What's your secret sauce for building a great team?
Trust and fairness. In a creative industry like software we cannot control and measure team members with traditional management methods. That's why we have to trust that everyone is contributing their best work. At the same time we have to be frank and fair, if someone is not – and help them to do better.
What’s your favorite ritual or meeting in your team?
Random check-in questions. I found questions like “What school subject is your favorite?” or “What fictional world or place would you like to visit?” to get the team into an excited state, in which the meetings are a lot more productive (and fun). Also, the answers can get really deep, and the bonding within the team gets a lot stronger. We have a free App for Confluence that generates the check-in questions.
What motivates you to work as a leader / entrepreneur?
For me, the most rewarding thing as a leader is to see people grow — and contribute to their growth. For example, one of my best moments as a leader was when a colleague, who had switched roles from engineering to product management 2 years earlier, shared with me that he had seriously questioned if software was the right industry for him – and that he had finally found his calling in product management at K15t.
What quote or saying has stuck with you?
"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn." by Benjamin Franklin. — I have to remind myself about this quote every time, when I want to achieve real change and the process is stuck. In most of those cases, more involvement is key.
What book do you recommend the most?
One of the most influential book for me was 'Reinventing Organizations' by Frederic Laloux, because it describes a new, more soulful and purposeful organizational model. And provides proof that there are small and large organizations who use this organizational model.
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Here’s More, From Other Founders Around the World
What's a question you like asking — yourself or others?
I like asking, "What can I learn from this experience?" This question helps me reflect on challenges and successes, fostering continuous improvement and a mindset of growth and learning.
What’s an important guiding principle that informs the way you build and run your business?
“Lead by ideas, not by hierarchy.” The “position” of a person has nothing to do with the ability to contribute great ideas to improve the company. You should always strive for a company culture where everybody can talk to everybody.
What shift in perspective has allowed you to see things differently?
Understanding that you cannot control the decisions other people make, you can only influence and inform them. Not every deal or decision will go your way and this mindset helps avoid self-loathing, anger, and depression.
What was a pivotal moment where your business made a big leap forward?
Understanding the 80/20 principle or even 64/4 and that it's a law of nature applicable everywhere. It's one of the biggest levers for doing more with less or in less time. (E.g. 20% of the streets in the world handle 80% of the traffic.)