GoToMarket.Ninja

Meeting business angels on steroids aka Family Offices. Last week's Berlin GTMN adventure! 🏙️ Last week, we had an incredible opportunity to listen to the insightful podium debate at Heuking's latest VC Night at SoHo in Berlin. Two most important takeaways: 1. Building an employee shareholding program should be done with the goal in mind - if there is no cash event, there is no benefit for anyone and your financing strategy can change the payout structure of your cap table significantly. 2. Family offices are 'Angel Investors on Steroids' - highly strategic, deeper pockets and very long-term thinking and loyal. Thinking about getting a family office on your venture's board? The upside: These investors bring both passion and deep market expertise to the table. They stick with you even during downturns if there's a true match. They invest from Seed to Series A, primarily in B2B tech—areas they understand well. The challenge: Family offices often shy away from sectors they don’t understand or can’t leverage. Bringing in suitable consultants/partners can bridge this gap. Also, finding them can be difficult. Opportunities often arise through offline networking. Personally, we think it’s great to work with family businesses and it’s a good opportunity for early-stage startups that don't match the classic 'VC' pathway. Besides the input, we had some unplanned pleasant encounters, including … > Ole Wohltmann: Founder of Cleverlohn—perfect for your monthly salary accounting needs. > Alena Schneck: Founder of Toern—ideal if you want to make your eCommerce returns greener. > Katharina Lind: Founder and Managing Partner at 2bx (Urban Tech VC)—a must-know if you're a woman looking to invest in a female-led VC. It was our first live/in-person meeting in over four years—super happy! Special thank you to Dr. Patrick Müller LL.M. Müller from HEUKING for the kind invitation. We’re already looking forward to the next VC night in Düsseldorf! #BusinessAngels #B2BTech #StartupFunding #Networking

Paris made us fall in love, again! Not romantic love, but love for tech & innovation: Last month, we immersed ourselves in one of Europe's cultural and technological epicenters: the ViVaTech Festival. Our Ninja Sebastian dove headfirst into the crowd to explore what's new and on the horizon. His Highlights: 😇 Personal: Meeting our dear friends Dr. Tobias Klinke and Wilhelm Hammes, CEOs and founders of their respective ventures, Experial and Planted. 😇 Applicability: Connecting with the founding team of Leexi, a note-taking app provider we immediately checked out and implemented in our tool stack. 😇 Technology: Witnessing live inputs from industry leaders like Elon Musk, who shared insights on the latest developments in AI, robotics, and extraterrestrial travel. For us, ViVaTech is one of the most crucial events in Europe to stay updated on industry trends and network with peers and potential prospects. We've already decided to return next year—this time, even a day earlier! Did you attend ViVaTech? If so, what was your favorite highlight? If not, will you be there next year? #b2bsales #ViVaTech2024

What needs to change in Politics to improve Germany’s startup landscape? 🤔 It was insightful to join the startup event hosted by PwC and Gründermotor! A couple of weeks ago, our Ninja Flo headed to Stuttgart to listen to politicians and entrepreneurs in THE LÄND, including Wirtschaftsministerin Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, corporate representatives such as Alfons Riek and successful entrepreneurs. Here’s their change request for better startup support in Germany: 🎯 Simplify scale-up financing: While the Pre-Seed stage funding is functioning well, there's a critical need for more straightforward follow-up financing to support sustained growth. 🎯 Cultivate an ecosystem: We need to shift our mindset towards nurturing and sowing the seeds of a future ecosystem. It's about creating a balance between large enterprises and smaller ventures to foster healthy interactions and a robust ecosystem. 🎯 Overcoming local patriotism: We shouldn’t compete with one another: Munich vs. Berlin vs. Stuttgart. Cross-regional collaboration is essential. For instance, Mainz could excel in Bio & Pharma, Stuttgart in Engineering, and Hamburg in Logistics. Not every region needs to have everything—we should build centers of competence and work together across regions. A huge thank you to PwC and Gründermotor for organizing this event. We look forward to the next one and continuing to drive innovation and collaboration in Germany’s startup ecosystem. 🙏 #StartupTheLänd #Innovation #Startups #THELAEND

