He was the shy kid playing games on his calculator. Now he's 27, running an AI startup in Berlin, and just raised $2.2 million. This is Jan Heime's story, and it might change how you think about bold moves. 🚀

About This Episode

AI Startup Berlin – what does it really take to build one from scratch? In this episode of the Digitalconomics Podcast, host Luis sits down with Jan Heimes, co-founder of Needle, a vibe automation platform that lets non-technical people build AI-powered workflows with a simple chat interface. Jan shares his journey from mechanical engineering student to raising a $2.2 million funding round in Berlin's competitive startup ecosystem. You'll hear how a random beer at a pool in Southeast Asia turned into a life-changing mentorship, why Reddit is one of the most underrated tools for startup idea validation, and what really happens inside a Y Combinator interview. Whether you're dreaming about launching your own company or already deep in the founder trenches, this conversation is packed with real, unfiltered lessons from someone who's living it every single day.

That You'll Learn in This Episode:

Links & Resources

🔗 Check out Needle (Vibe Automation Platform) → https://needle.ai

🔗 Connect with Jan Heimes on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-heimes/

🔗 Connect with Luis on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisrieke/

🔗 Digital Economics Podcast – all episodes → https://pod.link/1703728024

About the Guest

Jan Heimes is the co-founder of Needle, a Berlin-based vibe automation platform that makes AI workflows accessible to non-technical users. With dual bachelor's degrees in mechanical and industrial engineering, an AI master's from Denmark, and experience at a VC-backed startup in San Francisco and the climate tech scale-up Climeworks in Switzerland, Jan brings a rare mix of deep technical knowledge and entrepreneurial hustle. At 27, he's raised $2.2 million for Needle and is on a mission to make automation as easy as having a conversation.

Enjoyed This Episode? Hit like, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who's working on a startup idea right now! 💡

👇 What's the boldest career move you've ever made?

Drop it in the comments,​ we read every single one!

In this episode of the Digitalconomics Podcast, I catch up with Malthe Kringelholt Vinter, the founder of Goatsign a digital signature tool from Denmark. It’s been a year since we last spoke, and it was great to hear how Goatsign has evolved, especially as it continues to grow from an agency model. We talk about what’s changed over the past year, dive into sales strategies for B2B startups, and explore how to bring new customers onto a digital platform. Malthe also gives a clear overview of how Goatsign works and shares some of the lessons he’s learned along the way.

Malthe:

Goatsign:

In this episode of Digitalconomics, I sit down again with Daniele Ronca to explore how they built one of Berlin’s most dynamic communities for product leaders from scratch.

We talk about how ProductLab started (there was also a cool episode about this before) and evolved into a full-fledged legal entity—with monthly IRL gatherings, a growing online presence, and now a major conference planned for September 2025. Daniele shares how he navigated early challenges, from finding the right format and tools to balancing community building with financial sustainability.

We dive deep into:

Throughout the episode, Daniele shares candid reflections on product strategy, community engagement, and the reality of doing everything from content to ops in a small, scrappy team. Whether you’re a product manager, community builder, or thinking about launching your own event, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and relatable stories.

👉 More about Daniele & ProductLab

Thanks to Appunite for sponsoring today episode:

In this episode, I speak with Davide Senigalliesi, the founder of UniRents, a rental service designed for students moving to Berlin for a semester or a year. Davide shares how his personal struggles with waste and logistics during his Erasmus exchange inspired the idea for UniRents. The platform offers bundles for kitchens, household essentials, and tech, which can be rented flexibly and picked up at the end of the semester — providing a sustainable and hassle-free solution for temporary living. Davide discusses his approach to bootstrapping, his growth strategies, and how he’s managed to build a successful business while minimizing waste. Tune in to discover how UniRents is simplifying life for students while promoting sustainability.

More about Davide Senigalliesi and UniRents:

In this episode of the Digitalconomics Podcast, I sit down with Richard Nilsson, founder of MyPetGo.

Richard shares his journey from growing up in Sweden to moving to Hong Kong, building and selling the digital lifestyle magazine Lifestyle Asia, and eventually starting MyPetGo in Barcelona. We discuss his path through entrepreneurship, his experiences in digital publishing, and how these shaped his approach to building businesses.

MyPetGo focuses on extending the lifespan and improving the quality of life for pets through wearable technology and AI. The platform uses health markers to monitor dogs, providing actionable data to pet owners. Richard explains how MyPetGo combines wearables, neural image recognition, and a longevity program to address preventive care and offer insights into pet health.

We also discuss the broader pet care market, trends in AI-driven health monitoring, and the unique challenges of scaling a pet tech business across international markets. Richard reflects on his previous ventures and how they informed his strategy for growing MyPetGo.

