After a brief overview of start-up development in Switzerland and the many advantages of our location, Simon May revealed the main motivators for founding a company today: the desire for freedom (35%), addressing a customer need (22%), and the opportunity to apply personal expertise (16%). Driven by these motivators, IFJ recommends the following tips:
Company Formation:
- Think first – then found
- Optimize timing (some grants must be applied for before incorporation, watch out for extended fiscal years)
- Don’t compromise on the legal form (changes later are time-consuming and costly)
- Don’t cut corners on shareholder agreements
Team:
- Complementary leaders (investors rarely invest in solo founders)
- A truly shared vision
- Build on defined values
- Strong collaboration
- Resilience
Capital
- Funding rounds take time (9–12 months)
- A lead investor is crucial (signal effect, trust, network)
- Everything must align (product, market potential, team, partners, timing, …)
- Investors are currently cautious – they prefer nurturing existing portfolios
Development
- Reach MVP with as little money as possible
- Never underestimate product–market fit
- Your own skills matter most at the beginning
- Website and marketing/communications are essential, even for technical start-ups
- Ensure short-, mid-, and long-term plans are realistic
Go-to-Market
- Talk to potential customers before the “first demo”
- Get out quickly – test – gather feedback – adapt – go out again
- Avoid perfectionism – but be highly reliable
- Don’t give things away: move quickly from pilot to paying customer (value proposition, customer benefits)
- Marketing & sales are expensive – find creative ways to gain attention
- Define what “innovation” means – challenge your own solution
- The sustainable business model is rarely born from the first idea
- Business plan → Go-to-Market → Marketing plan → Sales plan → Business plan
- Responsibility drives motivation
Simon May’s Key Lessons from IFJ:
- 10% inspiration, 90% “perspiration”
- Don’t copy. Understand.
- It’s all about people
- Vision
- Start – and be proud
- Feedback matters
- Everything takes longer. And costs more.
- FOCUS
IFJ – STARTUP SUPPORT:
Each year, IFJ supports around 20,000 founders across Switzerland with consulting, intensive courses, workshops, webinars, expert talks, events, business plan tools, business software, support programs, and online services for incorporation, register changes, and trademark protection. Thanks to renowned partners, their support is free of charge. More info: www.ifj.ch
Rico Kramer – Founder & CEO, esave AG
After sharing his inspiring success story, Rico highlighted what he considers essential for a successful start-up:
- Agile market strategy: design strategies that adapt to market changes
- Detailed business plan: formulate as many aspects as possible
- Financing strategy: secure funds from diverse sources
- Risk-taking: be ready to commit (e.g. customer promises must be kept)
- Strategic partnerships: look for partners early on who complement your expertise
esave develops, produces, and distributes cutting-edge light management technologies – all products are manufactured in-house.
www.esaveag.com
Christof Peyer – former Head of Development, Alunos AG
Christof offered insights from his time working with highly skilled developers who brought strong technical know-how and ideas. Key lessons from his experience:
- Don’t be tech-driven – focus on product–market fit
- Don’t chase every opportunity – this leads to distraction; step back and analyze instead
- Clear task distribution in the team is vital (complementary skills: technology and market expertise)
- Be prepared for the unexpected (have a Plan B)
- Ask the tough questions regularly
- Ensure long-term financial planning (things usually take longer than expected)
At Technopark Graubünden, we thank Simon, Rico, and Christof for their valuable insights into entrepreneurial life and their practical start-up tips.
