Shows
SPEAK LIKE A CEOHow to Lead when AI is Smarter than You with Gerrit McGowan (Video Edit)Oliver’s TEDx talk, “AI-Powered Leadership: Why Supercomputers Need Supercommunicators” just dropped. It sets the stage for a real talk on what AI means for leaders. Oliver and his bestie, serial founder Gerrit McGowan explore how emerging tech is reshaping communication, leadership, and trust, and how leaders can use AI without losing authenticity. From voice cloning to deepfakes, from 3D avatars to AI writing assistants to humans leading teams of AI agents – this conversation hits on the future that’s just arrived. They explore what leadership looks like when AI can seemingly outth...
2025-07-0348 minSPEAK LIKE A CEO293: How to Lead when AI is Smarter than You with Gerrit McGowanOliver’s TEDx talk, “AI-Powered Leadership: Why Supercomputers Need Supercommunicators” just dropped. It sets the stage for a real talk on what AI means for leaders. Oliver and his bestie, serial founder Gerrit McGowan explore how emerging tech is reshaping communication, leadership, and trust, and how leaders can use AI without losing authenticity. From voice cloning to deepfakes, from 3D avatars to AI writing assistants to humans leading teams of AI agents – this conversation hits on the future that’s just arrived. They explore what leadership looks like when AI can seemingly outth...
2025-07-0350 min
School of HiringHigh-Performance Hiring and Entrepreneurial Flow with Gerrit McGowanSend us a textIn today's episode, I am thrilled to welcome Gerrit McGowan, a seasoned entrepreneur and a thought leader in the science of human performance.Gerrit isn’t your typical entrepreneur. With experience spanning four countries and three continents, Gerrit has built and scaled companies from the ground up, raised millions from investors, and served as interim CEO for multiple organizations. He’s achieved two successful exits and has helped thousands of founders transform their startups into thriving businesses.But Gerrit’s expertise goes far beyond just building companies. He has a deep...
2024-08-3039 min
When Science SpeaksUnlocking Entrepreneurial Success: From Whitewater Kayaking to High-Stakes Startups with Gerrit McGowan In this episode of When Science Speaks, Mark talks with Gerrit McGowan, a lifelong entrepreneur and former competitive whitewater kayaker. Gerrit shares valuable insights on overcoming networking dread, gaining buy-in from stakeholders, and creating value for customers. Learn about his journey from competitive kayaking to founding a venture-backed marketing tech company used by global brands like Coca-Cola and JetBlue Airways. Discover essential principles for entrepreneurs such as curiosity, authenticity, reciprocity, and empathy, and hear inspiring stories about building successful enterprises and navigating the unpredictable world of startups, drawing fascinating parallels to the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking. 00:00 Introduction and Networking Drea...
2024-06-1426 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 86 - Sunhero and the Power of Solar Innovation with Christopher CederskogStrap in for a riveting new episode on 'The Most Awesome Founder Podcast' as our hosts, Dries Faems and Gerrit McGowan, are joined by strategic mastermind Jeroen Kraaijenbrink. Jeroen shares captivating real-life experiences that he acquired while working on strategic matters with all kinds of clients from the corporate and startup world. Coming from an academic background, he gives insights into his method-oriented approach to strategy and how he aligns his work style with the customers. But that's not all – with a staggering 200k+ followers on LinkedIn and a spot in the Top 20 Global Content Creators, Jeroen is...
2024-01-2450 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEp 85 - Building B2B Marketplaces for SaaS with Sergio Chavez🌟 Welcome to the first episode of 2024 on 'The Most Awesome Founder Podcast'! Join our esteemed host, Dries Faems, as he engages in an enlightening conversation with Sergio G. Chavez, the innovative head of marketplace and partnerships at Sastrify. Sergio, with his rich international experience in Germany, delves into the intricate world of partnership management and its unique challenges, while also unveiling Sastrify's ambitious vision of creating a comprehensive solution for SaaS procurement and management. Sergio brings to light intriguing misconceptions and hurdles he faced while carving out his international career in Germany. A particularly fascinating ins...
2024-01-1053 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 84 - Inspiration session #11: The Oliver Samwer and Max Finger startup bible Welcome to our last episode in 2023! 🚀 This episode takes a unique twist as we journey 25 years back in time to dissect a master thesis that was written by two of the German entrepreneurship world's most influential figures – Oliver Samwer & Max Finger. 📜 Oliver & Max, renowned for their groundbreaking entrepreneurial ventures, penned this remarkable thesis called "America's Most Succesful Startups" at the dawn of their illustrious career when doing their masters at WHU. Now, Dries and Gerrit dive deep into the pages of history to meticulously examine the propositions made, debating their relevance in today's fast-paced entrepreneurial landscap...
2023-12-271h 17
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 83 - From strategy consultant to Global Top 20 LinkedIn Creator with Jeroen KraaijenbrinkStrap in for a riveting new episode on 'The Most Awesome Founder Podcast' as our hosts, Dries Faems and Gerrit McGowan, are joined by strategic mastermind Jeroen Kraaijenbrink. Jeroen shares captivating real-life experiences that he acquired while working on strategic matters with all kinds of clients from the corporate and startup world. Coming from an academic background, he gives insights into his method-oriented approach to strategy and how he aligns his work style with the customers. But that's not all – with a staggering 200k+ followers on LinkedIn and a spot in the Top 20 Global Content Creators, Jeroen is...
2023-12-1356 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 82 - Should startups promote a social vision with Murat Tarakci and Timo van BalenThis episode is for everybody who wants to get a bit nerdy with top-notch entrepreneurship research. We are excited to welcome the two renowned scholars Murat Tarakci & Timo van Balen to gain insights into their electrifying research about how startups with a social vision struggle to attract job talent. Gerrit’s trajectory perfectly complements this academic understanding as the founder of a nonprofit startup and inevitably leads to fascinating discussions. Revisiting some of our most commonly discussed topics, like message-market-fit, communication strategies for startups, and the struggles of building a solid recruiting strategy, but this time with th...
2023-11-291h 03
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 81 - Creating and leading scaleups in the Middle East with Muhammad Chbib The 81st edition of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast with Dries & Gerrit is just around the corner! We delve into the fascinating world of startups and cross-cultural business dynamics with our guest, experienced founder, business angel and WHU alum, Muhammad Chbib. Muhammad shares his valuable insights and experiences in the startup world and describes his journey from Germany to Dubai and back again and, how it has shaped his approach to entrepreneurship and the lessons he has learned along the way. 🚀 Muhammad's expertise and perspective shed light on the significance of building connections, navigating cultural nua...
2023-11-151h 09
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 80 – Inspiration session #10: Startup subsidies, lean impact and dark side of AIWe are excited to unveil the 10th installment of the inspiration session, featuring our co-hosts GerritMcGowan and Dries Faems. They discuss a captivating mixture of different topics in the realm of entrepreneurship from an academic and a practitioner perspective, such as: • Why aren't there more sustainability-driven unicorns, although badly needed • Which startups get supported by government grants • What the academic research on the controversial topic of hybrid work yielded • The next big thing on the horizon: quantum computing And have you always wanted to know how to create the boyfriend/girlfriend of your dreams? T...
