- Please briefly introduce yourself and your current job.
I have been responsible for setting up a research and teaching platform on entrepreneurship at the ENI Institute since September 2021 as part of the Gründermotor initiative. We collect data on knowledge- and technology-based start-ups in Baden-Württemberg that can be used for research projects. I recently completed my Ph.D. at the University of Münster, which mainly focused on quantitative research as to indicators for the survival of technology-based start-ups. I would like to continue working on these and related topics. Parallel to my work at the ENI Institute, I continue to be active in start-up support at the HTWG Konstanz, as I have been since 2015, and am associated with the IST Institute there.
- How did you get involved in entrepreneurship?
Start-ups and innovative business concepts have fascinated me for a long time. Parallel to my studies, I worked for some time in a start-up that developed a new kind of safety product for the diving sector. Since then, I have remained in the field and have become involved in start-up promotion. I helped to establish the start-up initiative Kilometer 1 of the Constance universities and, most recently, provided funding advice (e.g. EXIST applications and Young Innovators funding).
- What tip would you give to students who are enthusiastic about founding a company, or who have already taken the first steps towards self-employment?
Don't hesitate. Get your ideas out there and talk about them as much as possible with other founders - don't be afraid of imitation, but get feedback from potential customers. Experience shows that not only product development but also sales are more challenging than initially expected. Therefore: find out what the market wants, develop a good sales concept, and plan sufficient capacities and financial resources for marketing.
Contact
Melanie Minderjahn
Career Service - Inner Development, Public Relations