Podcast „Alles neu...? Aus dem Maschinenraum“

Artificial intelligence and digitalization are changing the pace at which markets evolve and are raising the question of how substance and speed can come together. The key issue here is not so much whether startups and family businesses are a good fit, but rather how two different cultures can be transformed into a shared practice.

In the fourth special Spotlight episode of “Alles neu…? Aus dem Maschinenraum,” host and Maschinenraum Managing Director Tobias Rappers speaks with Christian Miele, General Partner at Headline, one of Europe’s leading growth funds, about the interplay between startups and family businesses. The discussion focuses on the key questions that are crucial in practice: What does the startup world recognize earlier than many family-owned businesses? Which signals should family-owned businesses take seriously? And how can collaboration between established medium-sized companies and the young startup scene be made productive?

With concrete examples, insights from family business owners featured in previous episodes of “Alles Neu…? Aus dem Maschinenraum,” and fascinating glimpses into 16 years of the startup scene, this episode shows how substance and speed can come together—and what family businesses and startups can learn from each other: risk and speed on one hand, scaling and a foundation of values on the other.

In “Spotlight”, we delve deeper into the issues that matter to family businesses – drawing from the real-world experience of Maschinenraum. As an ecosystem of more than 85 medium-sized companies, it brings together experiences and questions relevant to everyday business: from the shortage of skilled workers to digital transformation and cultural change. It is precisely these observations from the field that serve as the starting point for in-depth discussions with host Tobias Rappers and experts who contextualize them and make solutions tangible. This results in episodes that are closely aligned with the challenges companies face and demonstrate that the future takes shape where we look more closely and take action together. That’s exactly where “Spotlight” belongs.

In Spotlight, we delve deeper into the topics that move family businesses – directly from the practice of Maschinenraum. As an ecosystem of around 80 medium-sized companies, it pools experiences and questions that are relevant in everyday business: from the shortage of skilled workers to digital transformation to cultural change. These very observations from practice form the starting point for in-depth conversations with host Tobias Rappers and experts who put them into context and make solutions tangible. This creates episodes that are close to the challenges companies face and show that the future emerges where we look more closely and take action together. That is exactly where Spotlight belongs.

In our regular episodes, Tobias Rappers, Managing Director of Maschinenraum, and Katja Michel, Editor of the business magazine Capital, talk to thought leaders and makers from the heart of the German economy and focus on the personalities and their motivation.

*The podcast is in German.

For more episodes of “Alles neu...? Aus dem Maschinenraum“ please click here!