What do you wish you had known 10 years ago?
In hindsight it’s so obvious but I had to learn it from experience first:
„If you lose the conversations in your business, you lose your business“. This may sound kind of extreme but it is true not only regarding customers but also with regard to your team members. Great, honest, and trustful conversations are the glue that keeps an outstanding team together.
What’s an important belief / a guiding principle that informs the way you build and run your business?
People over money. It’s that simple. I’m very ambitious and, for sure, to a certain degree economically driven. However, when it comes down to prioritizing between people and money, I’m for sure on the people side.
What helped you accelerate your growth as a leader / entrepreneur?
Developing the skill of seeing things how they really are and not how we wish they were is so important for every leader. I think, this is the only chance to create a basis for making good and sustainable decisions.
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
Leadership is a long-term game. Understanding this helps me keep an eye on all things beside business, especially health since those things are an essential part of a wealthy and fulfilling life.
What book do you recommend the most?
"Principles of Life and Work“ by Ray Dalio and „Anything your want“ by Derek Sivers.
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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.