Lukas Diewald

🔥 Get exclusive access to the Product Discovery Cheat Sheet 🔥 with 26 Product Discovery Methods that will enable you to "build the RIGHT THING" and not just "build the THING RIGHT" for your users. At konversionsKRAFT AG, we collected the most relevant methods that we have used in order to help our clients build and grow their digital products - you can use this board to evaluate your status quo and select the matching methods based on where you stand. To get access, follow these simple steps: 1️⃣ Connect with me and Anastasia Shvedova 2️⃣ Like this post ❤️  3️⃣ Comment on this post ("Brilliant, I want access!") 🚨 Disclaimer: this is the first version of the Product Discovery Cheat Sheet and we are looking forward to your questions and feedback while you are using it. Please feel free to approach us any time with your thoughts! #productdiscovery #discoverycheatsheet #productexperimentation #cromethods #testing #experimentation #growthmarketingsummit #growthmindedsuperheros #productmanagement

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Size isn't everything

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Wow - thanks Simon Walter, Magdalena Maier and Charlotte Niklahs for the program you've put together for the #management hive of #pakcon24! 🔥 How to set up a 10x innovation culture by Nina Michahelles, Sarina Hergarten, Alexander Böhm, Nils Wagner How to build and scale high-performing companies by Friederike Reuter, Stefan Roebel, Martin Sondenheimer, Magdalena Maier Strategy is broken by Sebastian Herzog, Isabelle Schnellbuegel, Paul Becker, Simon Walter AI: The Biggest Opportunity for the German Mittelstand? by Dr. Alexander Mrozek, Dr. Sebastian Walter, Anna Franziska Michel, Dr. Alexandra Deichsel Why Digital Transformations often fail - particularly in Germany by Miriam van Straelen, Marc Schiekofer, Cecilie Hohlbein Hegelund, Moritz Trutschel Venture Clienting - Success Factors of Startup - Corporate Collaborations by Arno Baltruschat, Dr. Sophie Chung, Stefan Schmautz, Anne Decker Last ticket drop: https://lnkd.in/duPQg3Wc

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Great thoughts on how to balance multiple target dimensions when realigning operations and (re)-building production sites. Nowadays investments and operating costs run beside resilience, ESG, digitization requirements. Finding the synergies to make conflicting targets into self-reinforcing ones needs a holistic approach!

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I remember it very well, especially when I read the headline and article below: it was in 2018 at the Predictive Analytics World for Industry 4.0 in Munich, when Richard Lim from Singapore told how HP increased the efficiency of its factories by 20% using machine learning. In the lectures before that, many speakers from German machine and car manufacturers had talked about how they implemented tentative first POCs. I remember the faces of the participants well when they heard how far other countries have already come. And then a member of the audience asked why HP had already invested so much money in big data, machine learning, etc. years ago? Richard's answer hit the nail on the head: “You have to invest first before you profit.” Somehow I felt a bit ashamed for Germany in this moment. Unfortunately, I still feel that way today. It was not the only such experience. Many more followed. As the program director of Machine Learning Week Europe, I see how willing (companies from) other countries are to invest and innovate. And with Datentreiber, we also see that foreign customers invest more and, above all, faster - much faster! Meanwhile in Germany the bad news just keeps coming: “The coronavirus crisis has thus set back technological development in Germany by almost 1.5 years. [...] According to experts, the situation is not likely to have been any better after the pandemic. Researcher Arntz predicts that the energy price crisis and uncertainties due to the war in Ukraine have contributed to further delays in major investments.” But every challenge is also a chance. For example, we have therefore decided to create the Data & AI Design Bench in English - and not in German like the first canvas versions. We invested a lot of time in this, but as Richard said: “You have to invest first before you profit.” And slowly we are profiting from international clients. 😉

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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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MP founding partner, Roman Göd, recently joined the FINANCE Think Tank Corporate Banking & Finance – Eine Initiative der Targecy GmbH podcast What's up, Corporate Finance? to discuss findings from our latest MP industrial Private Equity (MPiPE) Indicator. He shared valuable insights into the shifting dynamics of European private equity firms, highlighting renewed interest in investing in industrial companies and a cautiously optimistic mood in the DACH region. Listen to the full episode for in-depth analysis of the developments shaping the private equity landscape in the coming months.   #MP #mergersandacquisitions #privateequity #corporatefinance #investmentbanking #pe #industrialsector #marketoutlook #privateequitytrends #fundraising #survey #insights #privateequity #investments #europe #podcast 

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"We [Germany] are on the way to becoming a developing country...we’ve become a junk shop". - Theodor Weimer, CEO of Deutsche Börse. 😬 Everything seems totally normal and fine in Europe's largest economy. 😳 🤣 "Our reputation in the world has never been as bad as it is now. Never before." Well...I mean...come on...we at least know that's not true. It is Germany you're talking about after all. https://lnkd.in/eAzRyuXP 🇩🇪 🍺 🥨 #stocks #finance #banks #banking #money #business #tech #technology #innovation #startups #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #vc #venturecapital