Richard Nilsson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-nilsson-rpn/

In this episode of the Digitalconomics Podcast, I sit down with Scott Kveton, a serial entrepreneur and founder of CaseMark, an AI-driven legal tech startup. Scott shares his unique career journey, starting from the early internet era to creating CaseMark, his sixth startup. CaseMark uses “easy button” tools to streamline complex tasks like deposition summaries, enabling attorneys to manage larger caseloads more efficiently.

Scott explains the inspiration behind CaseMark—observing his wife’s challenges as an attorney—and discusses the importance of launching fast and iterating quickly. He emphasizes the value of building agile teams, leveraging new technology waves, and adjusting to market feedback. Scott’s approach to scaling startups centers on aligning three factors: team, tech, and timing. He also shares his insights on raising capital, finding product-market fit, and why legal tech represents a new frontier for AI applications.

We also explore CaseMark’s future plans to expand globally and become the preferred platform for legal professionals to “case mark” all new cases, paving the way for greater productivity in the legal field.

Scott Kveto: https://kveton.com/

In this episode of the Digitalconomics Podcast, I sit down with Antoine Leboyer, Managing Director Venture Lab for Software and Artificial Intelligence at Technical University of Munich.

Antoine shares his interesting journey, starting at Harvard Business School, working at IBM, and eventually helping over 100 startups in Munich’s thriving tech ecosystem.

We dive into the role of TUM Venture Labs, where Antoine and his team guide AI and software founders. He talks about the key traits every successful startup team needs — a developer, a business person, and a product manager — and stresses the importance of being adaptable, open to feedback, and moving fast.

Antoine also explains the importance of getting your product to market quickly, rather than striving for perfection, and how crucial it is to build strong, resilient teams. He shares valuable insights into the venture capital process, advising that startups should raise funds when they have a clear path for growth, not just for product development.

We also discuss the challenges of scaling in Europe’s fragmented markets and why startups need to think globally from the start.

Antoine Leboyer:

Books, we talked about:

2) The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you - Rob Fitzpatrick

3‌) Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography - Walter Isaacson

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Thank you so much to Deel for sponsiring the episode of today, check them out to support my podcast & to organize your international payroll:

In this episode of the Digitalconomics Podcast, I have a conversation with Beverly Banahene, the founder and CEO of Overploy, a platform that turns employees into content creators.

Overploy helps companies encourage their employees to produce engaging company-related content by offering rewards based on the performance of their posts. The platform gamifies the process, motivating employees while aligning their efforts with the company's broader marketing objectives.

Beverly shares her personal and professional journey, which includes key roles in marketing and employee communications at major brands like Virgin Media and JD Sports, before ultimately launching her own venture. She highlights how her background in employee advocacy shaped her mission to empower staff to create genuine, relatable content, moving away from the often stiff and corporate tone many businesses adopt on social media.

We explore how Overploy works behind the scenes, with employees earning rewards based on the impressions their content generates, rather than traditional metrics like follower count. This system proves especially valuable for businesses of all sizes, from large corporations to smaller companies. Beverly also offers insights into her plans for growth, her approach to fundraising, and the steps she's taking to make Overploy a scalable success.

For anyone looking to learn about innovative ways to tap into employee advocacy, boost marketing, or leverage technology for business growth, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

More:

Thanks a lot to Deel for sponsiring todays episode, check them out to organize your international payroll:

In this episode of the Digital Economics Podcast, I sit down with Jerica Kuah and Wilson Ler, the co-founders of Beloga, a knowledge amplification platform that helps individuals and teams effectively capture, connect, and develop collective insights.

We talk about how they came up with the idea for Beloga, their unique backgrounds, and the tech that inspired their product.

Jerica and Wilson also share their experiences with building a startup in Canada and Singapore, comparing these ecosystems to the US and Europe. Our conversation dives deep into the future of knowledge management and the challenges and opportunities of launching a tech startup.

Jerica Kuah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerica-kuah-22a751172/

Get Beloga:

In this episode of the Digitalconomics Podcast, I sit down with Sélim Benayat, co-founder and CEO of Bento, a popular micropage tool that was acquired by Linktree.

Bento allows users to consolidate their online presence by offering a customizable link connecting to various social media profiles, personal websites, and portfolios.

Sélim discusses the initial inspiration behind Bento, its development journey, and the philosophy of product-led growth that fueled its success.

He explains how focusing on making users look as good as possible was a key principle in driving organic growth and community engagement.

Sélim also shares his thoughts on the importance of building communities around products, which can offer valuable user insights and foster long-term relationships. Reflecting on Bento’s acquisition by Linktree, he talks about the strategic reasons behind the decision, emphasizing scale and the shared

More: