What quote or saying has stuck with you?
“The door to happiness opens to the inside.” - many entrepreneurs or driven people are struggling to find their way to happiness because, in my opinion, they are always on the search for something greater. But true happiness can only be found within us.
What book do you recommend the most?
“The hard thing about hard things” by Ben Horowitz. He describes the struggles of entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs the best.
What's your secret sauce for building a great team?
Invest the time into hiring the right A-people (A refers to the cultural fit and ambition), and don’t take shortcuts. Spend the time to describe and build the processes in your teams with your teams. Only clarity on the work process and clear the path for self-sustained people in your team. Last but not least, work on the personal development of your team mates, that will make a great team.
What do you wish you had known 10 years ago?
Doing more proper research before I start implementing something new (user research, customer research, etc). I’m often too quick in action (still), but I’m working on improving on that. That cost me 10 years ago a lot of development time in my previous company because I followed my first instincts too quickly. “Be fast with slow steps.”
What helped you accelerate your growth as a leader / entrepreneur?
I’m constantly working on personal growth. It’s not lack of knowledge that holds you back as a leader but your behavior, learned routines, communication, or better lack of it. I joined many leadership trainings, especially one from a wise guy in Salzburg about feedback in a group that helped me grow.
What motivates you to work as a leader / entrepreneur?
I love to see how a team evolves and becomes stronger. How certain people in a team are willing to learn and grow and to see their evolution to become a leader themselves. I had that amazing experience several times in my life, following team mates on their path to become the leader of the team (or in some cases, the leader of the whole company)
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What's the biggest insight you learned in recent years?
It’s always a good idea to be connected to your product – even if you have to deal with high-level topics, always remember the things you offer.
What personal habit helped you accelerate your personal growth?
In one of the hardest times of my life so far, I started journaling for 1-2h on Sundays. Not digital, but with paper and pen. Always answering the same questions related to self, social life and work. This brutally honest and regular reflection once a week helped me identify problems early and iterate fast.
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.