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The venture capital industry is experiencing a comeback: Over 500 funding rounds of two million dollars or more were closed by European startups in the first quarter of 2024, according to Dealroom. This represents an increase from 24 percent (Q4, 2021) to 43 percent (Q1, 2024) in Series A funding rounds. The crucial question is, how do founders manage to quickly move from the seed phase to Series A in today’s highly competitive landscape? The essential tools for this can now be found in a new book, titled “Series A Blueprint: A Guide for Seed-Stage Founders“ written by my amazing colleagues from XAnge in collaboration with HV Capital, Carta Zendesk, Amazon Web Services (AWS), torq.partners and featuring tips from dozens of experienced founders. https://lnkd.in/dzx622hB

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𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗩𝗖 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲! (at least, that's the hope according to the latest surveys by the German Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVK) and KfW Bank). 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹? 🤓 The BVK's German Venture Capital Barometer surveys around 200 members quarterly, covering key metrics that describe the business climate in the German VC landscape, including fundraising, exit options, and more. Start-ups are at the end of the VC funding chain. If VC funds face a capital crunch, Start-ups feel the squeeze too. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 📊 I've graphically analyzed the data since 2019 (see image below) and found: 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸: The pandemic was a shock but also spurred new business models and opportunities. VC sentiment on fundraising and exits was high between 2020 and 2021. However, Start-up entry valuations dropped, possibly due to market pessimism. The deal pipeline remained strong, with robust deal flow quality and quantity. Many Start-ups seized the moment to access VC investments at lower valuations, driven by the pandemic's uncertainty. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮: Many factors contributed to this downturn. Notably, the ECB's incremental interest rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation in Europe (see purple line). Increased energy costs, the war in Ukraine (loss of sales markets), supply chain disruptions, and poor market sentiment likely played roles. These challenges made it tough to raise fresh VC capital and secure attractive exits. A backlog of exits still exists. 𝗔 𝗥𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗤𝟮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: The sentiment indicator improved by 10.6 points to -8.9 balance points. A positive trend is also emerging in fundraising and exit options. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮? 🤔 I hope the situation improves in the coming months and years. Young, dynamic, and innovative Start-ups are crucial for long-term economic growth, as seen in the USA. Have you noticed the negative sentiment as a Start-up? Or the exit congestion as a VC manager? When do you think the situation will turn around? You can find full access to the reports at: https://lnkd.in/eJUt7AeK

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Working with German OEMs on a Mobility (you still say Automobile) Strategy since 2008. They know since 15 years or more what they have to do: they just have to do it. The CxU has stood in the way of innovation in mobility and energy for over 16 years - transportation ministers and the VDA have torpedoed all chances of change: bringing us up to this point. And you continue to ask the wrong people for strategy, and have the wrong people to execute: and anyone aware and watching this sees that the VDA and yourself are complicit.

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Always asked myself, if I can be happy …always? As an entrepreneur you are in the natural habit of optimizing all aspects of a project so why don’t optimize your life? After many years of learning about what makes us happy, I think it is only a transient state. But maybe we can feel even better … when we are in Flow! Flow is the state of consciousness in which we forget space and time, are maximally happy, motivated and efficient. In this state, we feel our best and achieve the most. What do we need to achieve this flow? Why is it so important for founders and managers? I talk about this in the podcast with editor Elena Todeva Listen in and share your best flow moments. #flow #flowmoment #success #performance #motivation #alignment #leadership #newwork #startup #vc #entrepreneurship

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The best part of work is always at the terminals. Yesterday at the HHLA Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG Container Terminal Tollerort. Supporting the incredible works of founders Marcel Wiegand and Nico Marks and their exciting venture passify that secures and automates gate processes. The roll-out was a blast. Speaking with hundreds of truck drivers all day long and showing them the easiness of the gate process via smartphone App. This is another great example why founders who have years of terminal work experiences make the difference when it comes to gate integration, process knowledge and smooth software roll-outs. And this is just the start. passify simplifies and streamlines the access management process for both truck drivers and facility operators, while providing real-time information on pick-up and delivery availability. Definitely a startup to watch on an exciting growth path. #smartport #terminalaccess #startup #truck #gateprocess

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I'm thrilled to share that @Smart Reporting has successfully closed a financing round of 23 million euros, with TVM Capital Life Science leading this Series C funding. A warm welcome to our new investors, including Bayern Kapital, as we bolster our resources to expand further into #NorthAmerica and #Australia. This significant capital infusion will accelerate our #mission to revolutionize medical reporting with advanced, AI-supported products. As we step into the #future, our focus is clear: to enhance healthcare IT markets globally and introduce cutting-edge, AI-based solutions that transform radiological and pathological reporting. The power of #genAI and large language models (#LLMs) is redefining what's possible in the healthcare sector. At Smart Reporting, we're harnessing these advancements to provide crucial support to radiologists and pathologists, making their work not only faster but also more accurate. As we gear up for this growth phase, I'm also pleased to announce the expansion of our management team, welcoming Christian Matzen as our new CFO and COO, and recognizing Sigrid Auweter's expanded role as CPO. A big thank you to our existing #investors for continuing on this journey with us and to our new investors for believing in our #vision. The road ahead is exciting, and I look forward to what we will achieve together in making #healthcare more efficient and effective worldwide. #HealthTech #Investment #ArtificialIntelligence #MedicalReporting #Radiology #Pathology #GrowthStrategy #Innovation #AI

