I’m a bit of a control freak sometimes. But if someone can do it better than you, let them do it. In essence, that’s why you hire them.” Learning to delegate has been key in his leadership journey.
Proactive service: Monitoring in real-time
At Lennmedia, delivering great service is about being proactive. Instead of reacting to problems, they anticipate them.
Their real-time internet connection monitoring service is a prime example. Rather than waiting for customers to report an issue, the system proactively monitors their internet connection. If there’s a disconnection, Lennmedia gets an instant alert and reaches out to the customer.
“Having you call us to report that your internet connection is down is a totally different approach than calling us because you can’t connect to the internet,” Lennart explains. “If we have all the data available, why not make that data available to customers?”
This proactive mindset is just one part of Lennmedia’s customer service philosophy. The other is the human side of business – a focus on building lasting relationships.
The human element of business
For Lennart, personal connections are everything in business. “Personal attention is make or break for me,” he says. “If I’m only dealing with a company and never the people behind it, I don’t like the company. I want to see the people who make the company. The company name is just a company name.”
This emphasis on human connections and personalized service is what sets Lennmedia apart. Relationships matter – and they pay dividends. Lennmedia is now a trusted partner for clients ranging from small marketing agencies to international developers and nationwide distributors. Their services are designed to deliver the best performance, security, and scalability for growing businesses.
Advice for the next generation
When asked what advice he’d offer to aspiring entrepreneurs in tech, Lennart’s answer is clear: “Differentiate from others. Find your USP. The web hosting market is saturated, but there’s still room for everyone in the industry.”
He also shares one of the best pieces of advice he’s ever received: “Do what you love. If you’re unable to put energy and dedication into something, things will never blossom.”
Despite the rise of automation and AI, Lennart firmly believes that people are still the core of any business. At Lennmedia, this philosophy is central to their company culture.
“We work hard, but we also play hard – together, as a team.”
Lennmedia has been a valued Openprovider customer since 2020. It is also an Openprovider Member, benefiting from cost-price domains and the convenience of managing everything on one platform.
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