Wow, we try our own business!

Go out of the comfort zone of a nicely paid job and risk all our savings… Are we crazy or what?!? For us this is not just a small thing. I would describe it as our own small occupational “big bang”.

Usually I am a brain-driven person (this statement probably goes for both of us – Beatrice (that's me) and Andreas (my business partner), the two founders of StartupSpider GmbH. I am not saying this decision is not thought through. BUT, to do the final step this probably needs some emotions (heart / gut instinct) as well. So, let me share with you how everything started...

Why Crowdfunding...?

I am interested in this market segment (Crowdfunding, Micro financing etc.) since years (thanks to my former employer, for whom I did research in this field). Since then I am following the market activities, the regulatory changes (which have a huge impact) and the whole evolution quite closely. And so, I told Andreas about my passion and we discussed (more on a hypothetical level) what kind of services are currently missing and would further support the growth and evolution of this amazing Crowdfunding world...

Why the two of us...?

Andreas and I met each other in 2015. At that time, I was responsible for a project building up a completely new platform to support the trading of corporate bonds (quite an undertaking... new trading segment, new application, new trading modules, new company, new FINMA license, new sales people, international setup / customers...). Andreas joint the project as IT project manager. It was a challenging time and I must say that during this time I have come to appreciate Andreas as a very dependable, skilled, committed and progressive colleague. Most important we "speak" the same "language", which is not always a given between business and IT. In the past years we worked several times together and successfully delivered complex- and strategic relevant projects. One of our last projects we did together (RegulatoryHub – solving regulatory document request under EU investor protection regulations) even won an award for which we both, together with the team, feel very proud. The IMD/IRD Award as the Best Reference Data Newcomer, as we introduced a completely new way of exchanging regulatory data by connecting the industry on a hub. This is also something we believe is needed in the Crowdfunding ecosystem. Connecting the "stand alone" islands with each other.

Why now...?

In 2018 I was closely involved in some culture initiatives. In the past 20 years I usually worked like hell (sorry for the term...). I always loved my job. However, during this culture initiative it was the first time since years I had the chance to reflect better what I exactly love (understand my own drivers). I realized that it is not just the project work. What I really love (my own purpose) is to develop something from scratch end-to-end (including implementation, market rollout and customer interaction) - make it fly, improve it and develop it further – with the focus always to increase the customer`s world.

Exactly in the same moment when I started to realize that something needs to change in my current job we heard that the EU Commission is doing some economic promotion in the Crowdfunding segment (Project Horizon 2020), with the deadline for submission early in 2019. Even the chance is probably small to get funding - it is now or never.

...everything matched... On the way home, I asked my partner (in the car) what he would think if Andreas and I would try it. The next day I resigned in my job.

A huge thing and we would like to take you onto our journey

Building our own business is a huge thing for us. Our respect for all these startups on all these Crowdfunding platforms even grows further.

We would like to share with you our experiences, learnings, challenges and feelings during this Startup-journey. Maybe you are also a startup and may benefit from it. Or you are a friend and interested in how everything goes... This is how we came up with the idea to post some messages - like your own "Company Diary".

Whoever you are, we hope you enjoy it - our "Company Diary"!