"Entrepreneurs are Salesmen"
Although Niklas Zennsröm, widely known as the co-founder of Skype, and now Atomico, in the near future at least does not intend to write a book about his experiences as an entrepreneur, one could have filled pages full of great advice tonight.
At one of the last sessions at the second day of #DLD12, Zennström gave a lecture to students at the LMU, and thanks to the live broadcasting by the Moving Image Lab of the Innovation Incubator of the Leuphana University also to students in Lüneburg.
The room in the teaching tower at the LMU in Munich was stuffed with young people, interested in a face-to-face conversation with one of the most successful contemporary entrepreneurs Niklas Zennström talking about "Entrepreneurship, Technology and Venture Capital" (in collaboration with the Internet Business Cluster of the LMU in Munich).
Responding to Tomorrow Focus AG's Stefan Winners' introduction regarding the fact that German entrepreneurship in some international reach lacks behind those of the U.S. - for instance are there zero German companies in the global top 150 for website reach - Zennström called for an "ecosystem in Europe in which founders become investors."
Zennström also criticized the lack of understanding in Europe for making entrepreneurial mistakes. He said "I would have never done Skype if I hadn't done KaZaA first." With such a hostile spirit towards failure big successful companies like Google, Yahoo et al. wouldn't exist.
He also pointed out that it is essential to believe in your product - to first have a vision like his personal idols Bill Gates and Steve Jobs - and then to prove your thesis.
While Xing founder Lars Hinrichs asked intriguing personal questions like what Zennström learned from being a talented sailor in regards to business ("It's both a game, a competition!"), also students from the LMU in Munich as well as Lüneburg came to satisfy their curiosity.
Their questions reached from giving away success strategies ("get co-founders, surround yourself with the best possible people right from the start") to simply thanking Zennström for his contribution to society: "Skype is a product that changed my life," one girl from Lüneburg said while receiving affirmative applause for saying it.
Hubert Burda and Deputy Prime Minister of Bavaria Martin Zeil were present as well, and Burda asked "How long does it actually make sense to study in times of changing business models" - whereas Zennström replied: "At University we learn how to address problems, so it's useful to study." Yet, Zennström admitted to regret that he started out so late as an entrepreneur, and that it cost him some persuasiveness even in regards to his family and friends.
"Being an entrepreneur means being a salesman" - this was one essential comparison Zennström made. So, believe in your products, and others do as well. In that spirit, he hopes that the next big success may thrive in the European entrepreneurial ecosystem.