Patrick Nordstjærne – From “Let’s Meet” to SIBUS, the story of a dream turned into success

Discover the story of Patrick Nordstjærne, founder of SIBUS, and how he turned a dream into a successful model built on innovation and simplicity in business.

Patrick Nordstjærne visited Bucharest during a weekend in July 2010. Today, he’s the founder and CEO of Eastern Europe’s largest Online Marketplace for lawyers.

C&B: How would you introduce your online activities to people who never heard of them?

Patrick Nordstjærne: Sibus | Simplicity in Business was founded in Bucharest in April 2014 based on the idea that clients should have easy and free access to accountants, auditors, and lawyers online.

We created an Online Marketplace that introduced transparency, competitive pricing, and trust to clients looking for offers and information. Today, the platform is the biggest of its kind in Romania, and activities are building in Moldova, Ukraine, Ireland, Spain, Denmark, Nigeria, and we are launching in Turkey in a matter of weeks.

C&B: If we were to look at a narrative thread of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?

Patrick Nordstjærne: I like to look at my journey as doors opening and closing. Do we know where the road leads us when they open, and do we know what opportunities were missed when they close? We need to open them to find out what’s behind them. It doesn’t mean that we enter though – even if it looks back at you!

I always hated being restricted, because looking at things in a new way is how we improve. And everything can be improved if we dedicate our time and effort into it.

Looking back, I heard “cannot be done” and “we cannot change that” so many times, and these sentences always made me smile, still do.

“Maybe not by you”, I always thought. Every problem has at least one solution – a bridge, once we fully understand it. And behind each closed door in life, is a chance to learn and bridges to build and connect.

It was a key moment in my career when I decided to leave Audit and KPMG in 2007 after having pursued a goal for many years that I realised no longer mattered to me. I had become restless and felt that I had the tools to pursue adventure so when they started appearing in 2010, I went straight for them.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?

Patrick Nordstjærne: The best thing I ever did in my life, was to come to Romania, but it also became the toughest challenge of my life, once the savings dried out.

I became an entrepreneur in Bucharest, and I lost my businesses twice, but each time I managed to come back stronger and with a new plan.

There have been several “downs” on the journey of Sibus | Simplicity in Business that started in April 2014, but the impact of COVID-19 and everything that followed from March 16th, 2020, stands out. In the blink of an eye the demand for lawyers stopped and what followed would redefine and reshape how I have been thinking, since then.

There was no help from anyone and no answers to all the questions. We had to adapt, overcome, and survive. Our fight was existential and giving up was not really a solution.

How did we overcome this? Well, in 3 days we turned everything around – paused LEGAL and adapted all our models for MEDICAL. This is how another of our platforms, Dr.MEDON.ro (Medics/Medici Online) was born. With our backs against the wall, we became courageous and creative – that was and is the only way forward.

Adversity truly shapes you, remember this, it creates a new perspective and clear priority.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?

Patrick Nordstjærne: We are not brought up to think like business owners and entrepreneurs, I wasn’t in Denmark. Behind both of these is a dream to be independent, to shape your own development, and to bridge problems with solutions.

I always liked the problem-solving part, and I realised that “big corporate” didn’t really fit my shoes. I guess the realisation of that, initiated the appetite for the adventure that led me to Bulgaria first, and later on Romania in 2010.

Once you get started and once you start seeing the results, the hunger for more results drives you, but it is a long path and sometimes also a lonely path. For many it results in defeat because people lack patience and insights to what they have started.

C&B: How did you look at the beginning of your path, and how do you feel you have transformed until now?

Patrick Nordstjærne: I was a naive little schoolboy, thinking that we all share the same values and perception of right and wrong. I thought that everyone would fight for what they believe in and give their best, once given the chance.

My Danish upbringing and education have been a blessing in many ways, but that paradigm fits the world in which it was created, not necessarily outside that box.

I have developed a very fine nose for bulls, what they leave behind, and along with it: Zero tolerance for dishonesty. I have truly learned to appreciate honest people, because it is so rare these days.

