Swisspreneur Show

Timestamps 2:33 - Where can I find some good templates to set up my company in Zurich? 3:30 - How do I hire someone in Zurich? 5:49 - What's the most successful startup that was started in Zurich? 7:19 - Mistakes to avoid when starting a company in Zurich 10:14 - Living costs in Zurich 11:56 - Finding co-founders in Zurich 15:13 - Affordable office space in Zurich 17:48 - Looking for investment in Zurich 19:33 - How to get advisors on board 21:46 - Why start a business in Zurich? 25:08 - How startups can cooperate with universities in Zurich 26:41 - Does Zurich promote gender equality? 28:34 - Why are there so few politicians with real startup experience? 33:44 - How can we empower more startups in Zurich? 37:58 - Do cantonal taxes constitute an obstacle to new businesses? 40:20 - Can you be a political candidate and a business owner? 42:24 - How can startups reach out to politicians? 44:29 - What challenges does Andri face as a politician? 49:37 - What are Andri's strengths? About Andri Silberschmidt: Andri Silberschmidt is a politician, investment consultant and the co-founder of Kaisin. AG. After his apprenticeship at Swisscanto Invest, he became (and is still) responsible for the management of all quantitative equity funds that invest in developing countries. In 2017, together with friends, he founded the restaurant chain Kaisin AG, which currently operates three branches in Zurich and one in Basel. Andri Silberschmidt has been politically active since 2011 and President of the Young Liberals Party of Switzerland since 2016. In 2018, he was elected to the Parliament of the City of Zurich for the FDP (Swiss Liberal Party) and is now a candidate for the National Parliament on the list of the FDP Canton of Zurich. Andri holds a BSc in Business Administration and an MSc in Global Finance from Cass Business School. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps: 8:02 - Should military service be mandatory for women? 12:19 - Growing up with 3 sisters and an entrepreneurial mom 18:35 - The women quota 20:58 - How can men support women? 27:18 - How do we get more women in leadership positions? The Episode In 60 Seconds What drives inequality in Switzerland? Historical factors such as the absence of a total war which shook up societal structures in other European countries. Expensive childcare and unequal career development paths Venture capital dominated by men How can we tackle inequality? Subsidized child care would be desirable, but is in the end a tax payer decision. Extended parental leave for both parents Education Role models and communities Quotas: yay or nay? Quotas can be a powerful instrument if used wisely. Quotas alone aren’t enough. Coaching and mentoring is required for those who are supposed to fill them. Diversity matters. A team which resembles the customer base which it builds products for will build better products. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps: 2:26 - Why Estefania left research to start her own company 10:35 - Growing up in an entrepeneurial family 21:27 - If you're gonna fail, fail fast. 30:18 - How Estefania went about looking for a location 35:19 - How Estefania structures negotiations About Estefanía Tapias: Estefanía Tapias is the CEO and Co-Founder of WeSpace, a community, workspace and digital platform that nurtures female leadership and innovation, having opened its doors in Zurich in 2018. Estefanía holds a PhD in Information Cities and Urban Climate from ETH Zurich and co-developed the first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) series on ‘Future Cities’ available on edX. She was also featured on the BILANZ Top 100 Digital Shapers in Switzerland as well as in Forbes’ 30 under 30. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps 1:49 – Do I need a co-founder at all? 2:57 – At what stage should you look for co-founders? 3:48 – Is there an ideal number of co-founders? 5:25 – Where do I find my co-founders? 6:52 – Friends/family as co-founders: yay or nay? 8:06 – Is it necessary to have previously known your co-founder? 10:45 – Does my co-founder need to be geographically close? 11:49 – What is a good test to figure out if a team works well? 14:32 – Should my co-founder be similar to me or completely different? 18:46 – How long should a co-founder take to decide jumping on board? Can they have a side job? 23:48 – What contracts/terms do you need to outline to manage the legal relationship with your partner? 26:11 – How do you split responsibilities with your co-founder? How does this evolve over time? 28:48 – Are there any KPIs you should watch for to achieve a good relationship with your co-founder(s)? 30:40 – On what aspects can you and your co-founder(s) disagree? About Michael Born: Michael Born is co-founder and CEO at the ETH spin-off PXL Vision, a tech startup which uses computer vision for secure identity verification. He started PXL Vision together with key employees from his previous company, Dacuda, which specializes in software 3D camera technology and was acquired by Magic Leap in 2017. Before starting his entrepreneurial career, Michael was a consultant at Capgemini, specializing in technology consulting. He holds a MSc in International Affairs from the University of St. Gallen. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps: 1:49 - What mistakes do Swiss startups make repeatedly when it comes to hiring and managing people? 13:08 - The diversity question 25:48 - Good startup communication 44:47 - How to strengthen your gut feeling, in terms of hiring 49:44 - Should you hire friends and family? The Episode In 60 Seconds People can be an organization’s biggest asset but also one of their greatest pain points. Here are some of Markus Okumus’ key takeaways: Attracting talent In the early stages of a company, it is sometimes difficult to attract the necessary talent without being able to offer the corresponding monetary incentives. A charismatic, passionate founder will be able to inspire the right people to follow along on the journey. Diversity Diverse teams are more successful, so keep an eye on this score. If diversity happens organically, great. If hiring in your network means you only have people who look like yourself around you, you might want to rethink your approach. Hyper-growth Every time you triple your number of employees, you have to re-imagine your entire structure. Some people are unable or unwilling to grow with the company. Don’t be afraid to let them go. If you grow to be a $ 100m revenue company, you’ll need someone who has experience with leading such a company. Values Your values should be more than a subsection on your website. Clearly define them and make them visible everywhere. Justify your decisions in terms of your values. Your employees will start to identify with and be proud of them. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps 1:53  - How Markus got involved with students.ch 21:49 - How to manage several business at the same time 25:13 - How to scale up very fast 38:25 - Why Markus started his investment company 47:12 - When should you actually move your startup to San Francisco About Markus Okumus: Markus Okumus is a serial entrepreneur with two successful exits in Switzerland. In 2007, his first venture, students.ch (part of Amiado Group) was acquired by Axel Springer. Only a year later, he started Fashion Days which came to be one of the leading fashion e-commerce businesses in Eastern Europe and was acquired by Naspers in 2015. In 2016, Markus started Baze, a provider of personalized nutrition supplements. Baze closed their series A round with $ 6m in August of this year. Next to his own ventures, Markus is also active as an investor in his role as founder and partner at Canopei, an investment firm focusing on early-stage preventive, and consumer-centric health and wellness companies. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps 1:53 – What are some questions every founder should ask themselves before fundraising? 4:13 – How do you determine what is smart money for your business? 5:08 – When is the ideal time to find investors (not FFF)? 6:08 – After how much revenue did you start to look for investors? 9:17 – How can I estimate how much my startup is worth before starting the first financing round? 11:21 – What if you get a down round? 11:54 – How can you get your foot in the door with a potential investor? 15:38 – Where do I meet great investors in Switzerland if I don’t have a network yet? 16:28 – How do I best present my business idea/plan? 21:52 – Do you need a lawyer to create a term sheet? 23:28 – What are the key terms on a term sheet? 26:21 – What is the best practice of vesting schedules? 28:15 – How do you deal with uncertainty? 29:27 – How should you report to investors and work with them? About Pascal Mathis: Pascal Mathis is Co-Founder and former COO of GetYourGuide. After he left the company in 2013, he joined Google as an Industry Manager. Subsequently, he dedicated his career to startup coaching and early stage investments as a co-founder and partner at Wingman. Pascal is also an accredited coach for InnoSuise and sits on the advisory board of the Swiss ICT Investor Club. He holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ). Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps 2:43 - Why start a company in Switzerland after studying in the US 10:00 - How to scale up in 3 years 22:15 - From founder to investor 31:37 - What the entrepreneurial spirit should be like 36:58 - Is age a factor? The Episode In 60 Seconds The role of a startup CEO is challenging and ever-changing. These are some of the tasks you should be ready to tackle in the initial stages of your company:  Early stage  Fundraising Getting the money to grow your company will probably take up the largest part of your time. While painful in the beginning, the tables can quickly turn as soon as you can show a promising funnel of clients or other signs of market traction.  Sales In an early stage company, the CEO is usually the best sales person because they bring the passion needed to convince customers of a vision without a product.  Hiring Aim for a good mix of experienced employees and recently graduates.  Don’t be afraid to poach the talent you need from other companies Working at your company should be more than just a job for your employees. Make noise In order to be successful, you have to become part of the language for your customers, analysts, VCs, the press, etc. This doesn’t just happen but is the result of  After A-round Setting up a company board of directors An ideal composition could be: 2 founders, 2 investors, 1 neutral person Increased reporting duties to investors and the company board Monthly reporting of the relevant KPIs (cash in the bank, burn rate, sales funnel, etc.) is ideal. It pays off to be well organized. Investors will usually keep asking similar questions, so having your documentation ready and up-to-date will make your life easier. Handling people and their problems As the company grows, the role of the CEO becomes increasingly managerial, which means handling employees and their issues. Managing cash for growth It is easy to overspend once there is some money in the bank. It’s the CEO’s task to keep as much money as possible in the company for growth and to keep an eye on the burn rate, in order not to miss the right moment for the B-series. After B-round Evaluate your contribution to the company After the B-round, your company will have likely grown significantly and you are ready to expand into new markets. This is usually a good time to take a step back and ask yourself if you are still the right person for the job. Some entrepreneurs prefer growing things over running them. In this case, it might be the right time to find an experienced manager from a large company to take over your role. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps: 2:03 - Why start a company in Switzerland after studying in the U.S.? 9:15 - How to scale up within 3 years 21:22 - Going from founder to investor 30:42 - What the entrepreneurial spirit should be like 35:58 - Is age a factor, in the startup world? About Alex Fries: Originally from the Swiss Canton of Graubunden, Alexander Fries moved to San Francisco in 2002 in connection with a tech startup (SVOX AG) he had co-founded in Switzerland. Today, Alex is one of the most renowned Swiss venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. SVOX AG was acquired by Nuance Inc. in 2011 and Playspan Inc., another startup Alex co-founded, was sold to VISA the same year. In 2005, he founded Ecosystem Ventures with the specific goal of supporting European early-stage tech companies and bringing them onto the American market. He is also a partner at Alpana Ventures, a Swiss VC firm which supports startups in making the bridge into both the American and the Asian market. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps: 1:54  - Going bankrupt as a young adult 12:18 - Key values for founders 15:39 - When to drop a business venture 17:23 - VC funding or bootstrapping? 18:55 - Europe's role in the global startup scene About Frank Thelen: Frank Thelen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Freigeist Capital (formerly e42). He is however best known for his role on “Höhle der Löwen”, a German reality TV program where founders pitch to senior venture capitalists for fundraising. Since the early 90’s, he has founded more than 10 companies, most with a strong focus on innovative technology. One of his first ventures, Twisd AG, had to file for bankrupcy in the wake of the bursting “dotcom“ bubble. Based on this experience, he published his autobiography “Startup-DNA – Hinfallen, aufstehen, die Welt verändern” which became a bestseller in Germany. Frank has also had an active role in German politics as one of the leading members of the German Innovation Council. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!