Digital Transformers by Boldheart

In this episode, I talk to Ante Spittler, Co-Founder and CEO of Moss.

Ante went from quitting his well-paying job in consulting and founding his first successful business to facing bankruptcy.

But instead of giving up, he went all in again and today has built up one of the leading financial management companies for SMEs that has been backed by some of the most renowned global investors and is currently valued at 500M€. 

We talk about:

• how to find your passion project and successfully take the leap from a corporate employee to a founder
• how to rebound successfully after hitting rock bottom with your business or innovation project
• and how to build incredibly successful, disruptive businesses from scratch in the absence of any blueprint

Plus, we talk about his #1 learnings as a founder and the finance industry's future.

Ante Spittler: linkedin.com/in/ante-spittler-241654116

👋 Get in touch with Kilian here: linkedin.com/in/kiliankarrasch

Do you have an innovative idea you would like to validate through market research or rapid prototyping or a validated concept you would like to bring to life (e.g. in form of an MVP)? Then book a free consultation here: http://bit.ly/3Xr0BvG 🚀

Timeline:

0:00 - Introduction

0:56 - Who is Ante Spittler

1:23 - Topics covered in the episode

2:05 - Why Ante decided to quit his job to found his own company and how did it make him feel

5:01 - How to identify the right business opportunity to pursue

7:16 - Ante shares his most important cultural factors in a business

9:06 - How do you find the right people to build a business with

12:43 - How Ante dealt with insolvency and came back to build an even more successful company

14:49 - Looking back could Ante have identified the unit economics problem upfront

18:20 - How did Ante deal with closing down the business

22:03 - How Ante, as a leader, communicated the failure to his employees

23:28 - Why Ante doesn’t want to do consumer business anymore

25:21 - How to find founder-product fit

28:10 - What Ante’s company Moss does and what were the major challenges

30:15 - How did Moss overcome the challenges and what were the major learnings

35:25 - The one piece of advice from Ante for corporate innovators and founders

38:53 - What will the future of the financial industry look like

Today I talk to Alexander Mrozek, CEO at Oetker Digital, columnist at WirtschaftsWoche, and host of the Digitale Optimisten Podcast, one of the most streamed podcasts globally.

As the leader of Dr. Oetker’s digitalization and venture-building unit, founder of an award-winning startup, and owner of the best database for business ideas in Germany, Alex is an absolute expert on identifying new exciting business models.

In today’s episode, we thus talk about: 

• some of the hottest product ideas to start now
• three ways to spot successful business ideas
• and why side hustles are a great way to get started as an entrepreneur

Alexander Mrozek: linkedin.com/in/dr-ajm

Digitale Optimisten Webseite: https://www.digitaleoptimisten.de/

Digitale Optimisten Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FXCSCa3gecpbZi4Ud9bc7?si=2d7715c6d6644834

👋 Get in touch with Kilian here: linkedin.com/in/kiliankarrasch

Do you have an innovative idea you would like to validate through market research or rapid prototyping or a validated concept you would like to bring to life (e.g. in form of an MVP)? Then book a free consultation here: http://bit.ly/3Xr0BvG 🚀

Timeline:

0:00 - Introduction

0:56 - Who is Alexander Mrozek

1:28 - What topics did we discuss in the episode

1:49 - Alexander’s background and how he got into interviewing some of the most successful founders and investors

3:45 - The goal of his podcast “Digitale Optimisten”

6:42 - Why sharing your business ideas is beneficial

10:00 - What are the hottest business ideas people have shared with Alex

11:37 - What is the underlying trend behind the app BeReal 

15:27 - How Alex identifies successful business ideas

16:09 - The massive potential in e-mail newsletters

19:36 - Copying what works in other markets

20:41 - Identifying trends by looking at annual reports by stock-listed companies

23:58 - Starting new businesses as a side hustle 

29:06 - What founders tell Alex they would have done differently 

30:02 - What implications come with raising venture capital

34:13 - Leveraging generative AI instead of hiring in an early stage

35:39 - Three tips Alex would give young founders and corporate intrapreneurs

In this episode, I talk to Jochen Engert, Co-Founder and Supervisory Board Director of Flix

Jochen quit his promotion and stepped away from a secure career in consulting to found and scale Flix into a unicorn company and one of the largest long-distance mobility networks in the world. 

In our recording, we amongst other things, talk about:

• courage, the importance of timing, and testing value propositions - without huge capital expenditures
• how to successfully manage M&A transactions with other innovative companies
• leadership in times of uncertainty

Jochen Engert on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jochen-engert-61a4a31

👋 Get in touch with Kilian here: linkedin.com/in/kiliankarrasch

Do you have an innovative idea you would like to validate through market research or rapid prototyping or a validated concept you would like to bring to life (e.g. in form of an MVP)? Then book a free consultation here: http://bit.ly/3Xr0BvG 🚀

Timeline

0:00 - Introduction

1:04 - Who is Jochen Engert

1:23 - What was covered in the podcast

1:54 - Why most founders are optimists

2:38 - Why Jochen decided to build Flix instead of finishing his Ph.D

4:06 - What's the real risk when deciding to build a company

5:26 - Hiring people with entrepreneurial experience

6:14 - Looking back would Jochen have skipped consulting and directly become a founder

7:18 - Where did the idea for Flix come from

9:06 - How was Jochen able to start building the right value proposition and product for Flix

11:57 - How did Flix manage to win against all the competition

14:43 - The core values and the important role of culture at Flix

16:10 - How did Flix, as the underdogs, convince investors

18:06 - How did Flix manage the merger with a competitor

21:42 - How Flix reorganized the teams after the merger

23:31 - How Jochen dealt with the pressure of the merger

25:42 - The biggest challenge Flix had to face as a company

29:15 - The biggest learnings Jochen made that helped him transform the business

31:51 - Does Jochen have any regrets?