A secret of a successful Go-To-Market Strategy? One Size Doesn't Fit All! Go-To-Market Strategies vary significantly depending on your product, industry, target account, and more. Understanding these nuances is crucial for your startup's success. A few weeks ago, our Ninja Florian had the privilege of mentoring 15 MedTech startups at an event at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz as part of the Genovate series. The series is a nationwide tour organized by Pharma & Gene Therapy experts providing invaluable insights into business development and regulatory landscapes for BioTech and Pharma startups. The Go-To-Market Strategy for a MedTech vs. B2B SaaS Startup couldn’t be more different: 1) Leadership Roles: In MedTech, you need a Chief Scientific Officer, Health Economics and Outcome Research (HEOR) expert, and Patient Engagement Officer (PEO). In B2B SaaS, one person focused on closing deals can suffice initially. 2) Sales Approach: MedTech requires networking and partnerships with industry giants like Roche, Novartis, and Novo Nordisk, often starting at specialized conferences. Medical credibility is key. In B2B SaaS, cold calling can quickly open doors, focusing on speed and immediate impact. 3) Buying Center: In MedTech, decision-makers span multiple organizations, like hospitals, patient groups, and insurance companies. In B2B SaaS, stakeholders are usually within the same organization, simplifying coordination. 4) Pricing Strategies: Simple cost-plus-margin calculations don’t work in HealthTech. You must address various stakeholders' interests, as users (patients) and payers (insurance companies) are often different entities. Gene Therapies also disrupt traditional payment models, making change management a crucial sales skill. One of the key questions in your Go-To-Market is always, “Who is your Buying Center?” If you're struggling to identify the right Buying Center for your product, reach out! #gotomarket #b2bsales

Team Expansion Alert at GoToMarket.Ninja: Successful trade for two new Players on our Roster! 🏀 Meet our first two full-time signings, ready to bring their A-game to the field: 👟 Maximilian Hof - The Point Guard aka Midfield Maestro > Position: Project Manager and Information Facilitator > Role: Orchestrating our Sales Masterclasses & Programs with precision. > Special Talent: Always on the field to brighten the mood and keep the team spirits high! > Transfer fee: €3 Mio. > Contract period: unlimited 😬 🥅 Sebastian Hoppen - The Shooting Guard aka Skillful Striker > Position: 1-Man Outbound Army > Role: Charging forward to grow our fan community, making every outreach count. > Special Talent: Always on the hunt for meaningful relationships, not being afraid of the big dogs! > Transfer fee: €3.5 Mio. > Contract period: unlimited 😬 📣 We're thrilled to welcome these stellar fresh players to our lineup. With their skills, we’re set to score big, empowering first-time founders to master their sales game! Ready to watch them play a pivotal role in our upcoming matches? We’re looking forward to the season! #GoToMarketNinja #Team

How to build an effective CRM, master cold calling and craft irresistible offers as an early-stage startup? 🤔 We've teamed up with Gründermotor to launch the Sales Masterclass BW - a second time around! 🚀 In early March, we kicked off this project tailored for startups in the Pre-Seed & Seed stages across Baden-Württemberg. The Objective for every team: To develop a standout go-to-market strategy and secure paying customers 🥷🏻 We provide a dynamic blend of individual mentoring, live sparring sessions, and practical inputs on essential topics like Cold Calling, CRM setup, and Offer Creation. Participants learn to construct a CRM system that transcends simple Excel lists and functions as an active sales pipeline with clearly defined stages, ensuring a comprehensive view of all significant deals. Moreover, we guide the founders through populating this sales pipeline: from making cold calls and managing follow-ups to closing deals — summed up on point ready to execute. While we haven’t set a final start date for the next batch, make sure to reach out to us as the spots will be gone fast. A huge thank you to our co-creators Björn & Lena, and to all the enthusiastic teams participating and eager to learn. 🙏

Are you still venturing out to meet people in real life, or has LinkedIn become your sole rendezvous point? 🥷🏻 As Ninjas, we regularly attend the “Meet & Eat Networking Breakfast” hosted by PioneerLab in the scenic city of Düsseldorf. We're firm believers in the power of face-to-face interactions, which is why we consistently make an effort to connect with other founders and entrepreneurs. This comes with three compelling benefits: ✅ Enriching your local Network: Building a robust network is crucial for both personal and business success—it significantly simplifies sales processes! ✅ Embracing the Challenge: Meeting new people can be daunting. Yet, each encounter is a rewarding challenge that becomes more comfortable over time. ✅ Gaining Inspiration: Every meeting is an opportunity to learn something new, whether it's a fresh piece of knowledge or a transformative way of thinking. A few highlights from our recent experiences: Fun Fact: We learned there is "Horse Coaching," where animals reflect our emotions and foster personal growth and we discussed the value of an initial idea in the long-term entrepreneurial journey. A big shoutout to Marc, Alexander, and Hochschule Fresenius for hosting this delightful event, and to Henning, Jan-Vincent, and many others for the engaging conversations! 🙏 Do you still make time for face-to-face meetings? When was your last off-site event? 🥷🏻 #GoToMarketNinja #Networking #Entrepreneurship

