Jens Dobrindt

#TEMU HAS 33mil+ #MAU in #GERMANY Why TEMU is so successful in biting significantly into EU's e-commerce? 😮 For many this have been "Phew!" response when TEMU as Chinese new player started to enter European markets one by one. Ehm, maybe "to enter" should be rather exchanged for "to colonize", because in two years time it managed to amass 33 million monthly active users. Yes, go one sentence back and read it again: 33 million monthly active users on 67mil adult population of this country. how is this even possible? 💰 Many make an easy escape from this discussion by trying to blame it on super cheap, super low quality good manufactured in CN that often don't meet the "usualities" of western markets. As much as some aspects of that answer are true, the true power of TEMU comes from something different. ⌛ If you ever opened the TEMU App you would learn that before you ever get to the actual goods you have 2-3 gamification gimmicks under your belt. (with spins, animated coupons unboxing or other forms) These are overlaying the whole screen in semitransparent way. making you feel these are just translucent curtains you cake wave anytime away. But by the time you can get your hands on the actual product catalogue you already have some countdown time with hefty(-looking) discount or another poking to finish the purchase first place. Very often the actual shopping is more to please the bar for your discount rather than mindfully shop for another item. 🛍 And then comes the other TEMU trick of you are not really buying from TEMU, so are being sold from them. You have next to none chance to influence which items you will be exposed to, no real category search, not even talking brands or product titles. Just feed of the offers that are super-curated base on what you have clicked on (or purchased) before. After few visits TEMU turns for you into very narrow selection of things they are ready to send you, not that you researched for. 📈 Many are surprised by the "sudden: success of this method, where seller basically dictates what you can even think of and people still rush to buy it (even though they never declared need to buy such a item first place). well, this concept is working really well for Lidl (and few other retailers), who have week-long-nonfood aisle where they fully curate the things for you and people still storm the stores to buy that good out. 👺 If you were laughing or belittling Chinese shops, time to wake up from that dream. Before it becomes walking nightmare for you. #temu #strategy #success #germany #uk #us #ecommerce #china #lidl #nonfood #marketplace #goods

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🚀 Event Alert for WHU MBA Students: "Designing your entrepreneurial journey: from the MBA classroom to the real world 🚀 Are you an MBA student at WHU passionate about making your mark in the startup ecosystem? Wondering which role fits you best in this vibrant landscape? Whether you're a visionary founder, a strategic investor, or a dynamic executive, understanding your potential role can significantly enhance your entrepreneurial journey. Join us for an enlightening workshop on "Designing your entrepreneurial journey: from the MBA classroom to the real world " featuring Sergio G. Chavez, a seasoned Serial Entrepreneur, Co-Founder of the Entrepreneurship Roundtable Club and a prominent figure in the tech startup space. With extensive experience in B2B SaaS and IT, Sergio has empowered numerous CEOs and executives to transform their businesses into industry leaders and orchestrators. Event Highlights: Discover Different Roles: Explore roles such as Startup Mentor, Community Leader, Executive, Founder, and Investor.  Insights from Sergio G. Chavez: Gain invaluable insights from Sergio’s journey in launching and scaling over 20 B2B software marketplaces and his pivotal role in shaping Sastrify’s marketplace strategy.  Tailored to WHU MBA Students: Specifically designed for WHU MBA students, this session aims to align your educational background with practical roles in the startup ecosystem. Details: 📅 Date: MAY 15 🕔 Time:18:30 CET 🌐 Location: Virtual  Zoom Link: https://lnkd.in/gW4Xd6BY 🔗 Don't miss this opportunity to interact with a tech industry titan and pinpoint where you could shine in the startup world. Whether you see yourself as a connector, a thinker, or a leader, understanding where you fit can set the stage for your future successes. Please fill out this survey Link: https://lnkd.in/gDAWj4fN It's mandatory and will help the speaker prepare the best content for the workshop. It will only take a few minutes, and the ER Club would appreciate your assistance. Join us, explore your entrepreneurial potential, and connect with like-minded peers and professionals. Let’s innovate and lead together! #WHUMBA #StartupRoles #Entrepreneurship #TechStartups #SergioChavez #Innovation #BusinessLeaders #WHUEvents   

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This Handelsblatt article featuring a recent BDI - Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e.V. & Roland Berger study highlights the widening gap between Germany and the USA when it comes to innovation. It emphasizes that Europe needs to foster a stronger entrepreneurial culture and innovation mindset. This is exactly what Leitmotif is all about: connecting the US and the European innovation ecosystem and leveraging the skill set and expertise of European industrials to accelerate deep tech startups.