2023-11-011h 37
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 79 - Mitigating Startup Founder Burnout with Ute Stephan In today's episode 79, Dries & Gerrit explore the toll it can take on a founder's mental health whilst trying to materialize his entrepreneurial dream into a reality, and they have an excellent guest for that matter: Prof. Ute Stephan, a renowned entrepreneurship scholar from King's College and an outstanding expert on entrepreneurial wellbeing and founder stress. The three plunge into the fascinating topic of how entrepreneurs' wellbeing directly impacts the success of their ventures and the vital role strict leisure time management can play. 💼 How can one implement coping strategies to avoid getting caught in a cycle of ove...
2023-10-1857 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 78 - Empowering Women in Finance with Dana MenzelWe are over the moon to have Dana Menzel on board for episode 78 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast. Dana's entrepreneurial path is impressively versatile. She started as a goldsmith, mastering the art of this filigree craft, and turned this into her first thriving jewellery business. Now, she is leaping into a whole new area, and we are excited to hear about this! With roots spanning across international borders, Dana is carving out a space for herself as a female entrepreneur. She talks about the most significant challenges as a female entrepreneur in Germany, how she masters...
2023-10-0438 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 77 - From founder to unicorn angel investor with Oskar HartmannWe're kicking off our new season with a bang! A dive deep into the world of angel investing with none other than Oskar Hartmann.🌍✨ His outstanding track record: 14 (!) of his startup investments have reached unicorn status, he's one of the 1000 wealthiest Germans, and in his spare time? He cracks world records in indoor rowing 🥴🏆 Alongside our brilliant hosts Dries Faems & Gerrit McGowan, Oskar unveils the intricacies of spotting unicorns, what he learns from Olympic champions, and how to source for business opportunities from Africa to South America 🦄🚀 By the end of this episode, you'll be equipped with a t...
2023-09-2056 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 76 - The art of balancing startups and life with Björn MarondeGet ready for an inspiring conversation with successful entrepreneur Björn Maronde in the newest episode of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast! Björn shares his personal background, the pivotal moments that led him to entrepreneurship, and the valuable lessons he learned along the way. 📚💡 You'll discover how an executive MBA played a role in shaping his entrepreneurial career and how he navigated the challenges of starting a business with a close friend. 🤝 Björn also reveals the importance of product-market fit and the challenges of expanding into multiple markets simultaneously. 🚀 So, whether you're a season...
2023-09-0639 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 75 – From e-commerce wunderkind to successful investor with Roman KirschOur next guest on the Most Awesome Founder podcast: Roman Kirsch! 🎙️ Roman will be sharing his high-paced entrepreneurial journey, characterized by his story of perseverance, hard work, and why sometimes naivety can be beneficial. Discover Roman’s passion for building new ventures that led to various well-known and flourishing startups but also some non-successes and how he dealt with them. Roman also discusses his insights from switching from an entrepreneur to an investor role, the importance of a startup’s idea vs. its team, and why serial founding can almost be addictive. 💉 We hope this un...
2023-08-231h 17
SPEAK LIKE A CEO201: Mastering the Art of Founder Communication. Jag Singh & Oliver AustDoes your message cut through the noise? How do you achieve message-market-fit as a startup?
We are excited to bring you an episode from WHU’s The Most Awesome Founder Podcast, hosted by globally-recognised startup expert Gerrit McGowan and entrepreneurship professor Dries Faems.
In this episode, Jag Singh, Managing Director at Angel Invest, and Speak Like a CEO host Oliver Aust discuss their latest book, "MESSAGE MACHINE: How Communications Will Make You An Unstoppable Founder."
We discuss topics like the importance of listening, decisive factors in storytelling, how to build a great brand, perso...
2023-08-091h 21
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 74 – Inspiration session #9: Golf, Gender and Generative AIWe are thrilled to announce the launch of the 9th edition of the inspiration session with Gerrit and Dries! 🎉 They will once more discuss diverse and thought-provoking topics, combining insights from an academic and a practitioner perspective. What are the legal implications of AI-generated inventions, which entrepreneurs should consider entering a venture studio and why women should be careful if their boss plays golf? These and other questions will be answered, so be prepared to learn, think, and laugh. Don't miss this captivating episode! 🔍 Discussed sources: Dahlander, Linus, et al. "Bl...
2023-08-021h 23
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 73 - The impact of AI on Startups, VC and Society with Frank Thelen 🎧 We are thrilled to announce a new episode of The Most Awesome Founder Podcast, featuring one of Germany's most prominent deep tech investors, Frank Thelen. In this wide-ranging discussion, Frank shares his perspective on how AI and generative technologies are beginning to reshape the startup and venture capital landscapes. 🚀 While AI promises to turbocharge innovation and efficiency, Frank cautions that many startups are simply slapping an "AI startup" label on their pitch decks without true breakthroughs. Real advances require deep research and teams willing to eat glass for years before product-market fit. We also dive into the opport...
2023-07-1947 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 72 – Building a startup as a multicultural entrepreneur with Kiran Banakar🔥🚀 We're thrilled to spotlight the incredible journey of Kiran Banakar, one of our founders from this year's WHU accelerator batch. From grappling with the challenge of finding friends to scaling the heights of entrepreneurship, Kiran's story is nothing short of inspiring. 🌟 Kiran will be peeling back the curtain on his success as an entrepreneur in Germany, sharing the invaluable lessons he's gleaned from his tenure as a patent attorney and revealing how his company is harnessing the power of AI to revolutionize customer relationship building. 🤖💡 But that's not all! Kiran will also delve into his personal experie...
2023-07-0546 min
Flow RadioRiding the Entrepreneurial FlowTODAY´S EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FLOW RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Are you an entrepreneur, a leader, or a knowledge worker, who wants to harness the power of flow so you can get more done in less time with greater ease and accomplish your boldest professional goals faster? If you´ve answered this question with “hell yes” then our peak-performance training Zero to Dangerous may be a good fit for you. If this sounds interesting to you all you need to do is click the link below right now, pop in your application and one of our team members will b...
2023-06-261h 21
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 71 – Leveraging data to build an augmented venture capital approach with Dr. Andre RetterathWe are thrilled to welcome Andre Retterath to episode #71 of our podcast. Andre is one of the leading figures in disrupting the traditional VC landscape by implementing data-driven approaches to improve decision-making. So tune in to hear interesting use cases, why the days of purely gut-based decisions investing seem to be over and what the future might look like. If you want to not miss out on any new developments, you can also check out Andre’s newsletter: Data-driven VC.io Chapters: (0:50) Intro from Dries to our guest Dr. Andre Retterath
2023-06-211h 05
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 70 – Unleashing Pet Health: Crafting a Customer-Focused Growth Journey with Stan Nazarenus & Alex ThelenJoin us again for an exciting episode of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast as we dive into the captivating story of Alex and Stan, the founders of high-growth startup Mammaly, which tackles the complex issue of pet health. Alex and Stan share how their shared vision led to a thriving direct-to-consumer business model and how collaborations are essential for their product development. Get ready for insights on customer understanding and hypotheses testing while rapidly scaling a startup. Take advantage of this fascinating episode packed with hands-on advice and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs. We hope you...
2023-06-0755 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 69- Building platforms to disrupt the healthcare industry with Philipp Buhr🎙️ Get ready to tune into today's new episode of The Most Awesome Founder Podcast with Philipp Buhr, the co-founder of marta! marta is a platform that transparently enables families to match their elderly family members with suitable caregivers. Beginning with stories from Philipps entrepreneurial childhood, enabling him to be the co-founder he is today, the episode advances into deeper topics associated with the healthcare market. Here is a sneak peek of the topics Dries and Philipp further indulge into: 🤝 How Philipp and his co-founder developed their idea and shaped it into reality 💪 The...
