Jolina van Laaten pulls off the pivot: in week two she has already developed a first prototype of her app for GLP-1 users – between the bachelor’s defense and the graduation ceremony, remotely in Barcelona.
Instead of sitting on the 13th floor of the Axel Springer Building, Jolina von Laaten is in week two of the super founder summer camp in Barcelona. Behind her is the defense of her bachelor’s thesis at the University of Esade. And in her pocket she has her freshly received diploma. As befits aspiring super-founders, she is not idle in Spain and continues to work on her app remotely.
Jolina is one of the eight fellows at the startup camp “Start-up scene is looking for super founders”. For ten weeks, they use AI to develop their ideas into market-ready consumer apps.
“Startup scene is looking for super founders” is a ten-week startup fellowship from Gründerszene. Eight selected fellows develop consumer startups in Berlin using artificial intelligence – from the idea to the first product. During the program, the fellows work together in the Axel Springer high-rise and are accompanied by experienced entrepreneurs, investors and experts. Partners like OpenAI, Vercel, Dash0 and DHL support them with technology, know-how and mentoring. Gründerszene documents the entire journey with articles, videos and social media content – and shows up close how the next generation of startups is being created today. All resulting products belong to Axel Springer.
Between the bachelor’s defense and the graduation ceremony, she sits at her laptop under the Spanish sun. However, she is no longer working on her original idea: an app that would make blood tests understandable for athletes. Instead, she is now developing an application for people who use GLP-1 drugs for weight loss – such as Ozempic or Wegovy.
The app is intended to serve as a kind of digital diary. Users should be able to document their income, among other things. Jolina also wants to bundle typical questions about treatment and prepare users for doctor’s appointments.
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The reason for the pivot: The hoped-for collaboration with laboratories did not materialize. In week two, Jolina also waited in vain for feedback from potential partners who could have evaluated the blood test results. She doesn’t want to wait any longer, she wants to take action: “I want to build a finished product in the next few weeks.” However, this is not a setback for her, she says. On the contrary: Now she can concentrate entirely on her diary app for GLP-1 users. And with success: “I have now finished building a first version of the application.”
First version of the “GLP1 companion”
To do this, Jaolina spent many hours with Codex from Open AI. The result is the “GLP-1 Companion”, or rather a first draft and a preliminary working title. The app should be able to be adjusted to the user’s personal needs within two minutes and then function like a digital diary. It is intended to help structure everyday life around taking GLP-1 medications.
What is important to van Laaten is the distinction: The app is neither intended to make a diagnosis nor give dosage recommendations. Rather, it sees itself as what its name promises – as a companion in everyday life. The slogan: “Your everyday life with GLP-1. Organized more clearly.”
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These are Jolina’s top learnings from the second week
Your most important learning from week two: time management. “I’ve only had two big commitments going on at the same time. But what I’ve noticed is that if you’re really passionate about something, you can do it – if you really want it and are open to what you have to accept to get it.” This is how it works to juggle the final phase of your studies and building a startup at the same time. Albeit with a lot of night shifts, as she points out.
Your second learning: talk to potential partners early. “You just have to have the courage to speak directly to the stakeholders.” That’s why she’ll be back in Berlin with the rest of the fellows in week three. She has already planned a few things there: Among other things, she wants to talk to Fitbook, Axel Springer’s health and fitness offering, about a possible cooperation – and improve and launch her diary app for those who want to lose weight.
Do you have questions or want to talk to the fellows about their product? Write to them here.
“Start-up scene is looking for super founders” powered by Dash0, DHL, OpenAI & Vercel.
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