How likely is a deal to close? 🤔 Building a pipeline and reporting a pipeline can feel like two different countries at times. Especially when your investor starts asking the same 'check-in' question repeatedly. Having to conjure up a different explanation as to why a pipeline value changed or a deal did not convert gets quite frustrating. But, how to build a realistic sales pipeline? What we often see is that first timer founders - or junior sales agents for that matter - base the likelihood of their deals according to subjective opinion. “She was really kind in the call.” 👏 “He asked a lot of questions in the call about the product.” 🤷 "She asked me for a quote right away and I sent it to her in the follow-up eMail." ☠️ And when a deal doesn’t close despite the 'green flags', we are disappointed. The thing is, especially in the first calls, you have more or less 0 commitment - no matter what was said during the calls! Therefore, it is important to look at it more realistically. Here is our universal B2B sales pipeline: Stage 1️⃣ Connect & Discover Stage 2️⃣ Understand the product Stage 3️⃣ Co-Create the offer Stage 4️⃣ Make a decision Stage 5️⃣ Nurture the relationship Feel free to implement and grow. More information in the carousel ⬆️ How did you name your pipeline stages?

Is starting from scratch necessary when entering the German market as an international startup? 🤔 The short answer is: Basically, yes. Two weeks ago, our Ninja Jamaine played a part in the Startup Welcome Package, brilliantly orchestrated by Pioniergeist GmbH, Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH & STEYG. The Startup Welcome Package enables international Startups to enter the German market. And of course: How could we be missing in this process? 🥷🏻 Venturing into the German landscape is no small feat. The intricate tapestry of regulatory frameworks, cultural nuances, consumer behavior, and, not to forget, the language barrier, demands some adjustment🧐 To successfully enter and thrive in the German market, a recalibration of mindset is crucial: 1) Embrace the early-stage spirit, ready to learn and adapt. 2) Dive deep into understanding the local market dynamics and cultural context. 3) Tailor and fine-tune your value proposition to resonate with the German audience. 🎩 Hats off to these daring souls who venture into new markets with unyielding determination. Your journeys inspire and teach us the challenges of global entrepreneurship. A heartfelt thank you to the fantastic hosts - Winfried & Anke - as well as the amazing entrepreneurs we met 🙏 And most importantly: Thanks Jamaine for your great support in our team! 🥷🏻

How do you grow your early stage B2B Start-Up? 🤔 Beginning of February, we wrapped up two electrifying workshops with our partner Global Entrepreneurship Centre (GEC)! 🌱 GEC supports sustainability Start-Ups since 2021, and we were thrilled to contribute. 🔍 Workshop Insight no. 1: What is Competitive Edge? Competitive advantage is a beast — tough to create and even tougher to tame in our fast-evolving business environment. The solution: Become obsessed with relationship building and problem solving. Continuously ask, "What makes our offer irresistible?" Remember, your competitive edge is built over time; initially, you start with nothing. 🔑 Insight no. 2: How to start reaching out as an early stage B2B Start-Up? Identify contacts from your professional and personal networks, and engage them for 'customer interviews' OR ask them to get you in touch with other potential contacts. Beware of the likeability trap and prep for it by reading  'The Mom Test' (see youtube if you don’t know it, it’s genius). 😈 Insight no. 3: How to become the Market's Sneaky Rebel? Understanding your personality traits can significantly enhance your team's output, allowing for a collective impact greater than the sum of its parts. Tools like the test from 16personalities can be invaluable, if you dare to apply your learnings - remember: Knowledge without action, is just Knowledge. One more hot tip: Implement a Regular Customer Questionnaire: Asking, "Why do you even work with us?" or "What problem gives you headaches right now?" can provide profound insights and strengthen customer relationships. A huge shoutout to GEC, especially to Katarzyna D., Ursula Opper & Britta Lange-Stolle for inviting us to work with your teams 🙏 To María Francisca Garrido for building the bridge between us and GEC 🙏 To Nicolas Schmelling, Lutz B., Harald Sævareid & all other participants for your energy during this great session 🙏 Wondering about competitive edge, outreach strategies, or just how to be the sneaky rebel in your market? Drop them below, Ninja! 🥷 #Gotomarket #B2BSales #Innovation