2023-05-2455 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 68 – Mastering the Art of Founder Communication with Jag Singh & Oliver Aust 🎧 We are thrilled to welcome Jag Singh (Managing Director @ Angel Invest) and Oliver Aust (CEO & Founder @Eo Ipso Communications) for a second time to the show! This time we discuss their newest book MESSAGE MACHINE: How Communications Will Make You An Unstoppable Founder where they share essential aspects for founder communication mastery. Tune in to find out why communication is the biggest challenge for a growing company and why startups need to have a compelling message market fit. We hope you enjoy this episode! Chapters (0:46) Welcome by Gerrit ...
2023-05-101h 21
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 67 - Scaling a fintech startup while navigating regulations with Justus SchmueserShould you work at a consultancy before founding? How is communication within international founding teams? And what skills and mindset do you really need to become a successful founder? Today's episode features our guest Justus Schmueser! He is a former WHU bachelor student and completed his master of finance at MIT. Here he met his co-founder and today is leading the company Kadmos, which in 2022 was renowned for being one of the fastest-growing startups in Germany. Tune in to get answers to those burning questions and find out how Justus has grown through his founder ca...
2023-04-2649 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEp 66 - Inspiration session #8: Does generative AI decrease inequality - the future of VC Get ready for today's episode 66 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast! As always, the Inspiration Session will discuss topics that made Dries and Gerrit think, learn, and laugh. Here are some exciting sneak peeks of the topics explored within the episode: - What impact do prominent Venture Capitalists have on replacing startup founders over time? - The four main challenges Venture Capital is facing, calling on the question of whether VCs need to change - Generative Artificial Intelligence and its impact on productivity Take advantage of this thought-pr...
2023-04-121h 29
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 65 - The art of hypothesis testing in startups with Alex Osterwalder🎙️ Want to know how to optimize your hypothesis testing and find out how the experts do it? Tune in to today’s engaging podcast, where Alex Osterwalder, the creator of the Business Model Canvas and co-founder of Strategyzer, is interviewed. Ranked no. 4 of the top 50 management thinkers worldwide and visiting professor at IMD, Alex is known for simplifying the strategy development process and turning complex concepts into digestible visual models. Within the episode they dive into the art of testing and developing hypotheses to give you the most valuable insights, indulging in deep dives into topics...
2023-03-291h 01
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 64 - How to screw up your startup: 5 financial mistakes with Sven GreulichDo you know about all the different ways to screw up your startup’s financials? Managing investments for your startup is bound to come with difficulties and requires a lot of learning by doing. However, you can learn how to avoid these mistakes beforehand! Tune in to today's episode and listen to Sven, Gerrit and Dries discuss: - Both sides of the financing table - What type of red flags to identify in investors - Do you get in bed with the devil? - Equity shares in university spinouts - And many other interesting topics! Let us know what you think of the episo...
2023-03-151h 07
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP - 63 How to screw up your startup: 5 human mistakes with Dr. Sven Greulich Learn from legal expert Dr. Sven Greulich how to avoid typical founder pitfalls! In episode 63, we are excited to introduce Dr. Sven Greulich to you, who elaborates on the main pitfalls the Orrick Legal Ninja Series identified. To give you a little insight, here are the first two problems discussed: Not thinking about founder team dynamics and founder departures Creating an unreflect equity split There will always be conflicts that arise throughout the founding process. Whether those occur because you believe in deserving more equity, since you had the...
2023-03-0159 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 62 - The Mentor Perspective on Startups with Joerg HellwigToday our guest Jörg Hellwig, an active angel investor, is here to share his insights with you! Having had experience as a chief digital officer, co-founder, and investor, he has valuable insights that you can benefit from! The different perspectives Jörg encountered make this podcast so valuable for aspiring entrepreneurs. Learn about: - the challenges and benefits of change in corporates - How one of the first B2B marketplaces in the chemical industry was founded - And what it’s like helping inexperienced founders We hope you enjoy the episode...
2023-02-0152 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 61 - Leveraging startup failure learnings with Kilian KarraschDo you ever wonder what it's like for your startup to fail? Then you're just right in today's episode #61! In this episode, we're here to listen and learn about Kilian Karrasch's startup failure with Connme. Tune in to Kilian's reflection on what it was like to experience your own startup failure. Within this episode, Kilian shares the deep and valuable learnings he was able to extract. Make sure to listen closely and use the tips Kilian shares, such as choosing the right co-founders, examining the crucial potential risks, staying close to your c...
2023-01-1855 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 60 - Building two mergers in fourteen years with Jan ReicheltKick off the year right with startup guidance from the successful WHU founder Jan Reichelt. His successful entrepreneurial journey began with Mendeley and has led him to reach two consecutive acquisitions. After his own founding, he began investing as an angel and has now moved towards venture capital. Listen and learn more about Jan’s journey, what it’s like to be an entrepreneur in diverse countries, how to live the entrepreneur lifestyle successfully, and tips for investor relationships. We hope you enjoy the episode! Feel free to leave your thoughts and future ideas in the...
2023-01-041h 06
Nourished With Anna31. How To Get Into Flow with Gerrit McGowanWhat exactly is a flow state? And how do you get into it? Sitting down with the wonderful Gerrit McGowan to talk all things flow state. Gerrit is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and globally recognized startup expert. And when he's not building his own ventures, he can be found helping others build theirs - having supported over 1000 startups to find their paths to product-market fit and raise over $100m+ in venture capital.He’s the host of The Most Awesome Founder Podcast, lectures on the science of peak performance, and can often be...
2023-01-0356 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 59 – Building an app that hooks with Niklas BrackmannThe last episode of 2022 and we are very excited to share our first recording in front of a live audience. Dries interviews Niklas Brackmann, co-founder of the amateur football app Prematch. Niklas talks about how hooks help create social platforms, how implementing a shared culture in a young venture looks and about WHU supports activities for entrepreneurs. We hope you enjoy the episode! Chapters (0:43) Dries’ introduction (1:53) Welcoming Niklas (2:18) What is Niklas’ background before coming to WHU (4:03) Joining the Master in Entrepreneurship ...
2022-12-2836 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 58 – The Awesome Founder Inspiration Session #7Episode 58 features the seventh edition of the Inspiration Session with Gerrit McGowan & Dries Faems in which they share what makes them think, learn, and laugh. This week they touch on some of these thought-provoking topics: How to measure personality with your digital footprint Is fake it till you make it the right strategy to use as an entrepreneur? How can the chance of burnout be reduced? Should we expect a wave of entrepreneurial burnout next year? How is art evolving in the advanced technological world AI and its influence on our world We hope you enjoy the show...
2022-12-211h 49
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 57 – Building diverse success stories with Daniel HanemannWelcome back to episode 57 with serial entrepreneur Daniel Hanemann! The WHU Alumnus Daniel is a successful entrepreneur, as seen in his current role as founder/CEO of Wundertax. You’ll, however, also find him as an investor, comedian, and polyglot. Listen and learn more about Daniel’s founder journey, what it’s like to be an international entrepreneur founding in diverse countries, how to leave startups, what WHU Alumni get wrong while founding, and further tips and tricks in founding your own startup. We hope you enjoy the episode! Feel free to leave your thoughts and fu...
