Gloria Seibert is CEO of an e-health startup, the digital therapy companion TemedicaFounded in 2016 together with CTO Clemens Kofler, their startup received a financingA little later, Pelvina joined us, a Pelvic floor course via appAs a budding founder, she encountered a few prejudices—the one about enjoying the sunshine on weekdays by the Isar River was the most harmless. In this interview, she explains, among other things, how she deals with mistakes and critical situations as CEO of her own company, who she considers a role model besides Elon Musk, and where she gets her best ideas.
What motivated you to start the company?
After graduating, I initially pursued the traditional path and worked as a management consultant at McKinsey for four years. However, I felt a strong inner urge to implement my own visions and ideas. So it became clear that I wanted to found my own startup. As a management consultant, I was confronted with the topic of digitalization almost daily—both negatively and positively. There were clients who feared their business model would collapse. Others saw great opportunities in the wave of digital innovation currently sweeping across the globe.
Gloria Seibert: Passionate about what she does
It was important to me to gain an even better understanding of digital technologies. That's why, after McKinsey, I spent six months at a programming school in Silicon Valley. I felt I needed to acquire the necessary tools to be truly prepared.
When we founded Temedica, my primary motivation was to use digital technologies to relieve patients of the feeling of being left behind and alone. Over the past three years, this has evolved into a broad business model.
Role models? More like a "rich pool of truly great people"
Did you have any role models when you started your business?
Role models... hmm, difficult. I admire Elon Musk for everything he's achieved and the determination with which he implements his visions—despite the many doubters, naysayers, and resistance. In my daily life as a founder, I have dozens of role models who can always help me with one problem or another or serve as inspiration. Be they friends, former colleagues, or other founders. Fortunately, I have a wealth of truly amazing people around me.
When and where do you get the best ideas?
I get the best ideas when I exchange ideas with other people: my team, my co-founder Clemens, our cooperation partners, patients, my friends or my family.
Ultimately, health affects everyone, and no one is immune to illness. This means you can draw inspiration from virtually anywhere—from different perspectives and viewpoints. That's precisely what makes the digital health industry so exciting for me.
Use mistakes to develop further
Your greatest talent?
I'm a very structured person and good at bringing people together around a common topic. I find it extremely important to discuss the perspectives of people with different experiences and expertise and to craft the best possible outcome from that. This requires a great deal of sensitivity and often leads to heated discussions. But in the end, it usually leads to a positive outcome that benefits everyone involved.
The biggest mistake you have ever made?
The biggest one? To be honest, we make dozens of small and medium-sized mistakes all the time. There were some—especially during Temedica's early days—that put us in critical situations. One of our values at Temedica is 'don't be afraid of making mistakes—use them as an opportunity to learn.'
It's important to me to use errors and mistakes to develop further. This applies to the organization as well as to each individual. We'd rather fall into traps two or three times more and improve as a result than stand still and pat ourselves on the back for not making any mistakes.
“Be interested in the person you’re talking to!”
Your secret weapon when networking?
Be interested in the person you're talking to! I'm always shocked by how many people show up at networking events but ultimately show no interest in the person they're talking to.
Every exchange is valuable in its own way, and it's important to me to understand the motivations and perspectives of my counterpart. For me, networking is primarily about sharing exciting stories and experiences. This usually indirectly leads to a network—one based on reciprocity.
Was being a female founder an advantage or a disadvantage for you?
To be honest, I don't really think about it much. Sure, there might be a few challenges here and there as a female founder, and you usually have to contend with a bit more prejudice. Especially in the technology industry. But when the person you're talking to—be it a developer, an investor, or a customer—sees that you know what you're talking about and are passionate about what you do, gender no longer matters.
Lying on the Isar in sunshine?
The three worst prejudices you have encountered in your everyday life as a founder?
- When you start a business, you can organize your time freely and spend the week relaxing by the Isar in the sunshine.
- Great idea, but it won't work anyway. Don't ruin your impeccable resume.
- You're way too young for all this.
What’s on top of your desk right now?
Honestly, that changes almost every minute. During the day, I have a lot of operational work to do at Temedica, so I usually don't get to work on major strategic issues. That's usually done in the evenings, at night, or on weekends. Then I can concentrate on those things in peace.
Where will you spend your next vacation?
We're currently working on some major projects that I can only escape from for a few days at a time. I'll hopefully be able to take a vacation this winter. And then I'll go somewhere warm and where I can soak up some sun.
Thank you for the insights, Gloria Seibert, and we keep our fingers crossed that you'll be able to soak up some sun this winter.