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EXIST - Existenzgründungen aus der Wissenschaft is the first big funding step into the right direction. We are happy that the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action sees the potential in using modern AI Agent approaches to transform large-scale text-based unstructured data by following a process into action points! Now it is up to us to deliver the impact 🚀 🎇 📈

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🏁💥 How can we keep European companies competitive while watching countries like Germany fall behind in innovation rankings? A recent Handelsblatt article by Thomas Jahn and Nadine Schimroszik uncovers what’s behind the innovation ranking produced by the Federation of German Industries (BDI - Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e.V.) and Roland Berger, where Germany has moved down to 12th place out of a total of 35 selected countries. 🤝 Earlybird Co-Founder & Partner Dr. Hendrik Brandis comments “As a business location, we should aspire to commercialize deep tech technologies here in the long term. But if companies are faced with a choice of either not finding the necessary follow-up financing or accepting a relocation, the latter will be the preferred option.” This article includes special mentions of Earlybird portfolio companies Isar Aerospace, Marvel Fusion, and Lilium. 🚀 Experts, investors, and entrepreneurs see 4 main measures for Germany to secure a better future. Read here to discover the path to success: https://bit.ly/3Zvj7ax. Cc: Daniel Metzler, Josef Fleischmann, Moritz von der Linden, Pasha Shabalin, Heike Freund, Daniel Wiegand, Sebastian Born, Dr. Patrick Nathen, Matthias Meiner and many more! #Innovation #European #Germany #Startups #Growth #VentureCapital

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🎙️I recently had the pleasure of joining Max Ostermeier on his podcast, the Startcast Podcast. Max invited me to share my journey as a founder – from the very beginning to where we are today with MVP Factory. In our conversation, we delved into the lessons I've learned along the way, my perspective on startups and the mindset shift of Zebras vs Unicorns, founding in times of crisis, and some of the incredible projects like Yarded we're working on at MVP Factory.
 Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just curious about our journey with MVP Factory, listen in and share your thoughts with me. We covered a lot of ground, from the early challenges to the innovative solutions we're bringing to life today:
 🔹 The pivotal moments in my entrepreneurial journey 🔹 Insights on building and scaling startups  🔹 Behind-the-scenes stories from MVP Factory projects  🔹 How joining Ness Digital Engineering enables us to drive more innovation A big thank you to Max for the invitation, the great conversation, and your patience (it took us a while to find an appointment). I'm looking forward to part two ;) I hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it! 🎧 Listen to the full episode here: ▶️Spotify | https://lnkd.in/ddhf9ywf ▶️Apple I https://lnkd.in/dFmBuVG5 #Startcast #Startups #MVPFactory #Innovation 

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𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴? 🚗 Autonomous driving could revolutionize mobility, and powerful mobile networks are key to its success. But what are the actual requirements for mobile networks, and how do we determine if they are robust enough?    In our brand-new whitepaper this is explored by Dr. Wolfgang Balzer, expert in mobile communication networks, testing strategies, and standardization.   🔍 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱?Just drop us a message and we'll send it to you.

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"Most founders start planning their next funding round too late." The best time to start working on your next funding round is right after closing the previous one, by drafting the new fundraising deck immediately. This inspiring topic we discussed during my latest workshop with our portfolio company Valuecase with Dr. Jan Niklas Wick & Lennart Prange and Mika Weissenberger from XAnge. I've noticed a pattern among our most successful founders they're already visualizing and planning their next milestones while the ink is still drying on their current term sheet. The strategy is simple: Work backwards from the next funding round! Here’s a quick example: One of our portfolio founders wrapped up their Seed and immediately mapped out their Series A milestones in a draft deck (such as Paul Hock & Nina Germanus @ Green Fusion GmbH). Six months later, not only were those goals achieved, but the original deck turned into the blueprint for their next pitch. They saved valuable time and secured a successful future by having a clear plan from the start. Here’s why this "VC manifesting" approach works: 📍 Crystallizes the goals for your next milestone. 📊 Creates clear accountability to achieve them. 🎨 Shapes the narrative evolution of your company. 🧭 Provides a north star for team alignment. The (next round’s) deck becomes more than just a fundraising tool, it’s your company’s strategic compass. And here’s the magic: when you actually hit those milestones, the deck becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’re not scrambling to piece together a narrative at the last minute; you’ve documented the journey from the beginning. Pro tip: - Include specific numbers. - Make it a living document. - Review it quarterly. - Let it evolve with your learnings and market dynamics. This approach ensures the final version is stronger, clearer, and ready when you need it. Remember, the best founders don’t just build to raise, they raise to build. Having a clear picture of your next chapter? That’s just smart business. What’s your process for preparing your next funding round? Would you try working backwards like this? #VentureCapital #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Fundraising

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