2022-12-141h 29
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 56 – Educating about innovation ecosystems with Axel DenizEpisode 56 and we are excited to welcome Axel Deniz to the show. Axel has extensive experience building digital products and has led numerous digital innovation projects with large multinationals. Currently, he is Director for Corporate Development & Innovation at PwC, leading open innovation strategy & corporate venturing. Tune in when Axel talks about the resilience of business ecosystems, the role of external infrastructure, and how specific frameworks help to implement ecosystems in the firm daily. We hope you enjoy this episode! You can find all show notes and links mentioned in the episode o...
2022-12-0756 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 55 – Leveraging TikTok to build customer-centric platforms with Annika von MutiusEpisode 55 presents Annika von Mutius, a driven and motivated entrepreneur with an affinity towards technology. We were delighted to hear about her journey, building the first fully automated headhunter, Empion. Annika and her co-founder Larissa recently raised €2.4 Mil pre-seed funding with WHU alumnus Michael Stephan as a board member and angel investor. Annika and her co-founder Larissa quickly understood the importance of matching culture, skills and values between applicants and companies, which led them to build Empion. By quantifying the tasks of a headhunter and both automating and personalizing the process for applicants, they connect the right in...
2022-11-2341 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 54 – The Awesome Founder Inspiration Session #6In Episode 54 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we returned with the 6th inspiration session with Gerrit McGowan and Dries Faems. Sticking to the format of sharing something they learned, made them think, and made them laugh, Gerrit and Dries discuss the following captivating topics: - MBA Students and their effect on work in startups - In what sense the “cigar butting investment strategy” can be implemented today - What academic research about entrepreneurship is still missing - The new OECD innovation policy for Germany - The issues of digitalization in G...
2022-11-161h 22
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 53 – Shaping company culture with Moritz WeisbrodtIn Episode 53 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we are happy to interview Moritz Weisbrodt, a serial entrepreneur with experience in various industries like food, health, and logistics. His latest company Alaiko, a fulfillment-as-a-service company, just announced a 30 million series A funding round this year. Talking as a generalist, Moritz knows the importance of corporate culture in different market environments and along different lifecycle stages. How can culture be actively shaped, and what are ways to implement it? Tune in when Moritz shares his key learnings about the essential value basis of Alaiko and gives advice to...
2022-11-0247 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 52 - The Awesome Founder Inspiration Session #5 with Gerrit McGowan & Dries FaemsEpisode 52 features the fifth edition of the Awesome Founder Inspiration Session with Gerrit McGowan & Dries Faems in which they share what makes them think, learn, and laugh. This week they touch on some of these thought-provoking topics: - Post-money valuations of unicorns - Elon Musk’s opinions about geopolitical problems – is there an economic calculation behind it? - What are two of the most exciting high-tech companies? - Why does Adam Neumann, founder of wework, still get money? - The possible explanations ad implications of “quiet quitting” - B...
2022-10-191h 10
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 51 - From entrepreneur to enabler with Sebastian PollokIn episode 51 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Sebastian Pollok, WHU alum, Co-Founder of Amorelie. He is currently Founding Partner at Visionaries Club, a Berlin-based VC. In this episode, Sebastian shares his journey with us, which was filled with many ups and downs. Sebastian has been through everything from declining a job offer at BCG to interning at Google in the USA to finally living in a dorm to work on his startup. He will share how he disrupted a complex and fragmented market through Amorelie and eventually made a big exit. He will also...
2022-09-2853 min
Flourish FMEpisode# 11: Flow & Flourishing Part 2: Flow in your workThis is the second in a two-part series on the relationship between flourishing and flow - the psychological state of optimal experience and performance. Research suggests that experiencing flow significantly enhances our well-being.
In this episode, we talk to Dr Jared Weintraub and Dr Gerrit McGowan about the role of flow in work and how to get more into flow in your work.
Dr Jared Weintraub is the founder of The Flow Group, LLC., an organizational and business development firm that works with individuals and companies to create and maintain happy, he...
2022-09-261h 30
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 50 - Managing corporate innovation with Andy BinnsIn episode 50 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we are happy to welcome Andy Binns to the show. Andy co-founded the innovation consultancy change logic and has more than 20 years of extensive experience overcoming innovation barriers in big corporates. Apart from his merits as a practitioner, he also published relevant academic work regarding disruptive innovation and CEO ambidexterity. Andy shares his insights into how corporations can drive disruptive innovation from within. He also talks about how corporate innovation explorers differ from classical entrepreneurs and the challenges of idea scaling. We hope you have fun exploring...
2022-08-311h 03
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 49 - The Most Awesome Founder Talent Recordings #6 with Elena TsemiravaIn Episode 49 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we are happy to introduce our sixth talent out of this year’s accelerator cohort. After years in the corporate scenery, Elena Tsemirava recently decided to take the matter into her own hands and build her own start-up Listerly, to fulfill her entrepreneurial potential. Listerly wants to leverage artificial intelligence to automate listing products on multiple online channels, so far a primarily manual and cost-intensive process. Tune in to hear how Listerly intends to change that to contribute to a more automated and scalable e-commerce business with a special ey...
2022-08-1724 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 48 - Unpacking Innovation Ecosystems with Ron AdnerIn episode 48 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Ron Adner, Professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He is one of world’s leading thinkers and an award-winning researcher. he is also an advisor to companies around the world and the founder of the Strategy Insight Group. In this episode, Ron shares his research and experience with us on innovation ecosystems and throws light on how today’s businesses need to approach value creation to build great ecosystems around their business. He argues how ecosystem-based strategies have alignment at the...
2022-08-101h 15
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 47 - The Most Awesome Founder Talent Recordings #5 with Sufyan OsamahIn Episode 47 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, Dries talks to Sufyan Osamah, who just finished the latest WHU accelerator program. With his co-founder Nikolaus Ridder, he developed HonestDog, a platform to connect reputable breeders and shelters with people who want to buy their dogs more responsibly. Man's best friend is far from a mere platitude when Sufyan speaks about how the presence of dogs, even in adverse circumstances, impacted him as a child. Unfortunately, this also brought some tragic experiences as a dog owner for the first time. Luckily, he could keep his remarkable...
2022-08-0324 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 46 - The Most Awesome Founder Talent Recordings #4 with Raphael DerstappenEpisode 46 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast and we are thrilled to introduce Raphael Derstappen, co-founder of the live-learning platform Kursinsel. Today’s parents can keep their children busy with a bunch of electronic devices, games, or apps. However, Kursinsel wants to offer more than temporary entertainment for kids. The platform assists parents in letting their kids explore their passions and interest independent of location or time via live & guided online courses. How to understand parent’s problems without being a parent yourself, how to build two-sided platforms, and how to reject academic job offers; tune...
2022-07-2032 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 45 - The Awesome Founder Inspiration Session #4 with Gerrit McGowan & Dries FaemsIn episode 45 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we are back with the fourth episode of the Awesome Founder Inspiration Sessions with Gerrit McGowan and Dries Faems. Continuing the format from the previous episode, they discuss a few thought-provoking topics: - How does virtual work affect creativity? - Do flexible work opportunities have inherent biases? - Can the introduction of a middle management layer actually drive innovation in startups? - How can startups become more competitive when hiring tech talent? - A curious case of robots being...
