Education, entrepreneurship, Events

Hello again, Iran – Startup Weekend Tourism Tehran called!

37I was recently invited back to Tehran, Iran in less than a couple of months since I was last there (1, 2, 3). It seems like only yesterday I was there and I was absolutely delighted and incredibly humbled by the opportunity to come back – and so soon!

This time I was invited to facilitate Startup Weekend Tourism Tehran. And what a spectacularly extravagant event it was!

Do you know that many nationalities can get a tourist visa to Iran relatively easy and affordable these days? Why not go to Iran to see for yourself for your next holidays!?

Let’s start with the venue. When was the last time you saw a Startup Weekend in the last Shah of Iran’s palace gardens?

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The last king of Iran’s palace gardens with replica of ancient stone carvings from all around Iran

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The palace

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Education, entrepreneurship, Events

Going back to the epic Startup Weekend Amsterdam

This weekend I was invited to coach the participants by my organizing friends behind the legendary Startup Weekend Amsterdam, SWAMS. And what an EPIC weekend it was – once again!

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For me this represents a full circle of sorts, as Startup Weekend Amsterdam was the first SW I ever participated at.

Back then in 2012 I wanted to bring Startup Weekend to my town of Cologne, so I participated (a requirement to become an organizer) at SWAMS (as it came highly recommended as one of the best SWs in Europe) to become an organizer myself.

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News, Rants

Featured in “Die Welt”

So it turns out there was a journalist from “Die Welt” at my recent talk at FuckUp Nights Duesseldorf and here’s the resulting piece.

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On a side note, we need to keep educating journalists on the difference between “Existenzgründung” (lifestyle business founder and freelancers mostly exchanging their hours for money) and startup founders. One doesn’t equal the other.

That the journalist writes I had a “Karriereknick” (career bend, in the negative sense) also goes to show that they have little knowledge of the world of startups. I’m a startup founder. Risk of failure is assumed as real. Not an office hero, chasing the 9-5 career. One does not equal the other. The failure I spoke of was harsh, but it was the best learning experience I’ve ever had so far. If anything, it was a career bend in the positive sense upwards and onwards.

And I was wearing a OnePiece Onesie, not a track suit. Let’s get that straight too. :)

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