What's your secret sauce for building a great team?
Trust and fairness. In a creative industry like software we cannot control and measure team members with traditional management methods. That's why we have to trust that everyone is contributing their best work. At the same time we have to be frank and fair, if someone is not – and help them to do better.
What’s your favorite ritual or meeting in your team?
Random check-in questions. I found questions like “What school subject is your favorite?” or “What fictional world or place would you like to visit?” to get the team into an excited state, in which the meetings are a lot more productive (and fun). Also, the answers can get really deep, and the bonding within the team gets a lot stronger. We have a free App for Confluence that generates the check-in questions.
What motivates you to work as a leader / entrepreneur?
For me, the most rewarding thing as a leader is to see people grow — and contribute to their growth. For example, one of my best moments as a leader was when a colleague, who had switched roles from engineering to product management 2 years earlier, shared with me that he had seriously questioned if software was the right industry for him – and that he had finally found his calling in product management at K15t.
What quote or saying has stuck with you?
"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn." by Benjamin Franklin. — I have to remind myself about this quote every time, when I want to achieve real change and the process is stuck. In most of those cases, more involvement is key.
What book do you recommend the most?
One of the most influential book for me was 'Reinventing Organizations' by Frederic Laloux, because it describes a new, more soulful and purposeful organizational model. And provides proof that there are small and large organizations who use this organizational model.
We’re building the largest library of insights and wisdom by and for founders and entrepreneurs.
Once a month we'll send you the latest interviews straight to your inbox. No fluff, just value. For free.
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.