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Mister Spex Comeback? That was the headline of the latest article from DER AKTIONÄR, highlighting our story and, more importantly, our recent developments like the SpexFocus program, which we rolled out just a month ago, and our new rebranding: Mister Spex – Optician for Life. We’re in the midst of implementing changes and meticulously executing our plans and I can’t help but shamelessly quote the author Michael Schröder: “Hinter den Kulissen tut sich was” // "Behind the scenes, something is happening." With that, let me be cheesy and close by saying: "Stay tuned!" and "Gute Chancen gibt es immer wieder" Mister Spex Stephan Schulz-Gohritz #investorrelations #deraktionär #smallcaps #opticianforlife

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What are the benefits of a cohesive omni-channel approach 🏪? For our Meta advent calendar series, my dear colleague Kai Herzberger presented this great question as a little gift to me in his recent video and I was more than happy to come up with an answer. What are the benefits of a cohesive omni-channel approach and how can our tools drive both online and offline sales? Please check out Tino's and Kai's videos to learn about the impact of Gen AI & automation on peak season campaigns 🛍. #OmniChannel #Marketing #PeakSeason

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English Translation: 𝗜𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗔𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀? The latest results of the McKinsey study “The state of AI in early 2024” show the extent to which generative AI is anchored in corporate practice: ▶️72% of companies have already started implementing AI - a significant increase from 66% last year. ▶️65% of these companies are already actively using generative AI (GenAI). However, it also shows that the use of AI varies greatly depending on the number of business areas involved: ➡️ 72% of companies only use AI in one area, ➡️ 50% have integrated AI in two areas, ➡️ 27% use AI in three areas, ➡️ Only 8% of companies benefit from AI in five or more areas. In particular Vertrieb and 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐤𝐭- 𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠, 𝐈𝐓, 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐛, 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠 and 𝐇𝐑 benefit greatly from the introduction of genai. But this is exactly where the challenge lies. In particular, 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 and 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗜𝗧, 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 and 𝗛𝗥 benefit greatly from the introduction of GenAI. But this is exactly where the challenge lies. Source: McKinsey https://lnkd.in/dD_cqZMw EEspecially in the HR area - especially when 𝗛𝗥 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 work with personal data - the new AI law speaks of 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀. Companies that use such systems face major challenges, because after the 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝟯𝟲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 (ending on August 2, 2027), non-compliance could result in 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟯𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝟳% 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. This means that over the next three years, companies will have to implement all the necessary security mechanisms to meet these requirements. Worse still: many companies are not even aware of this obligation. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆? 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁?

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Have you implemented AI into your organisation? Do you know your obligations and impacts? Interesting read, especially if your organisation works within the EU.

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Exciting News! The European Scaleup Institute, co-founded by WHU, hast just released the second edition of their European Scaleup Monitor which aims to enable Europe to become a leading global scaleup ecosystem. With insights from Professor Dries Faems, the report offers a comprehensive overview of different growth metrics, a variety of case studies, and innovative web applications. Explore the performance of Europe’s high growth firms in the report below or on: https://lnkd.in/d_3kYFJN #myWHU

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VC-Markt im DACH-Raum: So sieht die "neue Normalität" aus https://buff.ly/45vkOpn The VC market in the DACH region reflects the changing landscape of the "new normal." Companies are focusing on online presence, e-commerce strategies, cloud technologies, and data analytics for decision-making. Cybersecurity investments have increased, and remote work setups are crucial for business continuity. Adaptability and resilience are shaping the current VC market in the DACH region. #VCtrends #DACHregion.

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Two weeks ago, Lebensmittel Zeitung hosted the first #LZAI Day in #Frankfurt. In my talk, I explained what it takes to successfully implement #AI at scale - and that doing AI isn't just "plug and play".   Companies need to do their homework in several dimensions to create value from AI: 📖 AI Governance: Establishing clear guidelines and principles to ensure compliance with regulations and a clear value focus 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Collaboration Model: Define who's responsible for what - in business, in IT, in the analytics function ⚒️ Use Cases: Identifying and implementing practical AI applications that deliver real value 🎓 Empowerment & Mindset: Developing a data-driven culture and equipping employees with the necessary skills 💩 Data: Ensuring high-quality data is available to fuel AI models. AI without good data quality won't work. There have been nice memes on LinkedIn over the last few weeks … ⚙️ Technology: Utilizing a robust AI infrastructure and tools   My takeaways from some of the other talks: - Alexandra Manon Schütze (ZENK Rechtsanwälte | Hamburg | Berlin) pointed out that the #AIAct requires company to take first steps to comply with regulation already as of early 2025 - Stefan Binkowski (SAP) not only demystified some myths around AI delineating it from simple automatization but also talked about AI in practice at Kaufland for demand forecasting - Christian Au (Retail.ai GmbH) explained how Markant Gruppe supports partners with AI services - Dr. Frederike Fritzsche (OTTO) and Christian Metzner (Dirk Rossmann GmbH) discussed with Alexandra ("Alexis") Tsingeni how ChatBots & Co. will influence the work of the future - Mehmet Tözge (Lekkerland SE) and Prof. Dr. Stephan Rüschen (Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg) reminded us that "Handel ist Wandel" and that concepts how retail companies serve customers keep on evolving

