PALAIS BIRON NR. 25 | SOMMER 2017 55
In today’s digital economy,
most stories of revolutionary
change are attributed to
small companies with new
technology
and new business models.
Large, successful companies are
viewed as too slow-moving to keep up
and too invested in their current business
model to be willing to disrupt
themselves.
To understand my (optimistic) mindset,
I tell a story of change with three parts:
1. SILICON VALLEY MINDSET
My first role was as a software developer.
With limited experience and as the
youngest at the company, I expected to
get the worst role. Instead, one month
into my job I was put on a strategic CEO
project. Why? Because I was the only
one who didn’t already have something
important to do.
It was an early lesson in Silicon Valley
culture. People come to SV and they
see the informality, the jeans, the free
lunches but they miss the point. It’s not
just what you decide to do, it’s HOW
you do it. Seniority doesn’t matter. Hierarchies
don’t matter. Anyone can do
virtually anything. Lesson One: Culture
eats strategy.
Seven years later, five of us – none
of whom had ever started a company
– took the plunge and started a data
mining company. We didn’t really
know how to do it. But to my surprise,
lots of people were willing to help.
Illustration links: Tanja Wehr, Sketchnotelovers
Foto rechts: BBUG/MS
JONATHAN BECHER
Jonathan Becher bei seinem Vortrag im Palais Biron