“As an entrepreneur you have to create clarity”

#Interview

Everyday life as a founder – does that even exist? “I usually start with a change of topic from my head: the first thoughts in the morning are often about new ideas for business, but it really starts when I’ve been to the gym,” says Martin Picard, founder of Störtebekker.

How do normal founders start their everyday startup work? How do young entrepreneurs really switch off after work and what do aspiring company leaders wish they had known before they founded their startup? We asked exactly these things. Answer this time Martin Picard and Darius Greulichfounder of the shaving and beard care startup Störtebekker. The company, founded in 2017, is targeting sales of 10 million this year (previous year 7 million).

How do you start your normal startup work routine?
Horrible: My working day in the office starts with a cup of coffee – and always with a look at the previous day’s figures. Then I structure my day, prioritize my most important to-dos and only then go to the planned appointments.
Picard: I usually start with a change of topic straight from my head: the first thoughts in the morning are often about new ideas for business, but it really starts when I’ve been to the gym or cleared my head while playing tennis. Afterwards I am more productive.

How do you unwind after work?
Picard: It’s best when I do something that has nothing to do with business: sports, spending time with my girlfriend or an evening without appointments. Even if it sometimes causes me to get back into a flow of ideas at night.
Horrible: During sports. That’s where I completely switch off mentally – and that’s exactly when the best ideas often come about.

What would you have liked to have known before you started being a founder or entrepreneur?
Picard: How hard you have to work on yourself as a founder. In the beginning it was about product, marketing and sales. It later became clear that resilience, focus and prioritization are at least as important – especially as the company grows larger.
Greulich: How much uncertainty is involved: financially, operationally, personally. You have to learn to make decisions in the fog. This muscle is crucial for speed and resilience.

What were the biggest hurdles on the way to founding the company?
Picard: The constant step out of the comfort zone: first hire, first founder event, first live podcast. Plus the challenge of setting up operational structures and handing over tasks. And the big transition from a one-person performance business to real brand building with team and leadership.
Greulich: The change from the employee mindset to the entrepreneur mindset. As an entrepreneur, you have to create clarity, even if you don’t have it. Make decisions before all the data is available. Away from thinking about perfection and towards ownership and speed.

What were your biggest mistakes – and what did you learn from them?
Picard: Delaying decisions for too long – with employees, partners or structures. I brought in back office support too late and separated from people too late even though it didn’t feel right early on. Today I know: quick, clear decisions are almost always better than perfect, slow ones.
Greulich: Hired good people too late. Stuck in surgery for too long. Too little focus. Today I know: Delegation is growth, and focus is the most powerful lever.

How do you find the right employees for your startup?
Picard: We hire based on attitude – then based on skills. People who feel ownership, want responsibility and really understand our mission make the difference. Core values ​​are our filter. Channels: Personal branding on LinkedIn and good headhunters.
Greulich: The most important step: crystal clear values. Great employees can be found through value fit, structured interviews and personal recommendations. My personal test: If I wouldn’t like to meet the person for coffee right away, I won’t hire them.

What tip do you have for other founders?
Picard: Focus early on product-market fit and razor-sharp positioning. A mediocre product with an unclear story will never fly. And: build a network early on that is already where you want to be.
Greulich: Focus on a few topics, but full execution. Asking for help is strength. A strong network can be more valuable than any budget.

Without which external tool would your startup hardly exist?
Picard: Klaviyo. Email is our most important retention channel.
Greulich: Our attribution and BI tool. Without clean data, we would grow blindly.

How do you ensure a good atmosphere in the team?
Picard: Through open communication, humor, appreciation and transparency about numbers and goals. Plus regular team events – from cooking classes to escape rooms.
Greulich: By growing together – personally and professionally. Everyone should feel real impact. Team events, shared experiences, a good atmosphere in everyday life. And: good coffee and a table football never hurt.

What was your wildest startup experience?
Picard: A TikTok video that went viral completely unexpectedly: millions of views, 20,000 new followers in 24 hours and a massive sales impact. Exactly at a time when things were extremely tight financially. A real liberation.
Greulich: A voucher fail that would have cost us over 1 million euros at times. Thanks to an extremely strong team, we were able to reverse everything within 24 hours – without any damage. A moment that you can only experience as a startup.

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Tip: How do you see? Startup work routine? There are even more interviews in our topic focus Everyday life of a founder.

Photo (above): Störtebekker