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Founders: Why women should overestimate themselves

“Founders, overconfidence is good!”

Somewhere in Bonn, in a small pub near the Friedensplatz: Around 20 guests between the ages of 25 and 70 sit comfortably together with jazz music and a glass of wine. But instead of lasagne or steak, instead of knives and forks, every guest has brushes, color palettes and easels in front of him. The same motif can be seen on all screens: the face of Marilyn Monroe, painted in Warhol style.

The reason: An Art Night takes place here, an art evening under the motto “Paint like Warhol”, in which young and old emulate the pop art icon under the guidance of a professional artist and paint their own artwork. Aimie-Sarah Carstensen, who founded the startup ArtNight together with her co-founder David Neisinger and accompanies the evening as a participant.

Aimie is one who just did it. She organizes art evenings with ArtNight – all over Europe. What holds the founder of obsolete role models and quotas – and why a healthy overconfidence is part of reasoning.

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Instead of avoiding risk: just overestimate yourself!

A young woman who founded a company and is thus successful: what sounds so natural is more of an exception in Germany. “There are many women in many different areas of their own,” says Aimie, who portrays FIELFALT entrepreneurs on her blog, “but only a few women dare to start a business.” What also shows the German Startup Monitor 2018: While The proportion of men in start-up start-ups is 85 percent, and women are only 15 percent. “Without wishing to strike a blow, it is actually because many women are less self-confident and less risk-conscious,” she says Entrepreneur Carstensen. “A little overconfidence would do them good”.

Start-up with equity

After all, planning everything to consider all eventualities is not possible when starting a business. To adapt to situations of failure as well as flexibility and risk affinity are part of it. Aimie was aware of this when she quit her senior position in a corporation and jumped into the cold water. Your advantage: A financial cushion – so she came the first few months to make ends meet and was not dependent on investors. Today, she would recommend any start-up company with equity capital: “It’s just a lot more relaxed, if you can finance the financing at the beginning alone. However, at the same time you are under tremendous pressure. ”

Or you can find a suitable promotion. “Especially in Berlin, there are many networks and coaching,” says Aimie. ArtNight also receives support. Through the Telekom’s TechBoost program, the company not only benefits from free cloud credit, but also from access to Deutsche Telekom’s broad partner network. “Everyone benefits from TechBoost,” says Matthias Schievelbusch, head of startup cooperation at Telekom: “The startups of secure cloud technology and contacts to established companies. Our business customers of innovative solutions of startups. And of course, we too, because we are expanding our offer through our new startup partners”.

Foundation does not depend on sex

Most recently, Aimie had the opportunity to speak with Deutsche Telekom customers at the digitalization event DIGITAL 2018. Whether it is more difficult for her as a woman to win new customers or to approach partners? No. Although David is responsible for marketing, but she is a strong communicator – the perfect match. “We complement each other very well and focus on their respective strengths,” she says. “And in conversations with potential partners and customers, I never had the impression that gender was important.”

The founder does not think much of a wide-spread female quota either. “Of course, there are still many traditional companies in which a dusty role model prevails. Here it certainly makes sense to explicitly promote women, for example with coachings or workshops”says Aimie. But also the state could give more financial incentives. “Insurance is immensely expensive for founders, no matter if man or woman, the tax law is complicated, the parental allowance is not designed for the self-employed. No wonder that many are shying away from setting up a business”.

In their view even more important than quotas and state support: start with yourself. “Every woman can learn to negotiate and take risks” says Aimie. “Starting a business should not depend on the gender, but on the personal skills and potential success of the business idea – and it does not matter if a man had that or a wife”.

Published inStartups
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