Over aboalarm Consumers can manage, revoke, and terminate their contracts, from mobile phone and gym to car insurance, quickly, easily, and legally. The online portal also reminds consumers of cancellation periods and provides proof and templates for contract terminations. The aboalarm database includes lawyer-reviewed cancellation letters and contact information from over 16,500 providers in Germany.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qvKzTj0rzA
Since 2011, aboalarm has also been sending cancellations using the TÜV-tested aboalarm apps for Android, iPhone and iPad, Windows Phone and Amazon Kindle Fire, which have already downloaded over 1 million times became.
Since its foundation in 2008 by Dr. Bernd Storm van's Gravesande and Stefan Neubig, over 2 million contracts using the aboalarm instant dispatch service. Further 6 million complete termination letters were created and downloaded.
Before founding aboalarm, Storm van's Gravesande worked for more than two years as Director of Product Management at Experteer GmbH. Prior to that, he gained initial experience as a founder with andUNITE.com in 2007. Storm van's Gravesande also worked as Director of Strategy Consumer & Devices at Fujitsu Siemens Computers and as a Business & IT Consultant at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, where he advised global mobile operators.
In October 2013, Storm van's Gravesande founded the Munich format “Bits & Pretzels”, (www.bitsandpretzels.com), the world's largest founders' breakfast, where several thousand entrepreneurs regularly exchange ideas on startup topics.
Interview with Bernd Storm
In an interview with Munich Startup Bernd Storm explains what he appreciates so much about Munich and why he considers the state capital the ideal location for startups in Germany. The aboalarm CEO also has a few tips for young founders.
Why did you choose Munich as your location? What do you think are the advantages compared to other cities?
Storm: We chose Munich as our location because it offers everything a startup needs. In Munich and the surrounding area, there are numerous excellent universities that produce well-trained and motivated employees. And good employees without a 9-to-5 mentality are the foundation of any successful company. Furthermore, Munich is the headquarters of many established corporations. For example, three of aboalarm's five most important corporate clients have their headquarters in Munich, just like us. This proximity makes collaboration and the exchange of experience significantly more effective and easier. In addition to the established corporations, Munich also offers many investors, important media partners, and a high degree of creativity.
Of course, the high rent and living costs in Munich, unlike in Berlin, mean there's a lot of pressure to succeed: If you don't achieve success quickly as a founder, you'll soon no longer be able to afford to live here. This may sound daunting to some at first, but I see it as a positive – after all, it's well known that diamonds only emerge under pressure.
Factors that lead to success
What obstacles or setbacks did/do you face after founding your company? How did you overcome them?
Storm: During the early days of aboalarm, I was still working full-time for Experteer GmbH. The double burden during this phase was extreme; I worked more than 100 hours most weeks – literally 24/7. Balancing all my demands – aboalarm, working at Experteer, and my family – was a huge challenge and a very intense time for me.
Nevertheless, this time was also very helpful. Working at Experteer forced me to repeatedly switch off my mind from aboalarm. This gave me the necessary distance from some difficult decisions, allowing me to look at them from a different perspective. Something that isn't always possible when you focus exclusively on one topic. Working two jobs also means gaining twice as much experience – and in a very short period of time. As aboalarm grew and more and more decisions had to be made in ever shorter periods of time, I quit my job at Experteer. At that point, the aboalarm team already consisted of five employees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqL7DgOmIIw
What do you think is the secret behind your success?
Storm: There's no real secret, but rather factors that combine to lead to success. Firstly, aboalarm co-founder Stefan Neubig and I complement each other perfectly. While I, as a business graduate, was and still am responsible for business management issues, Stefan is the technology and design head at aboalarm, who, through his creativity, continually contributes new aspects and perspectives. I think this is a factor that many founders often forget: You need someone who can compensate for your weaknesses, not someone who can do exactly the same thing as you. Of course, you first have to know your own weaknesses and be able to admit them.
Another factor contributing to our success is our unwavering customer focus. We align everything we do with our customers' needs, and our users appreciate this.
Last but not least, the success of a company always depends on its employees. All of our employees, whether permanent or freelance, work very hard at aboalarm and show great attention to detail.
“Never stop learning!”
Do you have any tips for founders in Munich on how to best implement an idea in order to be successful?
Storm: The first and most important tip is to simply get started and free yourself as much as possible from the fear of failure. Because if you don't start at some point, you'll never know if it works. So, founders shouldn't miss the point where it's time to stop planning and start acting. At the same time, founders shouldn't be afraid to abandon an idea if they realize it doesn't work. Clinging to a bad idea at all costs will block the way for new ideas and further developments in the long run. And ultimately (and not just for founders): never stop learning! You can often gain so much more experience from failure than from a successful idea; don't let that discourage you.
What are your company’s plans for the future?
Storm: In addition to the further development and continuous improvement of aboalarm, we want to create the most consumer-friendly checking account in Germany for our customers with our new app, kontoalarm. We're still at the very beginning of this project, but it's off to a great start, and we already have some additional ideas in mind.
We're also constantly working on new products that make life easier for consumers. So things won't get boring anytime soon with aboalarm.