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Start-ups in Europe: a light at the end of the tunnel - finally!    This article by Nadine Schimroszik in Handelsblatt gives reason for hope for the tech ecosystem, as it summarises a development that has been tentatively emerging for some time: The number of new #start-ups in Germany is growing again, by 17 per cent, as shown by a comparison of the first quarter of 2024 with the same quarter of the previous year.   💡It is particularly interesting to see that most investments are being made in AI. An unmistakable sign that they continue to be a driver of innovation for the German startup ecosystem.   We recently came to a similar conclusion with my team, as part of our analysis of the German startup landscape. Our conclusion: more and more funding are being mobilised for ♻️ #Greentech business ideas that are based on AI-based technologies and have a positive impact on our planet. More info on our research at IRIS can be found in Startup Insider`s Investors Report 2024: https://lnkd.in/dU-5AMPz More info on Nadine’s insightful article here: https://lnkd.in/depicwGA

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In February it will be 6 years since I had a 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁. With some distance Business Insider has asked me to talk about my experience in consulting, my burnout and the new company I started: WirDämmenDeinHaus.com You can find the link in the first comment.  (I’m also happy to share the pdf, in case you cannot access it.) My ask to you:  𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘁. Having talked to many people that suffered a burnout, my observation is that it can be tremendously helpful to get a nudge from people that care about you. It is a common burnout symptom to “try to keep pushing through” and “take care of one self, after X, Y, Z is finished” -> this often significantly prolongs the healing process. Be there for the people you care about and encourage them to take care of themselves now and not when it’s too late. I’m also here for anyone that wants to talk 1:1 about their experience or ask questions. Please feel free to reach out. Happy holidays to all of you!

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Germany’s "𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚 2035," crafted by McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Roland Berger, emphasizes the urgent need for innovation and transformation across industries—from strengthening traditional sectors to leading in AI and sustainability 🌍🤖. For us in Executive Search, this highlights new requirements for top management, including: 🌟𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: Executives must possess a clear vision to navigate complex changes and foster growth in uncertain times. 💻𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡-𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬: Understanding digital transformation and embracing new technologies is essential to drive efficiency and innovation. ♻️𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Leaders need to integrate sustainable practices into their business models to meet evolving regulatory and societal expectations. 🤝𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Building partnerships and engaging in constructive dialogue across industries is crucial for addressing multifaceted challenges. The hunt for visionary, tech-savvy executives is more critical than ever! 🚀 Curious to hear your thoughts, Michael Brigl — how do you see leadership evolving in this context? 🤔 #Leadership #ExecutiveSearch #TopManagement #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation

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Shaping Europe’s #DeepTech future together! 🌍🤝 One of the highlights at this year’s #FallingWalls Science Summit was our #BCG x SPRIND - Bundesagentur für Sprunginnovationen Executive Table, bringing together leaders from diverse innovation agencies, corporates, and venture capitalists across Europe. Never before have we gathered such a diverse group to shape our deep tech future.  This fruitful discussion marked a powerful step toward a pan-European deep tech strategy, focusing on three crucial changes needed for us to lead in global innovation:  ➡ Change scientific dogma: Almost half of the world's PhDs are awarded in Europe, yet success for scientists is still measured mainly by publications. To empower real-world impact, founding a company should be a natural next step post-PhD. Shifting this mindset can inspire a new generation of science-driven entrepreneurs. ➡ Strengthen business transfer: With German universities investing only 0.1% of their budgets into business transfer, we see an urgent need to rethink these priorities. University transfer centers should move from profit centers to service providers, supporting deep tech startups through long-term investment, encouraging both risk-taking and sustainable growth. ➡ Build a shared ecosystem: While Europe has made strides in early-stage funding, there’s a gap in later-stage investments, especially compared to the US. Encouraging companies and governments to become startup clients and fostering venture clienting are essential steps to create a sustainable ecosystem that helps deep tech startups scale effectively. At BCG, we are proud to have collaborated with SPRIN-D to build these bridges and foster the essential discussions. Thank you to all participants for joining the table and exchanging your ideas.  #Innovation Markus Lorenz Rafael Laguna de la Vera Antonia Jenkinson, ACCA, FCSI Anna Bergstrand António Grilo

