The Startup Port Lounge opened its doors to a key topic in the start-up scene: building resilient teams. It was an event full of insights into the dynamic world of startups, focussing on the importance of adaptability, corporate culture and emotional intelligence.
While the summer rain pattered against the window panes of the time-honoured Warburg House yesterday evening, start-up enthusiasts, young and established entrepreneurs came together in the historic reading room to discuss the cornerstones of effective teamwork.
Musical prelude and thematic introduction
The evening began with live music by singer Jiuning Liu and guitarist Lennart Meyer. Dr Bakr Fadl from the University of Hamburg then opened the event with a short presentation on the central role of corporate culture for innovation and resilience in start-ups. He emphasised the importance of adaptability, particularly with regard to changing market conditions.
Experiences from the podium: adaptation as a necessity
Guests Laura Schnell and Marius Klages, both co-founders of successful start-ups, reported on their personal experiences and challenges in building their teams. They discussed with Melanie Schehl and Christine Tiedemann from Startup Port about topics such as the search for the right co-founders, the daily challenges of team management and the importance of open communication.
Marius, whose startup ‘dehaze’ mainly works remotely, emphasised the importance of prompt responses and recommended the use of a mediator to resolve conflicts. He also spoke about the need to conduct regular emotional check-ins during meetings to create an environment of trust.
Laura from the startup ‘open’ reported on the challenges that arose when a co-founder left the team at short notice, which led to legal complications. Her experience emphasised the importance of early legal clarification and awareness of red flags in team dynamics.
Keeping the balance: Insights into personal strategies
Both entrepreneurs emphasised the need for a healthy work-life balance in order to remain productive in the long term. Marius, for example, who has not taken a holiday for four years now, relies on regular sporting activities and sufficient sleep to prevent burnout. Starting a business with friends was also briefly discussed, but was seen as critical due to the unavoidable emotional dependency.
Conclusion of a successful evening
Co-organiser Katja Vogler from Startup Port was satisfied with the event: ‘This evening has once again confirmed that the right people make the difference. Our guests today not only shared their secrets of success, but also their challenges and learning moments. It is these honest insights that strengthen our community and help each individual to become better. I am inspired by the openness and commitment that everyone here has shown.’
The evening at the Startup Port Lounge offered not only inspiring music, snacks and deep conversations, but also practical lessons for anyone looking to succeed in today’s fast-paced startup scene. Understanding the resilience and adaptability of teams is critical to long-term success in an ever-changing world.
The event concluded with more songs from Jiuning Liu and Lennart Meyer, creating a relaxed atmosphere while networking was in full swing over finger food and drinks. It was an evening that not only provided valuable insights, but also new contacts and inspiration for everyone involved. Finally, special thanks go to the Warburg House and the Aby Warburg Foundation for opening up their reading room and premises for this event and thus actively supporting the startup ecosystem in the Hamburg metropolitan region.
About the Warburg House:
The Hamburg Warburg House sees itself as a driving force in Hamburg’s vibrant academic landscape. As an institution of the Aby Warburg Foundation in close co-operation with the University of Hamburg and funded by the Hamburg Ministry of Science, Research, Equalities and Districts, it is dedicated to cutting-edge research in the history of the humanities and cultural history and at the same time has an impact on the public through the socio-political relevance of its topics and methods.
It is committed to its history and the tradition of research personalities such as Aby Warburg, Erwin Panofsky and Ernst Cassirer and aims to update the scholarly awakening of this founding generation of the Kulturwissenschaftliche Bibliothek Warburg for the research challenges of the present. The guiding principle is the further development and critical reflection of interdisciplinary art and cultural research, as developed programmatically by Warburg and his circle.
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