Fascinated by Silicon Valley, but native to Munich: Martin Körner founded the startup Zertisa in the Bavarian capital together with Robert Konopka.
The two have not only won top-class awards, but also renowned national and international customers such as Orange and Deutsche Bahn. With what? The Zertisa GmbH offers a Management solution for the personalization of AAndroid-based devices.
Faster, cheaper and even in smaller quantities, the Munich-based company can incorporate a different logo into the device's boot animation, pre-install apps, customize the phone book or restrict access rights - exactly as their customers need.
In the interview, Körner, who is working with the German Silicon Valley Accelerator was able to spend some time in the USA, why founders have to be realists and how the mood for founders has changed in recent years.
Tangible entrepreneurial spirit
How are you perceived as a founder in Germany and especially in Munich?
Things are moving. The atmosphere isn't comparable to the Silicon Valley scene, of course, but an entrepreneurial spirit is palpable here too: More and more people are open to starting their own businesses. Acceptance among the population and among one's own circle of friends also seems to be changing.
A few years ago, a founder was still considered an exoticwhen he founded his own business, which wasn't a traditional craft business. Today, we're increasingly receiving recognition, sometimes even respect.
There are now also more startup initiatives in Munich that help young founders become self-employed – the LMU Entrepreneurship Center, the LMU Spin-Off Center, and the Munich Business Plan Competition network (BayStartUP), to name just a few. It's extremely important to meet like-minded people and bounce ideas off each other.
Foundation of the Year
Zertisa was named "ICT Start-up of the Year" and won the "Start-up Competition – ICT Innovation." What do such awards bring to a start-up?
Being selected by a jury of experts is always a special recognition and has encouraged us to continue developing our solution. In addition to providing strong references and building credibility, which should not be underestimated, press releases on the internet also generate further awareness, not least through their links.
Reporting on pages relevant to Google also increases the relevance of your own homepage – a factor that should not be underestimated these days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xZo7X8Z4HEs
What is your tip for other founders?
Zertisa is not my first startup, so my ultimate tip is a very sober one. Do not let yourself be guided too much by idealism, by the romantic thought of the one great ideaBecause in the end, as harsh as that may sound, only one thing counts: the filthy lucre. And only when there's money in the bank account should a founder really start counting on it.