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 Here are 🖐 5 “aha moments” from our experiences in the area of commercial go-to-market (#GTM). I had a super engaging conversation (in German 🇩🇪 ) with Björn W. Schäfer as part of his podcast format “The SaaS Symphony” about #GTM key learnings in working with our portfolio companies in the different stages. The mini-wrap video with English transcript provides a brief overview of the 5 key learnings we discussed: 1️⃣ GTM Matters at Every Stage: GTM isn't just for startups. Whether you're at the seed stage, scaling from Series A to D, or an established Mittelstand company, GTM is crucial. 2️⃣ Managing Product-Market-Fit (#PMF) is one of the main jobs of a founder: PMF isn't a one-off achievement but a continuous mission for founders. Regular reassessment is key to staying aligned with market needs. 3️⃣ PMF is a Process — You will never “have” PMF: Treat PMF like a health score, tracking regularly to ensure your product matches the market perfectly. 4️⃣ Inseparable Duo: GTM & PMF: Success in GTM hinges on achieving PMF. Both must sync for market success. 5️⃣ Flywheel effects accelerate future GTM approaches: A successful GTM sets the stage for further expansion. Use it to enter new markets or launch new products efficiently. Would be interesting if you observe these 5 experiences as well or if there are additional observations. Thanks Björn W. Schäfer for this recording and I'm already looking forward to your book that you mentioned, which will be published soon ;)

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Want to find out about the latest funding rounds, exits, takeovers, and IPOs of WHU start-ups? Learn more in the Q1 2024 Start-ups Investment Report and discover how WHU start-ups are contributing to Cologne gaining ground as a top location for entrepreneurship: https://t.ly/xqPBQ #myWHU 

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Less than a week to go before Fraunhofer FOKUS Media Web Symposium, but still time to make up your mind and head towards Berlin! If knowing more about Big Buck Bunny's special diet is not enough as an argument, or if you're not interested in the "Emergency! Dinner is ready" demo (assuming you're too young - not too old of course 😅 - to need a trick to get your kids away from their screen), then there's DVB's talk.   Personally, I look forward the "Emergency! Dinner is ready " demo, not because I need it so much (being blessed with exceptional children😇) but because the world needs it. https://lnkd.in/dg5WFYGY #FOKUSMWS #5G #DVBI DVB Project

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 🏹  Germany is facing a crisis: a declining economy, mass layoffs, and low confidence—largely self-inflicted. Investment is low, regulation is high, and decisive action on digitalisation is lacking. Three rival consulting giants #McKinsey, #BCG and #RolandBerger just did something unprecedented: They joined forces to craft a vision for Germany's future called Agenda 2035. This isn’t just a strategy—it’s a blueprint for #leadership in times of crisis. Typically, a #vision starts with an assessment of the current situation, followed by the definition of a goal and a mission statement. in other words: ✅ Where do we want to go? ✅ What do we stand for? ✅ What do we do and why? Their response in the Agenda 2023 is surprisingly straightforward: ➡️ Strengthen 4 core industries (Mechanical engineering, the automotive industry, the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, information technology, as well as the steel and metal production sectors.) ➡️ Develop 4 future sectors (AI, green tech, health tech, mobility). What makes this agenda remarkable is how it delivers lessons for all leaders for crafting a vision: 1️⃣ Focus: The agenda balances ambition with clear priorities, targeting what matters most for sustainable growth. 2️⃣ Collaboration over Competition: Rival firms united to solve a national crisis—a testament to the power of shared vision. 3️⃣ Vision Backed by Action: It doesn’t stop at ideas. Agenda 2035 includes actionable plans, measurable goals, and timelines. The key takeaway? A strong vision inspires action. Whether you’re leading a country or a company, the formula is the same: Set bold goals. Build partnerships. Execute relentlessly. Germany’s crisis is serious, but so the opportunity to rise is stronger. The time for action is now. PS At the Startup-Verband, we know the power of clear vision. That’s why we developed the Innovation Agenda 2030—a plan to make Germany a leader in digital transformation ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dsYXQchH #Leadership #Vision #Innovation #GermanEconomy #Agenda2035

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