Entrepreneur couple behind GoOllie: "We make each other good - in marriage, parenting, and co-owners
Updated: Mar 9
Lærke and Rasmus Cornelius, the couple behind GoOllie, have had a shared entrepreneurial dream for years, and when the opportunity to start GoOllie arose - despite a fourth child on the way - there was no doubt. GoOllie became a reality in 2021 after many conversations, brainstorms, technical and business descriptions and a presentation for an investor who supported the project.
GoOllie is a family business based on family values, and despite the fact that the couple behind it is married, has four young boys aged 1-7, and has launched GoOllie, they do not lose steam. Because they have each other.
"We are together 24 hours a day, and it is a great strength of our marriage and work partnership that we can do it. If we have sick children, they come to the office. If one of us is sleep-deprived, the other takes over, and no matter what happens - and let's be honest to say, there are many small and large challenges every day as a newly started company - we maintain our composure together and respect for each other. It is absolutely crucial to succeed with everything," says Rasmus Cornelius, the brain behind GoOllie.
"It is characteristic of both of us that in our youth we floated a little between jobs and didn't really know which education to take. We didn't fit into the traditional boxes"
The idea for GoOllie arose in 2020. In his job as a pilot, Rasmus discovered that the passengers he flew with often had challenges booking a flight. It was time-consuming and difficult to find the right available plane. There was a lack of a digital product on the market so that passengers could quickly get a fixed price, book, and pay in a fast and easy way.
Lærke and Rasmus, therefore, pitched the idea of developing a search engine like Momondo for private planes. The investor asked them to refine the concept several times, and in August 2021, GoOllie was founded with the necessary funding. Today, GoOllie has eight employees. The company is named after the couple's second son, Oliver. Because he is cheeky, funny, and goes to the edge, but always with a twinkle in his eye. GoOllie does the same. GoOllie is a digital alternative in a traditional industry with many manual processes.
On the brink of disability pension The road to entrepreneurial life is paved with everything from school fatigue, unskilled jobs, serious illness, and an offer of disability pension. As a young man, Rasmus was diagnosed with spinal arthritis, and when doctors gave up, the public authorities also gave up and offered him a disability pension. He declined and decided to fight his way back to a tolerable everyday life through biomedicine. He had given up on his dream of becoming a pilot a long time ago, but with a good deal of willpower and financial help from his family, the dream came true.
"It is characteristic of both of us that in our youth we floated a little between jobs and didn't really know which education to take. We didn't fit into the traditional boxes and spent most of our time creating something together, everything from music to smaller hobby projects. When our first child was born, life changed, and we changed course. We work well together in both parenting and work partnership, and we also know that we both have great capacity. That is why we have never doubted whether four children could harmonize with life as entrepreneurs," says Lærke Cornelius, who has a Master's in Experience Management from RUC, and adds:
"But if you ask me whether every day is rosy and everything in our home is perfectly in order, the answer is clearly no! We often live in chaotic conditions. But we have to be able to handle it. Perhaps we are good at it precisely because we have a certain routine with four children – maybe having many children helps us to prepare for life as entrepreneurs?"
"Yes, definitely. But we are also good at finding the positive aspects. I think that's important as an entrepreneur. Because there are certainly many setbacks along the way. It can be anything from budgets that don't hold to development taking longer than expected. And sometimes we don't live up to our own expectations. But it doesn't help to dwell on the setbacks. It drains energy and doesn't create progress. We focus on what we can do, the positive feedback we receive - and everything we have achieved" says Rasmus Cornelius.