I have learned that I must help good people in need when I can, so many great things have happened to us, because I started thinking like this. I would actually argue that it is the reason why we are where we are, today. We helped a lot of smaller law firms over the years, even doctors and several of them acknowledge this today. This is a very strong foundation for an online business – not just in Romania.

C&B: If we met with your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Patrick Nordstjærne: Unstoppable, creative, and perhaps too honest at times! I have been called this many times and my high energy level and drive was always something that inspired my teams and the people I worked with, not just now, but in the past too.

These things don’t just happen accidently. It is a choice based on determination. My mom used to tease me when she beat me in card games and quizzes when I was a kid, and even if I always beat my sister, they would both team up on me and say: “You didn’t win!”

I always hated losing – maybe more so – because of this, don’t know, but when I see things going in the wrong direction, something triggers within me.

As I grew older, I learned to ask myself the question: Why did I lose?

You lose when you think you understand, but don’t and when you rely on other people fixing what is essentially “your problem”. Over the years I have learned that if we put our minds to it, we can fix any problem, simply by being creative, systematic, and by using the knowledge we have obtained.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made that changed your trajectory?

Patrick Nordstjærne: On the flipside of COVID – and before the war erupted in Ukraine – I looked at everything we were doing and how we were doing it.

I realised that…we are too heavy on hands and feet, it is taking us too long, and in a volatile world, “low flexible pricing” is the only way to build stability among our partners.

It is hard to find passionate young people today. They want really high salaries but offer little tangible knowledge in return. We have to remember the limitations of age and education, and unless you pay the asking price, they leave as soon as something better comes along, without realising many aspects of “learning and growing up”.

Those thoughts became the basis of what we refer to here, internally as the OlirO 2.0 model (Online Romania), which is now part of Sibus and the foundation of how I think everything today. A super agile and simple way to give our partners what they must have. They pay less now, work harder to extract the quality themselves, but no other platform can beat us on DELIVERY TIME. There is very little friction connected to what and how we do things today, and we are known for delivering (enough) quality to our partners at the price they pay!

We used to rely on telephone conversations and nice dialogue with clients and partners, but that format is no longer sustainable if you want to be cost effective and efficient.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or decision-making approach? Was it a natural process or something learned?

Patrick Nordstjærne: I started working at the age of 11. It taught me many things at an early stage, and to be responsible for the outcomes I produced. At 15, I was opening and closing a small convenience store on Sundays and delivering groceries to elderly people 3 times a week on a Long John delivery bike.

I was sometimes bringing home more tips than salary and the owners gave me the chance because they saw that I could do it. It helped me that I was 195 cm tall at the age of 16 and not afraid to tell a grownup man to pay his bills, after being given credit for weeks.

I joined the Royal Danish Army at the age of 19 and became a spokesperson for 37 other guys in my platoon, and even if I was young, it gave me the courage to stand up for my group in front of sergeants and officers.

Great leaders understand people, the process they are supposed to manage, and the need for quality and value! As a young mid-level manager, I learned never to delegate a task that I did not understand myself. As years and experiences matured and shaped me, I learned that fights are inevitable and closely connected to EGOs.

I want to win every time I play, and I want us to have fun. I like to invest in people, because I know I will be relying on their skills and observations later – when I delegate responsibility to them.

C&B: What do you think differentiates your business or professional approach from the rest of the industry?

Patrick Nordstjærne: Confidence mixed with factual knowledge and creativity, and knowing when to push the button! My 15 years of Audit, Financial Management, international law and business gave me every tool needed in the box. I build quite detailed simulation models for everything, and we do weekly follow-ups. I know every aspect of my companies and their activities because I designed every step of the processes.

It is very hard to argue with people who know, and if you do KNOW, you instantly smell people who are guessing. The reason why we have become better at winning is because I have learned to be patient. I was definitely not a patient person when I came to Romania in 2010.

You must be ready to go all the way! If there is something you need to learn in order to succeed, then you must learn it quickly. Pay attention to the details and don’t leave the table until you are sure you understand. I realised that I was constantly losing because IT was either too slow or too expensive, so I taught myself how to.

