Roman has been living in Silicon Valley for over 7 years, co-founded two companies, released three products; currently, he is working on SafeRoom a secure mobile messenger for businesses. He advises several startups in the US and Germany to supports entrepreneurs. He consults regularly with C-level managers from all types of organizations and inspires many others in keynote presentations and workshops as Director San Francisco for Germany’s Future Candy GmbH. His passion is to bridge the gap from the Valley to his home country and to empower entrepreneurship.
Roman loves to share his experiences as a startup founder, and the life as an entrepreneur with all of its challenges, struggles, and successes. Open, honest and bold.
Insights:
• How do you grow a business
• Viral vs purchased growth
• How to decide whether to scale
• Pivoting
• Type of users
• Building a business in Berlin vs Silicon Valley
Key Discussion Points:
[1:35] Idea – The pitch
[3:45] What did you do with the funding?
[5:00] How did you get your girlfriend to move?
[5:55] What about scaling
[8:45] Do you have intensive users
[10:45] Scaling is about testing
[13:35] What did you pivot to
[19:45] Grow, Grow, Grow! Money later.
[21:30] How do you keep up with Silicon Valley culture and your German culture?
[29:05] What is innovation
[30:00] How does evolution affect you
[32:10] What to teach your kids
Summary:
- Roman discusses the differences between Berlin and San Francisco as startup ecosystems, highlighting the rapid innovation cycle in Silicon Valley.
- He emphasizes the importance of learning from success and failure, and the need for a high-paced evolutionary cycle to replicate Silicon Valley’s success. [00:00]
- Roman believes that preparing the next generation for the future is crucial, mentioning the significance of neuroscience in understanding brain function and education. [10:58]
- He expresses optimism about the future and the opportunities for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. [21:35]
- Roman talks about the importance of preparing kids for the future, suggesting a more practical and project-based education system. [30:03]
- He discusses his favorite books on various topics, including data privacy, neuroscience, and brain function. [41:09]
- If he could go back in time, Roman would advise himself to learn more about the brain and how people differ in their thinking and behavior. [45:43]
- Reflecting on his past, Roman is content with his experiences and emphasizes the importance of having time for other activities beyond academic performance. [48:20]
Interesting Quotes:
“If you sell a dream anything is possible”
“You don’t need users, you need fans”
“You can throw spaghetti at the wall all night long”
“The world is getting better not worse”
