Why The German Startup Scene Isn’t Doomed!

I love Germany and I’ve had the tremendous luck to be born and raised here, but it’s probably not the best place to start a company. It’s actually not the worst place either. It’s in between.

You want many playgrounds for children? No speed limits on the Autobahn? Quality health insurance, high average wages, and quality infrastructure? Yes, we have all this and many more but:

Germany is so risk averse, it’s ridiculous. — Ben Horowitz

People here work fewer hours and have more vacation time than Americans. There is no innovation & no inspiration. You’re constantly getting invoices and hurdles thrown in your way. You pay the same amount of taxes like middle or big size companies. Besides that, most of the german startups are focused only on one single topic and it’s called digitalization:

Adding software to a broken process doesn’t make you digital. The biggest challenge is reimagining the process, not writing the software. — Aaron Levie

The biggest issue is the mindset. The german startup scene isn’t doomed yet, but we have to think and act differently now! Otherwise, we will fail.

Top 10 advices to become more successful:

1. Bootstrap.
2. Take risks.
3. Don’t be a copycat.
4. Form a great team.
5. Solve a real problem.
6. Have a global audience.
7. Network, network, network.
8. Start generating revenue early.
9. Spend as little money as possible.
10. Take care of your work-life balance!

It’s time to stand up. Be bold. Take risks. Do something radical and innovative. Start challenging the status quo. You can do it. Just have the courage and make the first step. What can you lose?

Weekly Blog #1: You are a german startup and want to change the world? Awesome! Let’s connect :). You can catch me in Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin regularly or @oemerax. We also have this amazing company called Bynd. Would love to hear your feedback!