Ten Things I learned at the StartupAutobahn Expo Day & Selection Day 2018
Universities are the cradle of science, one of the pillars supporting innovation and invention to this day. At the same time, they’re a place of learning and discovery. It was thus a sense of nostalgia that greeted me when I attended the StartupAutobahn Selection Day 2018, set on the campus of the Hochschule der Medien (HdM) in Stuttgart. In particular, I found myself with a sense of wonder and curiosity not unlike when I first came into contact with the world of science and innovation. I also came into contact with the cold — at -11°C, even the Canadians were joking about the weather ;-)
Not unlike the college student I was back in the day, I made many learnings and discoveries about the state of the startup scene in Germany, ten of which I would like to share with you all today:
1. Stuttgart has a strong innovation culture
Sorry Berlin, but there’s a challenger for your reputation! Of course, this is not new for most people who’ve worked in or with the south of Germany before. It has been the center for automotive innovation for decades now, after all; like if Silicon Valley’s culture was filtered through German expertise. Take it from me, who as far back as 2004 has worked at startups based in the world-famous metropoles of Donaueschingen and Villingen-Schwenningen.
2. The startup scene is maturing
Much like a college reunion after a decade or two, it’s fascinating to see what the folks from back then are up to these days. It is no different when you look at what changed, and how practices have matured and improved with the way startups collaborate with each other as well as their more ‘mature’ business partners. Going through the StartupAutobahn process is certainly an experience for all entrepreneurs.
3. AI is well and good, but it’s not sufficient
Back in the old days, all you needed to do to generate hype and get funds was to drop the right buzzwords in the ring, with artificial intelligence (AI) being one of them. Based on what the startups presented at the Selection and Expo Day, this is clearly no longer enough. They all had clear business cases in mind and focused on their users and on delivering value to them, with AI being a means to an end, rather than an end. These AI systems’ modularity is one of the open challenges of today.
4. German Innovation Culture may not be flashy or disruptive…
…but their skills in automation and efficiency should not be undervalued. Many startups are trying to be the next unicorn; a disruptive force that changes the market in its wake. But there is no systematic and proven way to shake up the world in this manner. Meanwhile, the startups that focus on incrementally improving and streamlining their efficiency are providing value in their own way, as a stable and reliable form of innovation. This alone can go a long way.
Going through the StartupAutobahn process is certainly an experience for all entrepreneurs.
5. Sensors! Sensors! Sensors!
The key to developing and improving any AI system is data. But is it the quantity of the data that makes a difference, or just being the right kind of it? Based on the presenters at the Selection Day, I believe there is room for both approaches in the industry of AI and analytics, provided they’re applied where they’re best. A neural network will always improve faster the more data it consumes, but for a great smart system, the key step lies in Monitoring and analyzing the right data, in the right step, at the right time.
6. Be comfortable, yet professional, in presenting your ‘plattform’
Most pitches presented at Startup Autobahn were professional and quite convincing in sharing their enthusiasm with the audience. Although some typos and false friends (like spelling ‘platform’ the German way) slipped through, those did little to distract from the content. In other cases however, as beneficial and promising as a startup’s innovation was, presentation was not always their strongest feature. In particular, the hurdle that stumped most startups that didn’t quite get there was an intransparency in their methods and contributions. This resulted in the occasional pitch leaving an attendee unclear about the concrete actions being proposed. There remains potential for improvement in the realm of presentations.
A single day just can’t do it all justice.
7. The challenge lies in building bridges
A single, isolated product can be built rather easily and quickly, even if the technology contained within is on the cutting edge of innovation. But the value for corporates lies in their integration in existing systems, and this is where the real challenge lies. Bridging the gap between current systems and new technologies remains a challenge to this day, and building this bridge will require focused effort from both sides, startups and corporates.
8. Are there too many startups, now?
That’s a question I found myself pondering when the event took much, much longer than anticipated, and keeping count of just how many presentations I saw became difficult. Seeing how many interesting and different directions the topics and projects went into, however, is a reassuring reminder of the positive developments that a healthy and diverse market of innovation can bring with it. A single day just can’t do it all justice.
9. Inter-startup collaboration is there, but it needs a push
The collaboration between startups and corporates is a frequently discussed topic these days, and for good reason. Yet in all this fervor about finding big corporates to latch onto, it appears that the startups, at large, have neglected to organize amongst each other as well. This feels like a waste of potential to me, as the collaboration of startups is a critical step in composing new solutions. I hope to see a bigger focus on alliances and partnerships from startup to startup in the future.
10. Services are great, but products are cool
If there’s one recurring theme that I noticed in discussions, it’s the coolness factor of products versus services. The consensus seems to be that being a ‘service provider’ just didn’t have the same ring to it as a product provider. It’s certainly easier to make a product look sexy and appealing than the abstract concept of a service, and I feel like the human factor in this is a big part of it.
Wrapping it up
Overall, the StartupAutobahn Selection Day 2018 provided an insightful look into the scene of innovations and the potential directions of business. Walking out at the end of the day left me with the same sense of ‘enlightenment’ about the world, coupled with curiosity and enthusiasm for the future, that I had after my first day of University all those years ago.
More examples and information can be found at the Porsche Newsroom, on the Porsche Digital Lab social media channels on Twitter and LinkedIn as well as on our Medium blog.
Dr. Mahdi Manesh is Director Porsche Digital Lab. Please find more about inspiring men & women on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
