Failing Forward: Why You Should Create Your Own Crises | Tobias Krauss | TEDxHHL

Company Strategy & Philosophy - The company views crises not as inherently negative, but as opportunities for continuous improvement, drawing inspiration from Toyota's "Kaizen" and "Kiki" philosophy, where "Kiki" represents both danger and opportunity [5][6][7] - The company emphasizes proactive creation of self-induced crises to accelerate growth and avoid the prolonged negative phases associated with exogenous crises [9][13][15] - The company aims to change its DNA to embrace self-induced crises, viewing growth as a continuous upward trajectory rather than a summit to be reached [15] Leadership & Execution - The company values a "T-profile" in its employees, balancing general knowledge with specialized expertise, using lean management as a core competency [18][19] - The company prioritizes simple, less complex strategies to facilitate easier implementation and reduce organizational complexity [22][23] - The company believes that execution is paramount, even more so than strategy, and emphasizes preparation, rapid action, and reflection in its execution plan [24][25] Restructuring & Growth - The company underwent a restructuring, viewing it as a chance for transformation rather than solely a crisis [4][5] - The company aims to shift from a restructuring-focused approach to a culture of continuous improvement [28][29] - The company's CEO embraced the position as a self-induced crisis to stimulate personal and organizational growth [29] Financial Context - The company invested over €500 million into the German startup ecosystem [2] - The company's largest holding underwent a €28 billion tech private equity transaction [3] - The company IPOed at a valuation of approximately €750 million, but later faced challenges leading to a share price of €1 [4]