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What's next for (early-stage) startups in NRW?

What’s next for (early-stage) startups in NRW?

Not a picture of me… RuhrSummit 2018, Bochum Germany (still waiting for the press photos…)

Today, speaking about what I think is next (for the early stage startups in NRW) at the RuhrSummit 2018.

And cryptically plugging my next big thing to contribute to it…

Going back to 2013, I published “What’s next for the Cologne Startup Scene”. The short answer back then from my perspective was more…

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Customer Development Resources for Startups

First rule of Customer Development Club: No selling! Ever!

A first time founder of a very early-stage startup asked me recently about how to do customer interviews (aka doing the Customer Development part of the methodologies collectively known as The Lean Startup) properly.

I get asked this question a lot. Because doing customer interviews is for many like Justin Wilcox puts it, “a special…

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What Startup Investors Are Looking For

Copyright Disney — Fair Use

I often get asked by other startup founders what investors are looking for, so I thought I’d take some time to explain it for future reference.

BTW: If you like this post, you’ll love the much more in-depth Pitching Masterclass.

TL;DR? It’s T T T TEAM

Investors invest in teams. Not ideas nor technology.

Why? Because what your idea looks like today is most likely not…

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The very first Lean Launchpad Dusseldorf successfully launches

The very first Lean Launchpad Dusseldorf launches successfully!

This Wednesday evening saw the very first meetup with 9 regional non-funded early-stage startups attending the very first Lean Launchpad Düsseldorf powered by PwC.

Here are some impressions from our first meetup:

About the Lean Launchpad Program

The Lean Launchpad (LLP) is a highly experiential educational program created by the…

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Introducing the free & open Lean Launchpad Düsseldorf

So I recently retired from facilitating and organizing Startup Weekend and Startup Next.

But fear not. I’m not going away and I’m not about to stop caring about entrepreneurial education for startup founders in our region. On the contrary, I’m ramping up my efforts.

That’s why I have chosen to offer the Lean Launchpad (LLP), the world’s premier pre-accelerator program from Stanford, Berkeley and…

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I'm retiring from organizing and facilitating Startup Weekend & Startup Next

I'm retiring from organizing and facilitating Startup Weekends

I’m officially retiring from facilitating and organizing Startup Weekends and Startup Next, effective immediately.

Waving good bye (SW Tourism Tehran, Iran 2015)

So long and thanks for all the EPIC awesomeness. I’m forever grateful for the experience and the people I’ve met on my journeys and the chance to have an impact on entrepreneurship and inspire individuals worldwide. It has certainly…

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A Blast from the past - An internal memo from my last startup

A Blast from the past – An internal memo from my last startup

After pitching Steve Blank at SxSW 2012, co-founder Kit left, Arne right

This morning, I accidentally stumbled on an internal memo from me to my co-founders and advisors from my last all-in startup venture, getGauss.com, from almost exactly four years ago.

“Gauss – The People Magnet” was one of the very first social discovery apps for the iPhone. For the more technical inclined, it was also a…

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I'm Featured on SlideShare - Again!

I’m featured on LinkedIn SlideShare today – Again! So yeah, go ahead and pinch my arm!

This is the fourth time one of my presentations have been featured as presentation of the day on LinkedIn SlideShare in less than the same amount of months! (Previously: 1, 2, 3)

This time it’s the Lean Launchpad 101 “What We Now Know” lecture I held in Iran earlier this year. Read more about the backstory.

Gee…

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On Digital Marketing

I found this presentation from 2011 in my digital drawers and thought I’d share it with you as it seems to be still relevant – even after these years.

It was originally commissioned by a customer, an agency, who wanted a primer on data driven digital marketing. I have redacted the customer-specific details but without removing much of the content, if at all.

Perhaps you’ll find something useful…

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On Rocket Internet vs Startups

There is a discussion going on in Germany at the moment on startups vs the Samwer brothers’ Rocket Internet.

And I have only two things to add to that.

I have the utmost respect for the efficiency of the Samwers. Copycat or not is not a point in business. They might be vulgar to your tastes, but there is no denying that they are exceptionally good at doing business. Period.

What the Samwers’…

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Introducing +A RECRUITMENT

I’m currently at the arrrrrsome 4th European Pirate Summit in Cologne, and upon arriving there yesterday and within three hours, I had received three job requests from devs and entrepreneurs and one company told me they were searching for a talent to fill a new developer outreach position.

So that got me thinking.

On the one hand, I’ve been providing friends and friends of friends and their…

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Where are we now? A message from the present.

This post is from the present me in response to the recent automated message in a bottle from last year. Thank you for the heartwarming responses, and remember – that message was FROM LAST YEAR. This one is from the present.

Hello world,

I’m doing surprisingly well.

Today is July 2014, and I find myself at the end of my regular free open office hoursat Startplatz in Cologne, reflecting on what…

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I am Making my Open Office Hours More Accessible

This article was originally posted on the STARTPLATZ blog in German. Reposted here for my English speaking friends. TL;DR – I’m now available for free advice every Wednesday 10am – 1pm at STARTPLATZ in Cologne (if I’m town, so check availability up front).

The Norwegian entrepreneur and startup founder Vidar Andersen has since over a year become one of the important members of the STARTPLATZfamil…

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Where do we go from here? A message in a bottle.

This is a message to my future self. I’ve set this post to automatically publish one year from now in the hope it will find us both in better times.

Hello world,

I’m not doing so well.

Today is June 19th 2013 and I’m sitting poolside in a fancy neighborhood in Atherton, Silicon Valley. It’s 7am and I’m about to pedal down to Stanford University for another day of lectures with Steve Blank and…

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Come help us get the word out!

Startup Weekend Cologne is back! Jan 24 - 26 @Startplatz!

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3rd NEXT Cologne is a go!

The 3rd NEXT Colognekicked off on the evening of October 23rd and this time we have four very…

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#custdev #customer development #education #entrepreneurship #lean #leanstartup #next #startup #startup weekend #Steve Blank #steveblank #up global

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