Munich Startup: What motivated you to found Twostay?
Dorothea Haider: The joy of designing my own projects and seeing the direct impact of my actions. In doing so, I contribute to shaping society in a way that I believe is right and forward-looking. It's important to me to keep the bigger picture in mind in my work.
Cecilia Chiolerio: I've always wanted to start my own business. My motivation is to create an environment where I can best realize my values and ideas. In search of the right idea, I quit my job and worked in cafes or stayed at home. I quickly realized that I wanted to find a solution to a problem I had experienced firsthand: a lack of networking opportunities and a functional work environment that I could afford. During this time, I also recognized the potential and possibilities of New Work. At the same time, I met many people who had reinvented their own professions—from freelancers to founders to remote workers. To this day, these are the people who inspire me the most, and for whom I want to create an environment with Twostay in which they can thrive.
Munich Startup: Did you have any role models when you started your business?
Dorothea: Before that, I first worked at a startup myself and then spent a long time advising startups. Each of these founders was a role model for me. It was fun and very inspiring to see so many people who had an idea and were pursuing it!
Cecilia: I received a lot of support from my former boss, the founder of a startup I worked for in Berlin. When making many decisions, I wonder what he would do or how he would approach the same situation. I would describe him more as a mentor than a role model. He was certainly an important factor in this decision-making process.
The collection of ideas
Munich Startup: When and where do you get the best ideas?
Cecilia: It varies a lot. I have a note on my smartphone titled "Ideas" where I collect them. I write down everything there: all business ideas or all problems for which I can imagine a good solution. I'm not sure if they're the "best ideas," but they're definitely a good basis for a new potential challenge.
Munich Startup: Your greatest talent?
Dorothea: Sales. I love sales and am very persuasive when it comes to selling. Of course, that only works if I believe in what I'm selling. Sales often has a very negative connotation in Germany. For me, sales means enthusiastically telling other people about something I believe in. That's simply persuasive. I notice this especially when I tell venue owners (usually bar or restaurant owners or hotels) about Twostay and convince them of the benefits for their establishment.
Munich Startup: How do you deal with doubts?
Dorothea: I talk about them, which makes them more tangible, manageable, and usually immediately smaller. Cecilia and I then transform the doubt into a hypothesis. We then look at data that can confirm or refute this hypothesis. If we can't find any data, we set up an experiment and see how it goes. So far, this has always dispelled any doubt. For me, the most important and helpful step is actually step one: addressing the issue.
Twostay tip: “Just keep going”
Munich Startup: The three worst prejudices you encountered when starting a business?
Dorothea: One thing in particular: In the beginning, we were repeatedly told “This will never work” or “The world doesn’t need this.” Our idea Back then, we were still in our early stages and, of course, weren't as mature as they are today. We had many unanswered questions regarding all aspects of our business idea. Nevertheless, we saw the good in it and simply kept going.
That's also one of the most important tips I can pass on: just keep going. Of course, we always sought advice. But advice from people who are truly experts, and advice on very specific questions.
Munich Startup: Does it seem like a good time to start a business? Why?
Cecilia: I think it's the perfect time. And if you already have a business, it's also the perfect time to look for new opportunities. Corona has brought a lot of upheaval, for all of us. And in times of crisis, new opportunities arise. I also believe that Corona has given a boost to digitalization in many aspects of our lives. It has forced us to rethink all the processes we've run inefficiently in the past. We've had to pause and look at where we stand, take a break from our hectic lives. This has made us look at the bigger picture.
Crises create new opportunities
Munich Startup: Do you think it is important that more women start businesses in Germany?
Cecilia: I think it's important that more people in Germany start startups. We need more innovation; we need to change many things that are run in a far too traditional way. And we have too many problems that large corporations barely address (like preserving our beautiful planet). More female founders—that would be great. We need more role models and more success stories so that people see women-led companies as normal.
Munich Startup: Do you support other founders?
Dorothea: We support founders wherever we can. We enjoy cross-marketing with cool products. If someone asks us for advice, we're always willing to listen. And of course, we're specifically contacted by platforms dedicated to supporting female founders. We're always there, of course.
Munich Startup: What’s at the top of your desk right now?
Cecilia: Bring people back to coworking in a safe way, adapt our marketing to the current times, and show our customers that Twostay is a safe place to escape from a tiring home office.
DorotheaEvery city has different COVID-19 regulations. I'm digging through bureaucratic texts and guidelines to understand which rules apply where. And I'm in constant communication with the various city administrations to explain our hygiene concept so that we can remain open. In fact, all cities have so far granted us permission to continue operating, even though Twostay operates in restaurants. But we are recognized as a workplace.
Munich Startup: What makes you happy?
Cecilia: I still manage to find joy in the little things that have to do with our business. From a positive customer comment to a day of good sales or a sign-up for the waitlist. There are days when things come together and we get feedback that we're on the right track. It makes me happy to see our team growing and how other people who don't have the same commitment to Twostay as I do contribute their time and expertise and strive to drive the project forward with full motivation and passion.
