Here, Jonas often surprises with the statement that the idea itself only accounts for 1% of success. It's more about how you implement the idea - execution is everything.

As soon as the team is in place and the idea is clear, it's time to get down to business: building the actual product. Here it is essential that the founding team has a clear idea of what is to be developed. The product is the centerpiece, the heart of the company, which is designed, built and continuously improved. Of course, the first product will not be perfect, but it will provide a basis for operating in the market and learning what works and what needs to be improved.

Once the product has taken on a tangible form, the next step is to present it to real users and collect honest feedback. Real, unbiased feedback is worth its weight in gold. This process is invaluable as it provides direct insight into the user experience and the effectiveness of the product. The more feedback that can be collected, the better. It's about learning from every criticism and adapting the product accordingly. Feedback helps to clarify misunderstandings about user needs and ultimately leads to an improved version of the product.

Founding is no walk in the park and is rarely a linear process. This phase is characterized by constant iterations and improvements based on user feedback. The phases of building, gathering feedback and adapting (points 3, 4 and 5) are often repeated until the product meets market needs. These iteration loops are crucial to achieving product-market fit. In this phase, it is important to maintain perseverance and stand together as a team, despite the challenges and setbacks. The focus is on surviving and keeping the company going until a stable user base and clear market success emerge. These repeated cycles are not only a test phase for the product, but also for the founding team, who must learn to deal with uncertainty and pressure. Only when these loops have been successfully completed can the next step be tackled: the sale.

Or rather "sustainable selling". As soon as the product has reached a certain level of market maturity, sales are intensified. But sales actually start from the very beginning. The early phases are characterized by many mistakes and you often lose customers. However, this experience is crucial in order to develop sustainable sales strategies that contribute to long-term success and stability on the market.

Once the product has been established on the market, the aim is to expand and scale business activities in order to promote further growth.

At the end of the day, the startup must be profitable. The profit is what is left over at the end of the day and makes the whole venture worthwhile.