2022-07-131h 18
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 44 - The Most Awesome Founder Talent Recordings #3 with Ege GündüzIn episode 44 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we interview Ege Gündüz, another young and driven entrepreneur from our WHU accelerator. Ege is co-founder of liftOS (formerly 10lift), a startup that wants to foster collaborative and more engaging HR processes. Join to hear how Dries and Ege discuss work experiences during Covid-19, issues with B2B business models, and the challenges driving digitization in HR. We hope you enjoy this episode! Chapters: (02:20) Introduction of Ege (03:34) The experience of moving from Turkey to Berlin (04:41) Con...
2022-07-0630 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 43 - Exploring Organisational Ambidexterity with Julian BirkinshawIn episode 43 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Julian Birkinshaw, a leading researcher in the field of entrepreneurship and a Professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the London Business School. In this episode, Julian will discuss his research on how companies need to balance alignment and adaptability to keep up with a rapidly changing world. He will also walk us through his findings on what made big successful companies like Oracle adapt to changing market conditions and the concept of contextual ambidexterity – behaviors and practices in a business that enable organizations to adapt to changing ma...
2022-06-2953 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 42 - The Most Awesome Founder Talent Recordings #2 with Chenchen CaoIn episode 42 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we interview another exciting entrepreneurial talent from the WHU accelerator. Chenchen Cao is co-founder of Power Mind Club, a startup that wants to improve couple relationships through counseling offers and a caring community. Chenchen and Dries discuss mental health as a vital part of Power Mind Club and the day-to-day entrepreneurial business. Tune in when Chenchen tells how her startup is trying to overcome the stigma many still have against couples counseling because long-lasting, happy relationships should be worth working on! We hope you enjoy this lovely talk!
2022-06-2223 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 41 - From Toddlers to Tonies with Marcus StahlIn episode 41 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Marcus Stahl, WHU alum and Co–Founder of Tonies. Marcus had a long stint in the telecommunication and automotive industry before becoming a founder and co-founding Tonies. In this episode, Marcus goes through his journey from taking 3 years to perfect the Tonies box to eventually taking the company public via SPAC. He emphasizes how being naive helped him and his co-founder in building the business and how it is extremely important to have the heart and conviction in your product in a product led business. He also sh...
2022-06-151h 03
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 40 - The Most Awesome Founder Talent Recordings #1 with Anand RajIn episode 40 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we proudly introduce our first entrepreneurial talent of this year’s WHU Accelerator cohort. Anand Raj, co-founder of Joyon, wants to do his part to democratize education by building a platform for small content creators of live online courses. In this episode, Anand talks about the long journey that led him from being a software engineer in India to being a first-time founder in Germany. Find out what role Covid-19 and the Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA Program played in turning his desire to start a business into reality. Hope you enjoy listening to th...
2022-06-0835 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 39 - Curating Emotional Experiences with Christian GaiserIn episode 39 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Christian Gaiser, WHU alum and Co – Founder at Numa. Christian is a serial founder and an angel investor and is currently changing the way people travel by curating emotional experiences. In this episode, Christian goes through his journey as a founder and an investor and talks about his itch to build things. He also talks about the founder – market fit, how he draws inspiration from sports for his business and the delicate balance of expectation management in the tourism industry. Hope you enjoy listening to the...
2022-06-011h 02
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 38 - Learning From Your Customers with Jochen ZiervogelIn episode 38 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Jochen Ziervogel, WHU alum and Co – Founder at Enpal GmbH. Jochen had a short stint in investment banking before entering the startup ecosystem and eventually founding Enpal – a unicorn disrupting the renewable energy industry in Germany. In this episode, Jochen goes through his founder journey and shares key learnings with the listeners. He throws some light on how the founders came up with the idea behind Enpal, the importance of founders spending time on building great products and why it is essential to listen to your customers.
2022-05-1847 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 37 - The Awesome Founder Inspiration Session #3 with Gerrit McGowan & Dries FaemsIn episode 37 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we present the third episode of the Awesome Founder Inspiration Sessions with Gerrit McGowan and Dries Faems. Continuing the format from the previous episode, they discuss few though-provoking topics: - Generalists or specialists – what type of founders have an edge in fundraising? - The science of selling – how to leverage psychological principles to level up your sales process! - Do social welfare schemes encourage or discourage entrepreneurship? - Is Elon Musk’s definition of free speech crossing the line? - Not...
2022-05-041h 18
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 36 - The Awesome Founder Inspiration Session #2 with Gerrit McGowan & Dries FaemsIn episode 36 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we present the second episode of the Awesome Founder Inspiration Sessions with Gerrit McGowan and Dries Faems. Continuing the format from previous episode, they discuss few hidden gems of thought-provoking information where each speaker would identify three items to discuss, one item that made them learn something, one item that made them think and one item that made them laugh. The episode is full of interesting ideas, current entrepreneurship trends and humour. So hopefully, you’ll enjoy listening to it as much as we did producing. ...
2022-04-131h 22
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 35 - Unpacking Venture Capital with Christian MeermannIn episode 35 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Christian Meermann, WHU alum and Founding Partner of Berlin-based VC firm – Cherry Ventures. Christian and Cherry have played a central role in the rise of some of Germany’s most well-known startups, some from WHU even. From Flaschenpost to Flink, Flixbus to Forto, Amorelie and many more! In this episode, Christian goes through his journey from being a WHU student to CMO at Zalando and eventually founding Cherry Ventures. He shares a few learnings from his journey and throws light on the German venture capital ecosystem. He also discusses what VCs...
2022-03-3059 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 34 - The Awesome Founder Inspiration Sessions with Gerrit McGowan & Dries FaemsIn episode 34 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce a new format of the podcast with Gerrit McGowan and Dries Faems. Being well connected in the academia and startup ecosystem of Germany, they often receive requests from their network to share suggestions about interesting research, books, and podcasts on entrepreneurship that are current and relevant. In this episode, they discuss few hidden gems of thought-provoking information where each speaker would identify three items to discuss, one item that made them learn something, one item that made them think and one item that made them laugh. This format was...
2022-03-091h 15
SPEAK LIKE A CEO#140 - How to pitch to investors - the Neuroscience of Startup Stories, Gerrit McGowanGerrit McGowan is an investor, entrepreneur and startup mentor who has coached over 1000 founders and entrepreneurs across five continents. He is also the host of ‘The Most Awesome Founder’ podcast and recently launched the Rainmaking Venture Studio in Germany that partners with corporates to invest and build high-growth companies.
In this episode, Gerrit and Oliver take a deep dive into the all-important equity story (aka pitch) that all founders need to master in order to raise money, in particular:
- Why founders only have two tasks: to build s**t and tell stories.
- Ho...
2022-03-0441 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 33 - Fostering Corporate Innovation with Christoph KroisIn this last episode of Season four of The Most Awesomefounder podcast, we introduce Christoph Krois, mission driven corporate entrepreneur and founder and co-head of the Siemens innovation ecosystem. Christoph’s mission is both an ambitious and a challenging one, driving innovation projects at one of the world's largest companies. We'll be talking open innovation, leveraging the unfair advantages of scale, driving rapid change in naturally slow moving organizations and building innovation teams that can drive change from the inside out. So if you, like me are fascinated by the topic of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation management, yo...
