For today's blog post, we want to take you behind the scenes and back to the very first steps, and surprise the founder Victoria with 10 exciting questions that you might be interested in.
What exactly does your company do and what distinguishes you as a company/your team?GADGETTO Products is a relatively young company that grew out of a single product. Our company is primarily defined by this innovative and patented product, which is why we were founded in the first place. Such a product doesn't yet exist on the market, but it does require some explanation, specifically clarifying the added value it offers. This is precisely where the hurdles and challenges arise for us. And that's exactly why we need a motivated and flexible team with a fighting spirit and fresh ideas. We are very proud to have just such a team on our team.
Describe a typical day in your life. What does your workday look like – does such a thing as a "typical day" even exist?My daily life is naturally dominated by my work. I live for my job. As the founder of two companies, I theoretically always have more than enough to do. But I also see the advantages of the path I've chosen, because I consciously make time for my family.
But now to the question of what a typical day looks like: Our son wakes up very early, so we don't need to set an alarm. After breakfast, we head off to daycare. Luckily, our children are always very excited to see their friends and the friendly caregivers. Our office is just a street away. That's where my day starts with my first coffee, and I also brew myself a large pot of tea for the morning. Then it's on to checking emails, today's appointments, reviewing tasks, and prioritizing them for the day. Some days I focus entirely on the engineering firm REVONEER, while other days GADGETTO Products takes center stage. Otherwise, my workday is very varied: product development, quality control, brainstorming or discussions about marketing materials or design topics, writing texts for blog posts, creating image and video content, project planning tasks, accounting or HR-related matters, and occasionally a job interview or meetings with clients and suppliers. There's always something new – interesting new topics, but also new challenges. One thing, however, always remains the same: the afternoon belongs to my children.
What's almost inevitable for founders is that we bring our work home. So I sometimes work in the evenings, after the children are in bed, or on weekends. This is the case, for example, when important meetings or deadlines are approaching. As a husband-and-wife team of founders, we often discuss company-related topics at home. It might sound stressful, but for us, our companies are less of a necessary job and more of a calling, a true passion.
What obstacles did you have to overcome during the founding process, and what do you think was the biggest challenge you had to master?I think we're still in the thick of our biggest challenge: launching the first product for GADGETTO Products. To do this, we need to get it into stores and reach our target audience. Without investors with the right connections behind the scenes, it's a lot of work for a small company. We have to keep learning.
If you could "turn back time": What would you do differently today?As the saying goes, "Hindsight is always 20/20." This certainly applies to some decisions and other situations. And that's precisely what strengthens us—the constant learning process. Of course, I would have liked to have skipped one or two development cycles or tool adjustments, or implemented the design differently from the start, or perhaps handled the placement in shops differently… But I wouldn't want to do anything completely differently.
What important recommendation or tip would you give to founders?There are so many tips and experiences I'd like to share with others. But I think the most important piece of advice is: you simply have to be passionate about your idea and 100% committed to the decision to build a business from it. Because if it's only half-heartedly pursued and the idea is only half-heartedly undertaken, then the chance of success is very slim. This often requires courage and a thick skin, but I'll stop here, as I could write a small novel about my recommendations, and that would be going too far.
What are you especially grateful for in your life?Gratitude is something we should constantly remind ourselves of. I'm grateful for the many little things, whether it's the beautiful weather or my kind colleague who brings me hot water for my tea. There are so many things I'm happy about every day – successes, great collaborations, positive feedback, delicious food, friends, friendly neighbors, and much more. But what I can never be grateful for enough is my family and the fact that we're all doing well.
What is your favorite food?There's far too much delicious food to choose just one as a favorite. I prefer to try a little of everything, but I especially enjoy vegetarian options – simply because I like the taste. And I love good desserts and cakes.
What did you respect most when you took the step into self-employment?Before all the decisions that have an impact on the company's success and therefore jobs at our company.
How did you come to study something in a technical field back then?I've often reflected on this myself since then. I don't think I ever had a specific dream job, as I have many interests and can get very excited about many different areas. After graduating from high school, I specifically looked for a degree program that combined practical experience and found a wide range of dual study programs. Since I had often participated successfully in math olympiads and similar competitions in the past, I was never averse to technical professions. And then I would describe it more as one thing leading to another, until after five years of part-time study, I completed my Master of Science degree at the Technical University of Munich.
What do you like to do most in your free time?Spending time with my family. But if this question is specifically about something for myself, then it's quite clear: gardening.
Many thanks to Vicky for taking the time for this interview. If you have any further questions, or questions for the team, please feel free to write them in the comments!