Turning an idea into a plan that holds up.
Whether you have a finished idea or have only just found the time for one: from the first sketch to a plan that stands up to scrutiny. The numbers are run honestly, even when the result is uncomfortable, because that is cheaper before the start than after.
What we work on
No one-size-fits-all scheme. Where we start depends on how far you are. The topics that almost always come up:
- Breaking the idea down into a business model: who pays, for what, and why from you
- An honest look at the market, including the question of whether the demand really exists
- Numbers that hold: revenue planning, costs, liquidity, and what you live on in the first year
- The business plan in a form that banks and review bodies accept
- The first customers, because a plan without a sales route is only a document
I have founded a company myself and learned how quickly a good plan collides with reality. That is why I would rather check the numbers once too often.
How the coaching works
Five steps, regardless of whether the coaching is publicly financed or not. Sessions take place by video conference, or in person in Munich if you prefer.
First call, half an hour. You tell me what you are planning. We clarify whether the project is a good fit for me and which way of financing the coaching is possible.
Stocktaking. What is already there: idea, numbers, first customers, documents? That determines where we start. A finished plan is not required.
Working phase. Sessions of two to three hours each, usually every one to two weeks. Between sessions you work on your documents and I give written feedback.
Review. The plan is checked against the numbers before it is shown to anyone else: revenue assumptions, costs, liquidity in the first year, sales route. This is where it becomes clear what does not hold.
Wrap-up. You have a plan that stands up to scrutiny and you know the three things to do in the coming weeks.
The scope depends on the project. For a business plan with financial planning it is typically between 40 and 60 hours, spread over two to three months. If the coaching is financed through a voucher, its scope sets the framework.
Focus on crowdfunding
If your financing is to come entirely or partly from a crowdfunding campaign, you are in a place where this is not theory: my own campaign of 1.06 million US dollars, a monthly meetup on founding and financing since 2019, and work with teams who prepared their campaign, from the costing to the launch.
The consulting is then not about motivation but about calculation: what does the campaign really cost before the first euro comes in? Which rewards can you deliver at which price without ending up in the red if you succeed? How many people must you have reached before the launch so that the first days carry the campaign?
A warning up front. Crowdfunding is not a form of financing for every project. For services without a tangible result it usually goes wrong. If that applies to you, you will hear it in the first call instead of being sold a campaign.
Who I suit particularly well
It is a particularly good fit if you come from a technical profession. Engineers, developers and IT specialists meet someone here who understands their work and still consistently asks about the numbers.
You are also in the right place if your project involves a product that still has to be developed and manufactured. That was my own path, with everything that can go wrong along the way.
Entirely in English. If German is not your language: the coaching can take place entirely in English. Documents for German authorities are then prepared in German, and we go through them together.
What the coaching costs
That depends on how you come to me. For many founders the coaching is publicly financed through a voucher.
- With a voucher. If you are registered as a jobseeker, the Agentur für Arbeit or the Jobcenter can finance startup coaching through a voucher. Within the approved scope you then do not bear the costs yourself. Coaching with a voucher · How the procedure works
- Without a voucher. You engage me directly and receive an offer with a fixed scope in advance, so you know where you stand.
Which way is open to you, we clarify in the first call. It costs you nothing and commits you to nothing.