32:36 - The one tip Jochen would give founders or corporate leaders who want to build industry-defining products, services, or organizations

33:59 - The biggest challenge companies in the mobility industry will have to face and how Flix will tackle it

In this episode, I talk to Bernd Preuschoff, former IBM Partner, CDO and CEO at companies such as Schwan-Stabilo and Uvex and winner of the CIO of the Decade Award 2021 & 2022.

During his 20 year career in the digital field, Bernd built up the interactive experience practice at IBM, led major digital transformations and corporate venture-building projects at Schwan-Stabilo and Uvex, and was awarded multiple times digital leader, transformer, and CIO of the year. 

Bernd is also a sought-out keynote speaker and the author of the German book “Als Gäbe es keine Schwerkraft: Business Leadership durch die Augen eines Tänzers''. 

In this episode, we talk about :

• what the recent firing of prominent innovation leaders like Tina Müller, the Ex-CEO of Douglas, reveals about the state of digital transformation
• which 3 core principles any leader who wants to successfully transform and innovate has to master
• and what it takes to successfully cooperate with the young generation in digital innovation

Bernd Preuschoff as Speaker – Premium Speakers (premium-speakers.com)

Book: “Als gäbe es keine Schwerkraft: BUSINESS-LEADERSHIP durch die Augen eines Tänzers” - Preuschoff, Bernd (Amazon.de)

Audio-Books:

iTunes: https://apple.co/3R4ABDC

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3TtIDaO

Thalia: https://bit.ly/3R5tkUb

Bernd Preuschoff on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bernd-preuschoff

👋 Get in touch with Kilian here: linkedin.com/in/kiliankarrasch

Do you have an innovative idea you would like to validate through market research or rapid prototyping or a validated concept you would like to bring to life (e.g. in form of an MVP)? Then book a free consultation here: http://bit.ly/3Xr0BvG 🚀

Timeline:

0:00 - Introduction

0:55 - Who is Bernd Preuschoff

1:39 - The topics covered in the podcast

2:05 - Is Europe incapable of succeeding in digital transformation?

4:03 - Digital is not the exception, and change is normal

7:36 - Changemakers are often seen as troublemakers

11:18 - How can we become change agents 

14:13 - The three principles for successful transformations

18:53 - Approach transformation the way you would approach a marathon

20:30 - Disruptive innovation requires practice.

22:26 - Advice on how to kickstart transformation

24:19 - How do you get employees to commit to the vision of the transformation?

30:21 - The importance of vulnerability

31:44 - Leveraging the expertise of different generations

35:41 - Boomers vs. Gen Z

36:43 - Solving big problems can only be done collectively

Today I talk to Marco Vietor, co-founder of the hearing aid unicorn Audibene (aka Hear.com). 

Since launching Audibene in 2011, Marco has grown the company to become the world’s largest online hearing aid seller, with over 1000 employees serving millions of customers around the globe and grossing over $100m in revenue each year.

We talk about: 

• the most important characteristic that every innovator has to have to be successful
• how to systematically develop the confidence to take risks in teams (as well as why it’s so important to do so)
• and other crucial factors to winning the innovation marathon.

Marco Vietor on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marco-vietor-3a9aa

👋 Get in touch with Kilian here: linkedin.com/in/kiliankarrasch

Do you have an innovative idea you would like to validate through market research or rapid prototyping or a validated concept you would like to bring to life (e.g. in form of an MVP)? Then book a free consultation here: http://bit.ly/3Xr0BvG 🚀

Timeline

0:00 - Introduction

0:57 - Who is Marco Vietor

1:20 - The topics covered in the podcast

2:07 - Why confidence is so crucial for success

5:51 - Taking risks when developing something new

6.36 - Engraving a risk taking mentality in your team

7:30 - The negative perception of risk taking in society

9:03 - What does it take to develop a risk taking mindset?

11:49 - Marco gives examples of where he takes risks

18:03 - How to develop a risk-taking mentality in a organization

20:44 - Marco’s set of guiding principles in the company

22:45: The critical trigger for initiating mentality shift in organizations.

25:09 - The significance of over-communicating values

26:57 - How Marco determines if someone is risk-taking in the hiring process

31:32 - How Innovation is tied to risk-taking

33:36 - The one tip Marco would give innovators who want to build outstanding digital products

In the second episode, I talk to Franck Denglos, former CEO of Adidas Italy.

