Category: 1.6 Software Startups

  • Myopia: Is it a feature or a product?

    Myopia: Is it a feature or a product?

    A common mistake of inexperienced entrepreneurs is to confuse a feature with a product. The best recent illustrating example I can think of is the flashlight app: For a short moment in time, you could sell flashlight apps for mobile phones until Apple and Google came in, assimilated the flashlight function as a feature into…

  • How to fund your startup (using public grants, in Germany, 2022 Edition)

    How to fund your startup (using public grants, in Germany, 2022 Edition)

    In this short video, I provide an explanation of how anyone with a team and an idea can get public funding to kick off their venture. I appear to be speaking to my students, but the funding is really available to anyone (with a German address and work permit). If this is you, feel free…

  • Startup funding for researchers (8min. video, slides; Oct 2021)

    Startup funding for researchers (8min. video, slides; Oct 2021)

    I recently gave a talk at YES, the Young Enterpreneurs in Science. Here is a short video version (8 min.) that illustrates how public funding is possible and aligns with a startup (out of research) timeline. The slides are also available.

  • Advice to students on when to start your company

    Advice to students on when to start your company

    I was listening to Dave Kellog and Thomas Otter’s most enjoyable The SaaS Product Power Breakfast podcast, this time about a VC-turned-entrepreneur (in his fourties), and it reminded me about advice that I give to my students. Heads-up: The funniest ageist comment by a student, ever. Research has shown repeatedly that the biggest chances of…

  • When does public funding trump venture capital?

    When does public funding trump venture capital?

    The short answer: As long as you don’t have product market fit. In more detail: The early phases of a startup should focus on finding a viable business model and reaching product market fit so that you can start scaling out your business. This search is not predictable and you are not guaranteed to come…

  • Research-to-startup for postdocs (5min. video for DAAD PRIME workshop)

    Research-to-startup for postdocs (5min. video for DAAD PRIME workshop)

    This 5min. video discusses basics of turning your research into a startup. It focuses on public funding. The video was created for the March 2021 DAAD PRIME workshop, but is not restricted to a postdoc audience. Indeed, it works for anyone with a good idea and ideally a team who is willing to move to…