What’s up Interview - Tanja Sternbauer
Tanja started her own startup, HeyBeauty, when she was 25, it was a scheduling tool for beauty appointments. Currently she is supporting the austrian startup scene, also she is responsible for the business operations of StartupLive and she is the project manager of AustrianStartups. She is the founder of x² — The Female Founders Club, which is an austrian network that supports female entrepreneurship. Her passions are networking, personal development, digital trends and CEE startup scene. Tanja told us about her entrepreneurship, ups and downs and she also gave some good advices for the women leaders of the future.
What do you think, what kind of features and skills are needed for somebody to be able to start private entrepreneurship?
The willingness to go the extra mile! There will be hard times and a lot of ups and downs along your journey. An important factor of success is to keep pushing and pursuing your goals.
Of course it’s great if you have Business and/or Tech skills if you’re deciding to start your own startup, but with the right people for your team with a complimentary skill set everything is possible.
What kind of failures or toughness did you have to face during your startup’s existence?
As I helped building some startups before I started my own project I was pretty much aware of the challenges that will occur. In my opinion you can overcome every challenge if there is enough willingness and a strong team behind the startup. Our biggest obstacle was the team itself, as everyone developed in another direction, which in the end drove the decision to stop working on the project further.
What would you say to women entrepreneurs, who would like to create a startup?
Just do it! Women tend to overthink often, we want to make sure that everything is planned accordingly and that we know what we’re doing and which risks we are taking. This is simply not possible when starting a startup. There are so many uncertainties along the ride and as female entrepreneurs we need to accept them and dare to step into this journey anyway.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being your own boss and standing on your own feet?
For me the biggest advantage is the feeling that I can really do what I love. If I decide at one point to change parts of my project, there is nobody I need to ask for permission. I can work from everywhere and whenever I want and I’m responsible for all my decisions. The downside is of course all those uncertainties, no guaranteed income and to handle your own taxes and legal stuff. And in the end it’s still a lot of hard work.
How far did you go with your startup? What are your plans for the future?
After the Pitch at the Women Startup Competition we decided to stop working on the project because we had different expectations within the team. What I learned during the Competition though was how I enjoyed being surrounded by inspiring people and help them on their way to the top. So shortly after the Budapest trip I joined forces with Startup Live, a global event series to connect entrepreneurial minds all around the globe and help them to kickstart their businesses. This year I also started Female Founders, an initiative to foster female entrepreneurship.
I’m focusing now on connecting startup ecosystems around the world and creating inspirational communities to support each other.
Thank you for the interview, Tanja and we wish you a lot of success in the future!