Franck Denglos went from being a business unit manager at Adidas, over assuming global leadership roles in marketing and sales and leading one of the largest transformation programs at Adidas to becoming the CEO of Adidas Italy.

Along the way, he repeatedly had to reinvent himself and made crucial learnings when it comes to leading and transforming some of the largest organizations on the planet. 

We'll talk about:

• The 4 crucial steps leaders have to nail in the first 30 days when kickstarting a company-wide transformation (learning, developing relationships & building a team (casting visions, identifying supporters, communication), establishing credibility (role modeling, creating early wins)
• why creating supportive alliances is one of the most important tasks of any innovation leader - and how you can successfully do so?
• why timing is so crucial for innovation success - not only for startup but also in corporates 
• and the #1 tip Franck would give anyone who wants to become truly successful

Franck Denglos on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/fdenglos

👋 Get in touch with Kilian here: linkedin.com/in/kiliankarrasch

Do you have an innovative idea you would like to validate through market research or rapid prototyping or a validated concept you would like to bring to life (e.g. in form of an MVP)? Then book a free consultation here: http://bit.ly/3Xr0BvG 🚀

Timeline: 

0:00 - Introduction

0:55 - Who is Franck Denglos

1:23 - The topics covered in the podcast

3:23 - Franck explains why adidas needed to be transformed.

4:48 - How does fast fashion work

6:13 - The importance of speed in a transformation

8:48 - Identifying the supporters and detractors in the transformation process

10:21 - How to figure out which problems to prioritize

13:20 - Accepting & communicating strengths and weaknesses

18:29 - Communicate the "why" of the transformation

20:02 - Hierarchies in transformation management

21:10 - How to choose the team for your transformation 

24:03 - What are the boundary conditions you have to ask for from your supervisors?

26:28 - How much time should employees allocate to the transformation?

29:04 - The hardest challenge is selling to customers without samples

30:43 - Why is timing so critical for business transformations?

34:30 - Franck’s number one tip for success

In this first episode of the Digital Transformers Podcast season 2 Kilian introduces himself, talks about his background, what he struggles with, and what ultimately led him to the creation of a business and this podcast.

👋 Get in touch with Kilian here: linkedin.com/in/kiliankarrasch

Do you have an innovative idea you would like to validate through market research or rapid prototyping or a validated concept you would like to bring to life (e.g. in form of an MVP)? Then book a free consultation here: http://bit.ly/3Xr0BvG 🚀

Timeline:

0:00 Introduction

1:04 What this podcast covers

1:16 - Kilian's first business and how he developed his passion for creating new solutions

2:46 - Kilian's first business failure and journey to understanding what makes entrepreneurs and digital businesses successful

4:12 - The breakthrough and defining the problem 

5:40 - Kilian's ambitious mission

6:31 - How this podcast will benefit you

7:46 - Kilian's goal for the podcast

8:39 - How to tailor this podcast to your specific needs

9:16 - Announcing the awesome upcoming guests

Welcome to the Digital Transformers Podcast Season 2 🚀

Do you want to understand how to succeed as an entrepreneur or corporate innovator in today’s world? Want to build industry-defining digital products, services, and businesses and become the person who is capable of achieving vast success?

Then this podcast is for you.

Every Thursday, Kilian Karrasch speaks to some of the most accomplished founders and innovation executives who have built and transformed some of the most successful companies in their industry.

Subscribe now to get brand new episodes weekly from guests like Franck Denglos, the Ex-CEO of Adidas Italy, Jochen Engert, the Co-Founder of the mobility unicorn Flix, or Bernd Preuschoff, the winner of the “CIO of the Decade” Impact Award 2021 & 2022, who transformed Schwan Cosmetics, Uvex, & Co

👋 Get in touch with Kilian here: linkedin.com/in/kiliankarrasch

Do you have an innovative idea you would like to validate through market research or rapid prototyping or a validated concept you would like to bring to life (e.g. in form of an MVP)? Then book a free consultation here: http://bit.ly/3Xr0BvG 🚀

Das Staffelfinale des Digital Transformers Podcast S1

Benedict Kleindienst teilt hier nochmal seine Top 5 Learnings von den Gästen aus der ersten Staffel, zu:

• Design (Felix Haas)
• Product ( Patrick Haede & Kilian Karrasch)
• Innovation (Prof. Nadine Kammerlander)
• Digitalstrategie (Dr.Volker)

Vielen Dank an alle Gäste und Hörer der ersten Staffel!

Die zweite Staffel kommt voraussichtlich Ende Oktober!

Wenn ihr Unterstützung bei eurer Digitalen Transformation oder Innovation braucht, Kilian Karrasch hilft euch gerne in einem kostenlosen Gespräch: https://bit.ly/3loGf5j

🎧 Top 10 Learnings aus unserem Digital Transformers Podcast S1🏆🚀

Für das Staffelfinale Teil 1/2 teilt Benedict Kleindienst nochmal seine Top 10 Learnings aus den 23.Folgen der ersten Staffel.

Ihr braucht Unterstützung bei eurem digital product oder Venture?

Link zur kostenlosen Erstberatung mit Kilian Karrasch: https://bit.ly/3loGf5j