About this episode
“Finding good people is not easy. Even if you don’t have a position and you’re talking to somebody great, try to build the organization around that person, and don’t be function-oriented.” - Torben Antretter
In this episode Torben Antretter shares the story of his legaltech startup RightNow, a company that - among other things - helps airline passengers get their money back for unused tickets. The company recently finished another round of financing, adding EUR 25 Mio. to their bank, but not everything has always been as good as it seemed.
In this episode you’ll learn:
How Torben managed to finish his PhD and grow his venture into what it is today
How a startup can fight in the big leagues, e.g. against RyanAir (spoiler: it has to do with law!)
How the team turned a threat into an opportunity and got out of it stronger than before
How lower margins forced the startup to automate their business
Why the team has to be good at predicting price sensitivity of their potential customers
Why Torben tries to build the organization around great people, and not the other way around
Why he’s hopeful for the future of their business (spoiler: it involves new product launches!)
Weekly book recommendation:
Deep Work by Cal Newport got Torben to delete most of his social media profiles. He deleted Facebook and Instagram because he recognized that it really distracted him from his goals. He is now focused on the relationships that are important to him, and calls people instead of giving out ‘likes’. His relationships have gotten much more intense, and he has gotten much more focused on his work.
Check out Torben's startups:
https://www.geld-fuer-flug.de
https://www.bahn-buddy.de
