Portrait Name: Philipp Stangl
Current Position: Co-Founder of RebelMeat
Recipe for Success (& Burger Patties): Test everything, improve everything but keep the positive core parts in mind
The best decision was to just do it
Philipp Stangl discovered his area of passion and founded his startup RebelMeat in order to enable sustainable meat consumption. Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, he is a strong believer of thinking broadly and finding out what exactly is important to oneself and what issues have to be solved in our world. “Don’t start a startup just for the sake of starting a startup,“ Philipp advises young aspiring entrepreneurs. It is therefore important to regard one’s reality with an open mind initially. After discovering your own area of passion, getting to know as many people as possible and reading a lot will help to get your ideas off the ground. Additionally, the value of a mentor should not be underestimated when deciding to build a startup, as receiving proactive feedback from an “outside observer“ might prove to be enormously beneficial.
Always in sales mode
Being honest and straightforward is the key habit for building a startup – this is what Philipp has learned throughout his own journey. Relying on open communication not only forms relationships which might prove to be invaluable, but also contributes to getting the most out of everyone involved in a startup. Thinking about his favorite failure, Philipp admits that he once did not unleash the potential of one of his employees. As a result, he realized the importance of aligning everyone’s tasks with their potential which has to be discovered through honest communication. Apart from that, as a founder, Philipp experienced that he always has to be in ‘Sales Mode’ – meaning that as an entrepreneur, you always have to sell yourself and your business at the same time. Consequently, in order to establish credibility, structured, straightforward and honest communication is essential.
Improve everything but keep the positive core things in mind
Being an entrepreneur also means being disciplined and being able to grow continuously. Both asking actively for feedback and being self-critical at all times is crucial while developing a new business. Philipp cannot stress the importance of testing enough. Indeed, testing everything is what Philipp would have focused on more, as one can then analyze the positive data points, stick to them and develop the business accordingly. “Change everything, improve everything but keep the positive core things in mind,“ is what Philipp would use as a guideline for establishing innovation.
Do-to-say ratio
Because of the importance of the do-to-say ratio, Philipp aims to improve the gap between plans and actions. Focusing on useful and relevant work and actively thinking what is actually achievable is an important step for every entrepreneur. In order to improve his do-to-say ratio, Philipp keeps a list of his pending priorities: instead of distracting oneself with meaningless work, doing the important tasks first is a crucial skill for every entrepreneur.
In our weekly interview series, we will be featuring various inspirational entrepreneurs of the Austrian startup scene. Each Monday, you can expect useful insights into their lives and practical tips that you can follow in order to walk your entrepreneurial path. Like, share, comment – and feel free to reach out to us. Suggestions, ideas, remarks are all welcome – let’s shape the ecosystem together!
