#02 Don’t forget the fun – put it in your calendar! – Robin Wilfert

Board Member of ABCD  Agency here he helps companies of all sizes scale their digital position via the use of viral PR. Robin have been the Marketing & PR Manager at GoEuro.

During this time he was a key member in planning the company’s vision, mission, branding and marketing strategies.

Summary

• Robin Wilfert is the founder of ABCD agency, a PR and marketing agency focused on medical startups. He has a background in marketing and PR, gained valuable experience during his time at Go Euro, and was one of the first employees at the company.
• During the podcast, Robin shared his journey, starting with how he got involved with Go Euro. He mentioned that he met the founder, Marian, when the company was in its early stages, and after quitting his job at a PR agency, he joined Go Euro to work on PR and marketing.
• In the early days of Go Euro, the team was small, comprising Robin, the CTO, Benjamin, and some others. However, after securing a significant investment, they rapidly expanded the team, bringing in experts in SEO, SEM, and other areas.
• Go Euro was a comprehensive travel website that offered various transportation options, including flights, trains, and cars, to help users find the best ways to travel within Europe.
• When asked about hiring the first two IT guys for the team, Robin mentioned that, in the beginning, it was a matter of luck, finding individuals who fit the company’s culture and atmosphere. As they grew, they became more focused on hiring skilled and experienced professionals to push the company forward.
• Robin emphasized the importance of company culture and finding the right people who mesh well with it. He explained that as Go Euro became more successful and corporate, some individuals enjoyed the structured and organized workflow, while others preferred the early-stage startup environment.
• After Go Euro, Robin founded ABCD agency, which started as a startup-oriented agency. As they worked with larger corporate clients, they needed to adopt more professional processes and organization while retaining the startup spirit and innovative approach.
• In terms of hiring at ABCD agency, Robin emphasized the significance of personal meetings and understanding the person’s fit within the company culture, especially in a smaller startup with about 20 employees.
• Robin shared that he thrives on having a vision but maintains flexibility in his day-to-day routine. He is agile in pursuing opportunities, even if they deviate from the initial plan, and prefers discussing ideas with his team before executing them.
• One valuable lesson Robin learned was the challenge of establishing partnerships and joint ventures for startups, as larger partners may not take them seriously until they reach a certain size and credibility.
• Robin also talked about the importance of creative problem-solving. He prefers finding unique solutions rather than solely copying what others are doing, using the analogy of building an electric car with innovative features rather than merely replicating existing models.
• Throughout the podcast, Robin emphasized the dynamic nature of entrepreneurship, where trial and error, learning from mistakes, and adapting to changing circumstances are essential for success.
• He believes that everyone’s journey is unique, and there’s no one-size-fits-all advice for entrepreneurs. Each person must find their path, challenge themselves, and seek support from a team that shares their vision and values.