What quote or saying has stuck with you?
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." -- Maya Angelou
It shifts the focus from the what to the how we should communicate or meet.
What book do you recommend the most?
“The Tools” — It consists of 4 easy applicable methods to tackle mental states which helped me coping with feelings like fear, anger and ponder.
What's your secret sauce for building a great team?
Hire people who match our values. Because values are hard or impossible to change.
Important: Find your company values first. We used the "mission to mars" method and it was great.
What do you wish you had known 10 years ago?
That I knew so little about entrepreneurship and leadership. Fortunately, with EO ("Entrepreneurs Organization") I have found a very valuable place to learn and exchange ideas among entrepreneurs.
What’s your favorite ritual or meeting in your team?
Our monthly TownHall Meeting: Where the managing team shares updates on several topics, like Vision, Financials oder Product Development to improve transparency in our company.
What personal habit or behavior has shaped you as a leader / entrepreneur?
In conversations with other entrepreneurs, I always try to be honest, humble and inquisitive. Only then can I receive good experiences from others as a gift.
What motivates you to work as a leader / entrepreneur?
Having the opportunity to create a very good workplace for my colleagues and myself. And the freedom to make my own decisions.
When times are tough, who or what is an anchor for you?
Thinking about times that were tough (or seemed like). Most of them never turned out to be as tough as my brain thought they would be.
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When times are tough, who or what is an anchor for you?
My co-founders are my anchor in work-related topics. Having an environment where failure is welcomed with a helping hand and where weakness is valued as openness, once you are down those people will drag you up.
What's a mistake that you're happy you've made?
When I was 16 (way before the internet) I founded a travel-partner agency to connect people from different backgrounds seeking travel companions. After a year, I had to close the agency due to a lack of customers and the confusion some callers had regarding the nature of the “service.” Despite this setback, I gained invaluable insights into sales, communication and people’s needs, solidifying my desire to run a business that helps people.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
After graduating, I worked for an extremely well-paying automotive company. But I always had the feeling that there was more out there. So I quit and went into research with the aim of becoming a founder.
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
There are no overnight miracles, it's very hard work: both physically and emotionally. Requires resilience, grit, strategic approach and grind.