Startups, Sparks and Serendipity

Feel free to check our podcast here now: 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b9YeL5VJGyPA5s3bICmgF

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/feed-your-brain-podcast/id1169436412

or on any of your social channels. 

Hey listeners,

Mike and I talk about the value of finding your personal mission statement and how it can help you with staying focused on the things that actually drive value and happiness for you personally - especially when building companies and products.

We'd be glad to get your feedback and hear about strategies and methodologies of you finding your personal mission statement. Let us know via DMs or on Linkedin/Twitter how you found your vision/purpose!

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Max and Mike

Mike and Max wanted to talk about a topic that has been on our minds for quite some time now: Shall we be Generalists, Specialists or generalized specialist or specialized generalists? ;) 

We've conducted an episode where we combine our thoughts with science and a few books that have been written about that topic. 

If you like it, please subscribe and give us a review on iTunes or any other channel. We'd love to get your feedback!

If you also like to hear us interviewing people, please also follow our interview-focused podcast called 'Feed Your Brain'.

Hello to all listeners! 

Mike and I have once again sat down together to talk about various topics: 

Follow us on Twitter, Linkedin and all other platforms @maxelster and @mikemahlkow. 

Nikolaus Volk is the Founder and CEO of Kyte, a San-Francisco based Startup that delivers rental cars to your home. They help everyone to access rental cars with the simplicity of Uber. 

A few facts about Nik: 

We talked about: 

In case you like it, feel free to subscribe. :) 

Mike and Max talked about the early story of AirBnB and what startups and aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from the story itself.  Please subscribe and reach out to us on different channels. We also host Clubhouse irregularly now. Feel free to follow us there ;) 

Check out The Generalist. 

This week we sat down with Semir Jahic, the lead Sales Engineer at Clari, to talk about several topics including the rigour around sales processes in America and what impact it is having on European firms. We discuss in detail the difference in sales and implementation of processes in American and European businesses. Next, we got into how to pick a startup to work for, and what filters should be applied in identifying the right startup. These filters include the founder and executive team, investors, the stage the company is in, a sense of longevity, product/market fit and personal opportunity. You should also look at who you’ll be working with on a daily basis and main points of contact including internal and external stakeholders, what you’ll be doing on a daily basis, and what you can contribute to the company. This episode was great and we shared so much. Looking forward to more in 2021.

Recommendations:

To read:

What it takes for the road to IPO by Semir Jahic

Factfullness by Hans Rosling

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This week we sat down to talk about trends in the tech startup industry and introduce a new segment into our weekly podcast. We think the “News Flash” will give listeners new insights into the industry at a surface level as something to talk about with friends and colleagues. We also talk about “virtual headquarters” and how working from home might change in the coming years such as gamification of the workplace. We then talk about skills we would like to gain and why, as well as lists we keep, why, and when we use them. We’re sure this short episode will have some interesting talking points and we look forward to the coming weeks with more interesting topics and guests!

Recommendations:

To read:

The Psychology of Design: https://growth.design/psychology/

Design of Everyday Things: https://www.goodreads.com/ro/book/show/23209666-the-design-of-everyday-things

Notion template for structuring book notes

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This week, we sat down to discuss things that help us get through the work day with comfort. Working from home every day can be quite taxing. We all deal with it in different ways. In this episode we share some of the things that make our home office a bit more cozy and effective such as a decent webcam, headphones, chairs and backdrops. We then dive into some discussion on socializing from home. However difficult it is, there are still online events with virtual stages. Even with this current environment, is it enough, or do we need more? Alternatively, are startup hubs like San Francisco and Berlin still relevant? Can someone start a successful business with the right support from other cities?  This week we share some interesting thoughts on productivity and give some interesting recommendations for your listening and reading pleasure.

Recommendations:

To listen: Lane 8 Sunrise Set in Grand Lake Colorado

To read: Life Spend: Why we Age and Why we Don’t Have To  by David Sinclair

To use for Notion: Ali Abdaal Book Notes Template

Persons of the Week: Dave Gerhardt

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Today we sat down with the founder of Sameday Testing, Felix Huettenbach. We had a great conversation exploring his past roles and experiences including living in a monastery, founding a company at college at 18, and through the time until now where he has built a Covid-19 business that offers quick PCR testing in LA and in Washington D.C. We discuss important topics related to creating a business, how failure can lead to success, and how to build an effective business structure from an idea that solves a unique problem. This episode is valuable for anyone who is considering building a business, who wants to test ideas, but also, for someone who is looking for answers. Sometimes you must reach out to someone. Other times, you have to just think for yourself.

Recommendations:

Sameday Testing

To Read:

Blitzscaling by Reid Hoffman

Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup by Bill Aulet

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