2021-12-2259 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 32 - The Love Of The Game with Nathan EvansIn this episode, we introduce Nathan Evans, WHU-alumn, co-founder of eCommerce startup fulfil, director at the founder's institute in Munich and has 25 years of experience in banking and fintech. Nathan and I had a great conversation about his fascinating career trajectory: From studying physics to the trading floors of London, from banking to product management to founding fulfin. We even managed to talk about poker as a metaphor for entrepreneurship. So I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I did the conversation. Part 1: Nathan Preview (00:04) Part 2: Introducing Nathan Evans (02:15)
2021-07-2854 min
Leaders Talk - Better Leadership. Better Organizations. Better WorldEp. 24: Gerrit McGowan, what is the difference between hard work and smart work?Leaders Talk - with Gerrit McGowan.
He is an entrepreneur, community-builder, researcher, investor and founder of the Syntegrity Group, KULA.com, Effectuate Apps, ICELab Innovation Center and more than a few short-lived ventures. Today he is also Managing Director of WHU Entrepreneurship Center and WHU accelerator as well as founder and host of The Most Awesome Founder Podcast and researcher of flow in individuals, teams and entire organizations.
In the podcast he talks about his life journey with Leadership Choices' Managing Partner Karsten Drath. McGowan reflects on his achievements, on the ups but also the d...
2021-07-161h 06
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 31 - Peak Performance for Entrepreneurs with Eric PartakerIn episode 31 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Eric Partaker, entrepreneur, peak performance coach, early employee at Skype, founder of UK restaurant group, Chilango, and author of The 3 Alarms: A Simple System to Transform Your Health, Wealth, and Relationships Forever. We’re discussing Eric’s founder journey from selling chocolates as a child to his early career as a McKinsey Consultant; from joining Skype as a small company to founding a large restaurant chain; to his work today helping entrepreneurs and CEOs update their internal software for optimizing performance and well-being Eric is an i...
2021-06-0945 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 30 - WHU Accelerator Team Introduction (2/2)As in our last episode, we’re doing things a little bit different in this week’s Most Awesome Founder Podcast. Today’ we introducing not one founder, but many. If you tuned in for episode 29, you know that on May 17 we launched the first cohort of the inaugural WHU Startup Accelerator. This intensive 7-week, mentor-driven, and equity-free program provides the best and brightest startups from the WHU community with rocket fuel for their new ventures, all culminating in a July 2 Demo Day event where the teams pitch their ventures to investors. So today, we introduce the 4 r...
2021-05-1947 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 29 - WHU Accelerator Team Introduction (1/2)We’re doing things a little bit different in this week’s episode of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast. Today’ we introducing not one founder, but many. As you may have heard, on May 17 we are launching the first cohort of the inaugural WHU Startup Accelerator. This intensive 7-week, mentor-driven, and equity-free program provides the best and brightest startups from the WHU community with rocket fuel for their new ventures, culminating in a July 2 Demo Day event where they will pitch their ventures to investors. So for the next two episodes of our podcast, we’ll be in...
2021-05-0544 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 28 - Design Thinking with Alex GrotsIn this episode we introduce Alex Grots - entrepreneur, innovator, creator, and expert in the art and craft of Design Thinking. We discuss Alex’s fascinating career from being a paramedic to working in the music industry; from building his first startup during the dot-com bubble to leading world-famous design agency IDEO in Germany; and from co-founding the high-growth IoT-venture ProGlove to advising innovation projects across the globe. Alex is one fascinating and creative cat, not to mention an incredible storyteller with experiences that could fill volumes! But his easily palatable way of putting people at the ce...
2021-04-2147 min
SPEAK LIKE A CEO#103 - The art of peak performance with Gerrit McGowanHow do you get CEOs to open up about their emotions in order to thrive? How do you get young students to become successful entrepreneurs? Can you build a lasting legacy for a business? Gerrit McGowan has all the answers when it comes to helping founders become peak performers.
Gerrit McGowan has been an entrepreneur for 20 years and has helped countless CEOs with bringing the best out of themselves. From founding the Kula group to building the WHU Entrepreneurship Centre for young entrepreneurs, Gerrit McGowan is a multidisciplinary virtuoso. He is also the host of ‘The Most Aw...
2021-04-1638 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 27 - Mastering Communications for Startups with Oliver AustIn this episode of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast we introduce Oliver Aust, one of Europe’s leading communications and personal branding experts, and former Head of Communications at Easyjet. He is the founder and CEO of Eo Ipso Communications and co-host of Speak Like a CEO, the category-defining podcast on CEO communications. Oliver helps CEOs and leaders build unignorable personal brands and businesses, drawing from his experience advising a wide range of organizations from high-growth startups to Fortune 50 and DAX30 companies. He is also a Techstars and WHU Accelerator mentor, and author of three books on communi...
2021-04-0751 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 26 - Finding Flow as a Founder with Valerie Bures-BönströmIn this episode, we introduce Valerie Bures-Bönström, mother of three, cofounder of Mrs. Sporty Fitness Clubs, founder/CEO of Pixformance Sports, and now, founder/CEO of interactive fitness mirror company, Vaha. In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavors, Valerie is also pursuing her Ph.D. in Computer Science. We’re discussing Valerie's founder journey, her passion for the fitness industry, the analogs between athletics and entrepreneurship, and one of Gerrit's favourite topics, flow. Valerie is an incredibly successful and driven founder who undoubtedly has that Midas touch! Her passion for entrepreneurship, technology, health, and well...
2021-03-2448 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 25 - Open Innovation With Henry ChesbroughIn this latest episode of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Henry Chesbrough - Director of the Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation, Adjunct Professor at the Haas School of Business, UC–Berkeley, and Chair of Open Innovation at Luiss Guido Carli in Rome. We’re discussing the origins of the concept of open innovation, its implications in business today, the roles of startups, and the interrelationships of open innovation, open source, and intellectual property. This conversation felt like a masterclass in this fascinating topic, rich with real-world examples that practitioners will relate to. Hope you...
2021-03-101h 15
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 24 - Building Digital Communities With Cory WarfieldIn this episode of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Cory Warfield, entrepreneur, founder of ShedWool and connector with over 250.000 LinkedIn followers. Cory and Gerrit met almost 5 years ago when mentoring Cory’s startup ShedWool at an accelerator in Colorado. Since then Cory grew his startup to 20+ employees, built a massive LinkedIn follower base and launched numerous new ventures from his vast professional network. In this episode, we are discussing Cory’s incredible founder journey from literally the bottom to the top, how faith and humility drive success and some really useful tricks for leve...
2021-02-1751 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 23 - Building meaningful company cultures with Freya OehleIn episode 23, we introduce Freya Oehle, WHU alumn, co-founder of the online shopping tool startup Spottster, and current co-founder of digital transformation consultancy 3tausendsassa. We are discussing Freya's founder journey, from WHU to building Spottster with a school classmate, to a unique exit and to building a new startup with the same team she build her previous one. Freya is a high-energy entrepreneur, with the passion and charisma of a great leader. So it is no wonder, her Spottster team continue their entrepreneurial journeys together. Get valuable insights into building teams, establishing company cultures that...
