About me
I’m a serial entrepreneur from Germany with a focus on international company-building and early-stage technology investments. I’ve been involved in the co-founding of 10+ companies, creating several businesses valued at >$100m in the process. Furthermore, I’ve invested in 50+ technology companies that went on to raise >$1B in downstream funding.
My Utopia Vision
Entrepreneurship can solve the world’s problems. The Utopia Vision is a conviction I hold, based on my experience and careful observation of the world, that entrepreneurship and capitalism have historically tackled some of the world’s most pressing problems, and will continue to do so in the future.
I believe every human should equip themselves with entrepreneurial skills and a mindset to play their part in society towards contributing to solving the world's biggest problems. I believe this gives people a true, meaningful purpose.
Solving the world's biggest problems starts with you, regardless of the scale you do it on.
My vision is to be a role model and inspiration to let new entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. Through my personal journey, I’ve gained the freedom to travel to and work from where I want while still being able to build a lasting legacy. I want to create a clear path for others to follow.
Every industry will be fundamentally changed by technology so the world is not static. The rate of innovation is exponentially increasing.
Fixing climate change
We aim to invest in emission reduction and sequestration solutions that facilitate a return to pre-industrial levels of atmospheric carbon.
We believe in climate restoration. Moving away from fossil fuels and scaling carbon/methane removal technologies are both necessary to stop the climate crisis.
Childhood
I’ve had the entrepreneurial bug since the very early age of eight years old. From selling Pokemon cards on eBay, and small entrepreneurial ventures, to managing a cocktail bar when I was 18 years old before going to college.
College
At university, I achieved a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany, graduating summa cum laude. My Alma Mater is known as the birthplace of the most unicorn companies in the world on a per-graduate basis, so studying there was a cornerstone foundation for me to become a tech entrepreneur myself.
Early
career
First, I worked briefly in banking and private equity, before becoming an entrepreneur under the umbrella of Rocket Internet. This company is run by the Samwer brothers, who are some of the most successful internet entrepreneurs in the world with an active portfolio of over 200 companies in 6 continents. In my first role at Rocket, I pioneered e-commerce in several emerging markets in Asia.
Learning the ropes
Later, I became part of Rocket Internet's global leadership team, learning the secrets of structured company building, laser-focused execution, and rapid scaling, all while building companies like an assembly line in a factory. During my time at Rocket and afterwards, I evaluated 50k+ business models for their potential to become break-out successes.
Scaling
In 2018, I founded 10x Value Partners, and invested in 40+ early-stage technology companies while also building 1-2 companies a year from scratch. Each year since the inception of my company 10x Value Partners, we have managed to build a company with a valuation in the high-eight to low-nine digits.
My story
Future
plans
Most recently, I founded Utopia Capital, which invests in companies that have transformational potential for humankind through their profoundly innovative and highly effective zero to one type innovations.
My Operating Model
Personal growth is like compound interest. I’m constantly developing frameworks for success management and personal development, such as the "Opportunity Universe" and the "10x Principle". To this end, I frequently speak at events, and on podcasts, and take featured interviews by leading publications. Besides, I share my thoughts on my blog.
I also operate under and constantly communicate three very important life principles.
The Opportunity Universe
This is a concept where the quality of your life is dependent on the quality of the opportunities before you. I encourage you to expand the set of opportunities at your disposal (your opportunity universe) to gradually improve your life.
Assuming Responsibility
This is the idea that nothing about your life is left to chance, and instead, you are in charge of every outcome. It’s about realizing that whatever happens, you are partly responsible for that outcome. It encourages a proactive and self-aware mindset leading to ownership and progress.
10x Growth Principle
A 1% improvement every day leads to a 10x improvement over the full year. Consistency is key here.
Unlock Your Hidden Potential with my "Opportunity Universe" Framework to engineer any area of your life for long-term success
Everybody has a universe of opportunities available at any time. This is the set of all possible opportunities which you could tap into (i.e., choose).
By becoming able to spot existing opportunities and create new ones, your universe will keep expanding toward new places that will supercharge your personal and professional growth.
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An opportunity universe
For your entrepreneurial career Understand how to map and expand your entrepreneurial universe of possibilities for unparalleled growth through innovative techniques and the development of a scale mindset...
Advanced opportunity awareness
Techniques to enhance your perception of existing career opportunities and uncover new, lucrative ventures.
You can create new growth opportunities, or you can recognize the possibilities around you that you might have not been tapping into.
Personal opportunity universe
This framework isn’t just useful in the context of business. Seeing your life and yourself as inhabiting an opportunity universe can help you find immense possibilities for growth.
When you realize the immense untapped potential around you (and often within you) you become taking advantage of your experiences much more, while creating new ones, leading to a happier and more fulfilled life.
The 10x Wealth Principle
The ‘10x Wealth Principle’ is a logic of wealth creation that underpins the fortunes built by some of the most successful people in the world. It isn’t only useful on a large scale. Even when deployed on a small scale it can really aid financial independence.
Craft your roadmap for wealth creation
Setting your financial objective and crafting a plan is key to building wealth. If you don’t have a clear target in mind, you will easily lose track of your gains and losses, leading to poor management and inevitably slowing down progress. So set a goal. Once in place, break it down in a non-linear way. Remember wealth grows exponentially.
Learn how to supplement labor with capital
Warren Buffet said: “The rich invest in time, the poor invest in money.” In essence, you can either build wealth by selling your labor force (e.g., someone employed as a barista in a coffee shop), or you can increase your earnings by supplementing labor with capital (e.g., hiring someone to organize your personal calendar instead of doing it yourself). Doing the second is the key to increasing your wealth.
Building wealth expands your opportunity universe
Financial freedom isn’t just about strong numbers in your bank account, it’s about being able to decide how you want to spend your days. Moreover, as you build wealth, new opportunities start emerging, which increases your capacity to grow and self-determine. After reaching each financial milestone you set for yourself, your opportunity universe will likely have expanded and you will have new and better opportunities to reach your next milestone. Pursue them, to keep growing exponentially.