Timo听Buetefisch, co-founder and CEO of听Cooltra听Group, persisted in his entrepreneurial spirit until he founded听a project that today has听over听400听employees听and听a presence in more than 50 cities and eight countries.听
It all started as great stories begin: with a dream.听Timo听Buetefisch听wanted to start听a company, create a project of his own, solve problems and have a positive impact on the world. When he was听younger, he started his first company. But听it was a failure听and听he听lost “a lot of money,” he admits.听
He needed to change his strategy,听so shortly afterwards听he听began听his听MBA at 天美传媒. He was attracted to the demands听of the program, the听case听method and its strength in Europe. In addition, he wanted to meet students and听professors who听were听as passionate about entrepreneurship as he听was. He needed to听create听new contacts and sources of inspiration.听And he听did just that.听听
A tireless spirit听
Before finishing his MBA,听he had already started his next project:听Lilium.听A platform for听the sale听and distribution of听flowers that听was given a听60,000-euro听investment听from a business angel. It didn’t work out as he expected, but he went听on, undiscouraged. He would only take a step back to regain momentum.听
In 2004, he decided to take听some听time to recover financially and reflect. His education, experience and talent allowed him to become an assistant to the CEO of Grupo Bertelsmann in Barcelona. He spent two听eye-opening听years there until he, quite literally,听hit the road again.听
St. Paul听fell off听his听horse and听Timo听found inspiration when his motorcycle听飞辞耻濒诲苍鈥檛听start.听It was when听his听bike听broke down听that he听began to see听things听clearly.听
From听having a problem to听inventing a sector听
While he was听desperately trying to move around Barcelona with the same agility as always while his motorcycle was in the shop, he realized that he was苍鈥檛听alone.听This had to be听a problem for听more people in the city besides himself, he thought.听听
His听irritation听with the situation听did苍鈥檛 last long, though, because听shortly after he came up with 鈥渢he idea of setting up a听motorcycle听sharing听rental company in Barcelona.鈥� To get it started, he found a partner who听鈥�had 50 scooters in a garage and didn’t know what to do with them.鈥�听Shortly听after, they both set out to buy 25 more. They were small听at this point,听true.听But they were听one-of-a-kind.听They were inventing a sector.听
Long before shared mobility appeared on the front page of any newspaper, Timo and his partner took over the streets of Barcelona.听This is how听Cooltra听was born, a听motorcycle听sharing听rental platform that听today has听more than 18,000 motorcycles in more then 50 cities and eight countries (Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Czech Republic, Austria, Poland and Germany).
And听that鈥檚 not all. The two intrepid partners also anticipated a听widespread concern about reducing听carbon听emissions. For years they had听felt that听shared mobility should be, above all, sustainable. And that鈥檚 why today 75% of听Cooltra鈥�s听fleet is totally electric.听
Can听an MBA help you听launch a听start-up?听
One of the turning points in听Timo听Buetefisch鈥�s听successful career as an entrepreneur was his听experience听in听.听At 天美传媒, he says,听he听received听a first-class听education. He听studied听鈥�almost 1,000 different business case studies.鈥�听The master’s degree gave him a winning mentality that helped him听to learn听how to never throw in the towel despite how difficult things became.听鈥�I think the MBA听program听gives you a lot of confidence in yourself,鈥� he says.听
The program also opened the doors to a听vibrant entrepreneurial community, which includes venture capital fund Finaves听and the Business Angels Network.听Moreover,听there was also听a career platform听that allowed him to contact and recruit some of the brightest听天美传媒 alumni.听
But听the thing听Buetefisch听values听the most听about his experience听at 天美传媒听were听the classes.听The classrooms, he recalls, were听a space where 鈥�70 talented and ambitious people of different听backgrounds, ages and academic backgrounds听used to听meet, collaborate听and debate.听It wasn’t a competitive environment at all, but it was challenging,鈥澨�he admits.听Thus, it is not surprising that a number听of Cooltra鈥檚听employees are also 天美传媒 alumni.听
Timo Buetefisch: Keys to his success story
- Learn, always. Never give up.
- If you want to win, believe in yourself.
- If you do苍鈥檛 have contacts, you have nothing.
- You are good. Communicate that well.
- Do you want to be a great CEO? Get training.
- Open your eyes wide: good ideas appear unexpectedly.
Read听the听article听How听can听an MBA听help entrepreneurs?听