2021-02-0154 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 22 - Decoding Innovation Theater with Steve BlankIn this episode of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Steve Blank - legendary entrepreneur, author, adjunct professor at Stanford University, and father of the customer development / lean startup method. Steve arrived in Silicon Valley in 1978 and has played a pivotal role in the international startup scene ever since. His Lean Launchpad class redefined the way entrepreneurship is taught and changed the way entrepreneurs around the world build new ventures. He is also the author of the books “The Startup Owner’s Manual” and “The Four Steps to the Epiphany”. To learn more about Steve, you...
2021-01-1348 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 21 - Tackling Stigmas With Entrepreneurship with Lia GrünhageIn this latest episode of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Lia Grünhage, WHU alumn and founder of Avery Fertility, a Berlin-based startup that provides both women and men with top-notch education and care around fertility planning and treatment. We will be discussing Lia’s founder journey, her evolution from Amorelie management team to becoming a founder herself, the challenge of tackling cultural taboos like sexuality and reproduction and so much more. Hope you enjoy it!
2020-12-091h 03
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 20 - Founding People-Centric Ventures with Robert ErmichIn episode 20 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Robert Ermich, founder of DeinHandy, OnTruck and an exciting new stealth startup in the healthcare space. Gerrit met Robert last year when they were both coaching teams at 3-Day-Startup. It was immediately clear they were two birds of the same feather, who share the passion for startups, creative marketing and plenty of travel and outdoor adventures. But in this episode, they are discussing Robert’s founder journey, which took him from WHU to being a serial entrepreneur and eventually a business angel, the delicate balance between a gre...
2020-11-2558 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 19 - Diversity In Entrepreneurship with Gesa MiczaikaIn this episode, we are sticking with stories highlighting the importance of diversity and entrepreneurship. Today, we introduce Gesa Miczaika, entrepreneur, investor and partner at German’s first all-female VC firm Auxxo. Of course, we discuss diversity in the startup world, but also the disparity of capital deployed to male vs female founders, the competitive advantage of leading an all-female VC and so much more. Gesa is truly an advocate for equality and an inspiring voice in the German startup ecosystem. There are so many takeaways from this episode, so I hope you enjoy it.
2020-11-1135 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 18 - Revolutionizing Pet Health Care with Mareile WölwerIn this second episode of season 3 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Mareile Wölwer, WHU alumn and co-founder of Berlin-based animal health care company Vetevo. Mareile's entrepreneurial journey took her from her family farm in Mayen, to studies at WHU, to the fast-paced world of being a venture-backed founder in Berlin. Today, Mareile's start-up Vetevo is growing at a rapid pace, with over 50 employees, a seven-figure investment round and thousands of customers across Germany using their innovative pet health tracking app and testing solutions. So for you folks who want to...
2020-10-2839 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 17 - Linking Artificial Intelligence and Skin Care with Franziska LeonhardtIn this first episode of season 3 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast, we introduce Franziska Leonhardt - entrepreneur, attorney, WHU alum, and founder of Berlin-based, AI-driven personalised skin care company, AVE + EDAM. Franziska’s journey has been a fascinating one. She began her career as a freelance lawyer, joined international law firm, Clifford Chance, and then became Rocket Internet’s first General Counsel — leading them though their IPO . But it was one trip to Silicon Valley in 2017 that changed Franziska’s career path forever, inspiring her to build one of the world’s first technology-driven skin care com...
2020-10-151h 03
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEP 16 - An Engineer's View of Non-Technical Founders with Teddy PejoskiIn this last episode of season 2, we introduce Teddy Pejoski - entrepreneur, engineer, and guru at bridging the technical / non-technical divide. He is the founder of Crack Your Screen (an app with over 20m downloads), the software studio GSIX, a code academy, an engineer placement and recruiting platform, a funky sock company, and a new “no-code” technology called ENZYME. Teddy’s entrepreneurial journey is like a movie in the making. From a selling flowers in rural Macedonia to building innovative technologies the world over, he is one of those unique breeds that thinks like an entrepreneur but has the technical chops t...
2020-09-231h 11
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEp. 15 - The Art of Lean with Tristan KromerIn this episode, we introduce Tristan Kromer - San Francisco-based entrepreneur, innovation advisor, and Lean Startup guru. Tristan’s journey is a fascinating one - from touring musician to marketing executive, startup coach to innovation advisor for massive multinational companies. Today we’re discussing Tristan’s unique and circuitous career trajectory, what Lean really means in different contexts, the future of entrepreneurship education, and so much more! So for you listeners who want a tonne of useful advice on how to build a lean organisation, this episode is for you! Hope you enjoy it!
2020-08-261h 02
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEp. 14 - Entrepreneurship, Investment, and the Art of Guanxi with Erik SchäferIn this episode (recorded in November 2019), we introduce Erik Schäfer, serial entrepreneur, investor, advisor, and part of WHU's first graduating class of 1988. This guy has done some stuff. From founding a consultancy while in uni to linking German capital to early Silicon Valley companies; from building mines in Australia to greenhouses in China, Erik is one of WHU’s true O.G. entrepreneurs. Today we’re discussing Erik’s rich and fascinating founder journey, learning about his approach to building an adventurous entrepreneurial life, and squeezing as much wisdom and lessons as we can out of one interview alone. So for y...
2020-08-121h 00
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEp. 13 - Founder-Market Fit with Martin HeibelIn this episode (recorded in January 2020), we introduce Dr. Martin Heibel, WHU alum, serial entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, and currently, cofounder and Managing Director of Ciara - a virtual assistant for sales development reps and inside sales teams. We’re discussing Martin’s journey from WHU to LMU, building the LMU Entrepreneurship Center and XPRENEURS, and founding two successful companies - IntraWorlds and Ciara. Martin’s story is an interesting one in which he built his most recent company to solve a problem he and his teams felt every day. So for you listeners who are interested in sales, B2B software sol...
2020-07-2847 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEp. 12 - Starting From a Problem with Jannes FischerIn this episode (recorded in October 2019), we introduce Jannes Fischer - WHU alum, Forbes 30 under 30, and Founder/CEO of Zenhomes (with its brands Vermietet.de and Hausio), Europe's fastest growing digital property management platform. We’re talking about Jannes’ amazing journey from WHU to small business owner, Rocket Internet to solo entrepreneur, as well as his deep commitments to problem solving and self-directed learning that helped pave his path to success. So for you listeners out there who are interested in a young founder’s unique road to high-growth entrepreneurship, you’ll love this episode!
2020-07-1449 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEp. 11 - Rocket Fuelling Growth with Tobi TschötschIn this episode (recorded in November 2019), we introduce Tobi Tschötsch - Founder & Managing Director of Contorion - a B2B online marketplace for industrial and trade supplies. We’re talking about Tobi’s fascinating startup journey from WHU to Rocket Internet/CityDeal/Groupon to founder of a company acquired for over 100 million Euros. So if you’re looking to hear an incredible founder journey; interested in learning about growing a startup from idea to acquisition; or simply hoping to hear more about one of WHU’s great entrepreneurial success stories, you’ll love listening to this episode as...
2020-06-3057 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEp. 10 - Medical Cannabis in Germany with Thiago CäsarIn this episode, we introduce Thiago Cäsar, Head of Business Development of Cansativa, the leading importer and wholesaler of medical cannabis in Germany. Thiago is responsible for ensuring supply from all over the world in this extremely regulated industry. One can only imagine the conversation Thiago had with his family when he decided to transition from the German automotive industry to the fledgling cannabis sector! But with Thiago and the Cansativa team leading the way, it is clear that the mainstreaming of medical cannabis in Germany is well on its way. So if you wan...
2020-06-1637 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEp. 9 - Seed-Stage Investing with Stephan SchubertIn this episode(recorded in November 2019), we introduce Stephan Schubert, WHU alum and founder of Onvista and IS.Teledata, to name a few. He is currently founder and Managing Partner of STS Ventures, an investment firm he established to manage his business angel activities. Since the late 1990s, Stephan has invested in numerous technology startups and is one of the most active and experienced business angels in Germany. So if you're looking for an exceptional entrepreneur who has overcome many of the obstacles your startup may face in the future, Stephan is someone you’ll definitely want to hear from.
2020-06-0232 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastMerging Content and Technology with Verena HubertzIn this episode, we introduce Verena Hubertz, WHU alum and cofounder of Kitchen Stories. Kitchen Stories provides delicious, step-by-step photo and video recipes through their beautiful and user-friendly web and mobile applications. Verena and her cofounder Mengting met as business students at WHU and bonded over their love of food. Their friendship and complementary approaches to work and business led them to found Kitchen Stories in 2013. Since then, Kitchen Stories has been awarded with the Apple App Store’s Best of 2015, the 2016 Google Play Design Award, and has topped Apple’s food category in over 150 countries. In 2018, Bosch Siemens Home (BSH) acqui...
2020-05-1939 min
BWEGerrit McGowan - Buckl Wunderlich Experience #22Gerrit McGowan ist bereits sein ganzes Leben lang Unternehmer, Berater und Sportler. Momentan promoviert er an der WHU. Seine Arbeit schreibt er darüber wie Unternehmer leichter Flow-Zustände erreichen können, um Höchstleistungen zu erbringen. Zudem ist er Moderator des "Founderpodcast".
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Link zu Gerrits Podcast: https://mostawesomepodcast.com/
2020-04-041h 46
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastAcceleration and Angel Investing with Jag SinghJag Singh is Managing Director of Techstars Berlin and one of Europe’s most active angel investors. He is the former MD of the METRO Retail Accelerator, founder of numerous companies, mathematician, political strategist, ad-man, and a true global citizen who is fluent in six languages. Jag is the founder of YouFundMe, MessageSpace, Wess Digital, and LabourHome. He was an advisor to Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Matthew Elliot, and numerous other political campaigns. And he is a regular contributor to the BBC, Sky News, and ITV. In 2008, Jag was recognized as one of the top 100 influential people in B...
2020-01-161h 04
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastBuilding Tech as a Non-Technical Founder with Philipp von HammersteinPhilipp von Hammerstein is an entrepreneur, educator, software developer, and WHU alum who has spent the past decade either founding or growing technology ventures. He holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from WHU and full-stack developer certification from Le Wagon Coding Bootcamp. When Philipp and I first met, he was General Manager of Le Wagon Berlin and VP of Global Operations for the Le Wagon mothership. But since then, he has transitioned to his next adventure as Head of Corporate Education for CODE University of Applied Sciences in Berlin. But regardless of his role, Philipp is a...
2019-11-161h 05
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastFrom Idea to IPO with Tim ThabeDr Tim Thabe is an entrepreneur, credit finance guru, and cofounder of SME lending platform, creditshelf. After nearly a decade in credit risk management with a number of global banks in Germany and Switzerland, Tim decided to take on the Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA program - which helped pave the way for his rocketfueled entrepreneurial journey. In 2015, Tim left the comforts of the banking world behind to launch creditshelf with his partners. Within four years, creditshelf became the first publicly-traded finch startup in Germany - raising over Euro 15m and growing his team to over 40 FTEs. Creditshelf now serves over Euro 400 mil...
2019-08-3047 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastTechnology Transfer Startups with Patrick VogelPatrick Vogel is an entrepreneur, investor, and longtime friend from my family’s hometown of Lindau. He is a cofounder of Autonomos, an early-to-market autonomous driving company that was acquired by global mapping giant, TomTom in 2017. Patrick’s journey to entrepreneurship is an interesting one, spinning a startup out of the Free University of Berlin with a group of university researchers. Proving himself to be an invaluable business mind in a highly technical setting, Patrick helped take his partners' novel technology from research lab to product-market fit and eventually to exit. In the two years since Autonomos’ acquisition, Patrick has supported...
2019-08-2246 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastStartup Growth Strategy with Marco VietorDr. Marco Vietor is an entrepreneur, investor, and proud alumni of WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management. He is cofounder of audibene (aka Hear.com), the world’s largest online seller of hearing aids. Since launching in 2011, audibene now employs over 1000 people, grosses over $100m in revenue each year, and has offices across the globe serving millions of customers facing the ever-growing challenge of hearing loss. Since selling a majority stake to hearing aid giant, Sivantos, in 2015, Marco continues to lead daily operations of audibene as Managing Director/CEO. He is also an active angel investor with notable portfolio companies including Mov...
2019-08-2054 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastLegal Considerations with Sven GreulichSven Greulich is a technology lawyer that advises companies on complex, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, and general corporate counseling. His clients include tech companies of all stages as well as investors at all points of a company's life cycle. He also counsels major corporations on their European expansion projects. With a dual background in business and law, Sven has an entrepreneurial spirit backed that is backed by experience with hundreds of M&A transactions and financing rounds across many industries. With the little free time that he has, Sven volunteers with Prepare! The Entrepreneurs A...
2019-08-1746 min
The Most Awesome Founder PodcastEarly Stage Startups with Joerg RheinboldtJoerg Rheinboldt is Managing Director of APX, the Axel Springer/Porsche Plug and Play Accelerator. Joerg’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1994 when he founded his first company, Denkwerk. He later went on to cofound Alando AG (with Oliver Samwer), which was acquired by eBay barely six months after launching. He then spent the next five 5 years as the Managing Director of eBay Germany before cofounding the nonprofit, Betterplace in 2007. Joerg is currently an active angel investor, board member of renowned cookie company, Bahlsen, and sits on the entrepreneurship board of WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management. He is the co-author of "Simp...
2019-08-1645 min
Monkey ToothGerrit McGowanGerrit McGowan, folks; this guy has done some shit! An experienced white-water kayaker, a river guide, a conservationist, an educator, an entrepreneur, and more. Gerrit sat down with me to chat, less than 24hours before leaving for Germany to begin working on his PhD. We talked about his many ventures, adventures, ideas, start-ups, successes, personal growth, the concept of “Flow” states, and time spent on the river! Share and Enjoy!Tunes in This EpisodeOscar Aleman - DelicadoSpoon - Paper TigerDjango Reinhardt - Dream Ship
2018-11-061h 20
Monkey ToothGerrit McGowanGerrit McGowan, folks; this guy has done some shit! An experienced white-water kayaker, a river guide, a conservationist, an educator, an entrepreneur, and more. Gerrit sat down with me to chat, less than 24hours before leaving for Germany to begin working on his PhD. We talked about his many ventures, adventures, ideas, start-ups, successes, personal growth, the concept of “Flow” states, and time spent on the river! Share and Enjoy!Tunes in This EpisodeOscar Aleman - DelicadoSpoon - Paper TigerDjango Reinhardt - Dream Ship
2018-11-061h 20