What's a mistake that you're happy you've made?
I like the concept of struggling well and learning from mistakes does make one stronger. But that does not mean that I’m happy about any of my mistakes. Quite the contrary: I hate making them and I wish I didn’t. That’s just not how the world works.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
I liked working with my co-founders, I thought we might have a chance to make it big-time (definitely overconfident!) and I had very little to lose by trying. Only much later did I come to recognise the amazing privileges that come with (moderately) successful entrepreneurship like choosing one's own team, having no upward limits, being able to create 24/7 - these are what motivates me today.
What do you wish you had known 10 years ago?
How long-term starting and running a business is. The world is full of stories about fast success. But most entrepreneurial journeys can easily take a decade and more. I’d still have started down that path, but with less improvised life-decisions.
What do you do to maintain balance in your life?
I’m really not particularly good at that. Part of me is the constant struggle to let go whenever I feel that my work starts to overwhelm me (it does sometimes). Accepting that I may never be able to fully log off and rather being chill about that (on holiday, weekends, weird times…) has reduced the stress it causes to me and my environment a lot.
What book do you recommend the most?
"The Hard Thing about Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz. I think it’s one of the most honest and insightful accounts of a (successful) entrepreneurial struggle.
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Here’s More, From Other Founders Around the World
What do you wish you had known 10 years ago?
I always thought that my life can be balanced between personal, business, health, family, finances and love. In that sense how much energy I put in and get back. But with the years, I learned that life is imbalanced by nature. It's still a goal for me and I believe if all parts are some kind of balanced, this speaks of a highly valuable life, but accepting that there will always be a certain imbalance, helped me a lot.
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.