Mali M. Baum & Felix Häusler & Thomas Bachem

Techies vs. Suits: Decoding the Distinct Paths to Startup Success in Europe and the US

Are you a developer 'dying in beauty' with unvalidated code? Learn why you should fall in love with the problem, not the product.

Techies vs. Suits: Decoding the Distinct Paths to Startup Success in Europe and the US
#1about 3 minutes

Why European tech startups historically struggle to scale

The European startup ecosystem has matured beyond e-commerce, but historically lagged behind the US due to timing and a less developed venture environment.

#2about 4 minutes

Avoid the feature creep trap by focusing on the problem

First-time technical founders should validate ideas quickly with no-code tools and fall in love with the customer's problem, not the technical solution.

#3about 4 minutes

Build scrappy prototypes and embrace the rewrite

Focus on building fast, disposable prototypes to learn quickly, as product pivots will likely make your initial carefully crafted architecture obsolete anyway.

#4about 4 minutes

Use extreme pricing to get honest product feedback

Proposing a price 10 times higher than intended forces potential customers to reveal their true objections and what features they actually value.

#5about 5 minutes

The challenging transition from developer to entrepreneur

A founder contrasts the clear problem-solution satisfaction of coding with the ambiguity and rare successes of running a business.

#6about 4 minutes

Securing venture capital requires strong proof points

Before approaching VCs, startups need to demonstrate traction through early growth, significant monthly recurring revenue (MRR), and validation from large enterprise customers.

#7about 4 minutes

Why bootstrapping can be smarter than VC funding

Bootstrapping a company can offer developers more control and greater personal financial returns compared to the high-risk, high-dilution venture capital path.

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Matching moments

Selecting strategic partners and essential event tools
03:17 MIN

Selecting strategic partners and essential event tools

Cat Herding with Lions and Tigers - Christian Heilmann

Organizing a developer conference for 15,000 attendees
01:32 MIN

Organizing a developer conference for 15,000 attendees

Cat Herding with Lions and Tigers - Christian Heilmann

Using content channels to build an event community
04:49 MIN

Using content channels to build an event community

Cat Herding with Lions and Tigers - Christian Heilmann

Increasing the value of talk recordings post-event
04:57 MIN

Increasing the value of talk recordings post-event

Cat Herding with Lions and Tigers - Christian Heilmann

Rapid-fire thoughts on the future of work
02:44 MIN

Rapid-fire thoughts on the future of work

What 2025 Taught Us: A Year-End Special with Hung Lee

Breaking down silos between HR, tech, and business
03:39 MIN

Breaking down silos between HR, tech, and business

What 2025 Taught Us: A Year-End Special with Hung Lee

Why HR struggles with technology implementation and adoption
04:22 MIN

Why HR struggles with technology implementation and adoption

What 2025 Taught Us: A Year-End Special with Hung Lee

Balancing business, technology, and people for holistic success
06:51 MIN

Balancing business, technology, and people for holistic success

The Future of HR Lies in AND – Not in OR

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