Patience and skills give you the ability to observe and to monitor the mistakes that other people and businesses make. Without a plan, you get lost when the numbers get bigger, and when you have a detailed plan, you don’t give up!

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments of the day bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Patrick Nordstjærne: I am a privileged person today, after years of stress, and everywhere we go; I talk to new people and learn the specifics of each country and domain. By eliminating a lot of salary expenses, I was forced to place myself closer to the contact line and to engage in dialogue with our partner law firms.

I enjoy these daily conversations because they allow us to navigate better but they also teach us what is going on, how to address the issues, and create solutions to counter the negative effects. When you listen to people and their challenges, often new ideas are shaped as a result, I love this part about online services, because so much can be done – especially for smaller businesses.

The greatest satisfaction from having created something meaningful is to see that it works and that clients and partners are appreciating the efforts that went into it.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?

Patrick Nordstjærne: “I don’t lie, steal, or cheat”, many people have heard me say this throughout the years.

I learned very early on in life that lying about results was a bad idea and that it would usually backfire. I had two parents who were pretty strict in this regard too.

No matter how bad it is, tell it like it is. A lie often only makes it worse or complicates “the repair”. Stealing will always only get you in trouble, because you will get greedy, and you will get caught trying to hide it. Once that information is out, you are »Game Over« in a professional world that relies on trust.

If I was to make a small confession here, today, I will smilingly say, that I sometimes cheat a bit, but the adapted rule for online is, that is has to serve the greater interest of good.

Another confession here is that I have little to no empathy for people who bring me any of this. It is simply bad for business, any business, no-matter where and when. You always get caught in the end and that usually comes with bigger consequence!

C&B: How did the idea to start this business and give it this name come about?

Patrick Nordstjærne: I was always a privileged person, somehow, mostly hardworking, and I always had interesting challenges and smart bosses to learn from in the auditing world. When I decided to come to Romania, that confidence level told me that I would be OK, and that I would easily find a job here right after the Sub Prime Crisis had wrecked many industries throughout the entire world.

I did not really have financial concerns at the time and thought that if I just went down 50% on salary, something would appear. That turned out to be rather optimistic and the real indicator was that only 2 out of 12-15 recruiters understood my CV. Their advice to me in January 2011 was: “Go home, Patrick! There is nothing for you here and even if, the salary will be very low”.

It did leave me with a once-in-a-lifetime feeling, but a couple of months before I had started talking about a meeting concept that I had tried in Copenhagen. I adapted it to what I saw here, called it “Let’s Meet” and until the nightclub fire in Colectiv, it was my first start-up in Romania.

Let’s Meet was about bringing outgoing and resourceful Singles together offline, while using online tools to gather them. We experimented with many ideas and formats throughout the years. After introducing our Bucharest singles to skiing vacations in Bulgaria, we started meeting more resourceful people and that produced the idea of Business PRO, which was about connecting people and smaller businesses, many of whom were single.

In March 2014, I watched a video about Agera (later on Ageras.com/.dk) in Copenhagen, and when I saw that idea, I realised that meeting IRL was requiring too many resources, reducing my reach, and not generating enough money.

In April 2014, Marina, whom I had worked with to create “Business PRO”, and I were talking on the phone about our new name. It took 10 minutes, after deciding that we could never call ourselves “Simple Business”, I said “Simplicity in Business”…what about SIBUS, you like it, is the domain available, sibus.ro, yes…I just bought it! That simple, actually, and it all started then!

C&B: If you were to send a message to people following your example, what would it be?

Patrick Nordstjærne: You don’t win if you don’t play and your dreams will never come true unless you fight to realise them. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it, I promise you!

Starting a business from scratch is the biggest challenge of your life, it will teach you everything about people and business, and you will learn to trust your instincts and to appreciate quality in other people.

The story of Patrick Nordstjærne is one of courage, vision, and perseverance. From his early social projects to the creation of SIBUS, he proves that success is not just about numbers but about turning ideas into reality.