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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Here’s More, From Other Founders Around the World
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
Your own time and energy is the most precious resource you have. Use it wisely, and learn what gives you energy, and what saps you. In the early years of building something, you need to throw a huge amount of time at it - and do many things you perhaps don’t like doing. But as you scale, it’s vital to take a step back and build a business that can grow rapidly beyond the time you put into it.
What shift in perspective has allowed you to see things differently?
It may sound simple, but realizing and truly understanding that we are all different and driven by different things has made a significant impact on me. This insight has changed the way I approach relationships and leadership.
What’s a guiding principle that informs the way you build and run your business?
One of our core values at Cozero is radical candor. It is the idea that the willingness to repeatedly enter uncomfortable situations to speak the truth benefits everyone in the long run. We believe that in order to grow and improve as an organization, we need to create an environment where our team is not afraid to challenge processes and decisions. Making this a core value guides us in difficult situations when it’s not clear which road to take.
What's a mistake that you're happy you've made?
I'm happy I chose a highly regulated market, even though it was tough. It taught me a lot about patience, attention to detail, and the importance of doing things right. These lessons have made me better at what I do.