Many companies develop products for today’s market. They analyze current customer needs, observe competitors, and react to existing technologies. The problem: by the time the product reaches the market, it is often already part of the present – sometimes even the past. The most successful companies take a different approach. They aim to understand what the world will look like in five or ten years. They observe technological developments, societal changes, and new usage behav

A company may appear stable: strong numbers, solid partnerships. But when a large share of profits comes from a single industry or one major customer, a structural risk emerges. If more than 40% of profits come from one customer, dependency is already significant. A dominant customer influences pricing, volumes, and terms. If their strategy changes, it directly impacts liquidity, workforce planning, and investments. ⸻ Varta and Apple Varta experienced strong growth through or

An eagle does not start in a dive. It climbs. Circling. Calm. Patient. With every meter, it gains perspective. With every thermal, its view expands. From below, it looks like standstill. From above, it is strategy. While others are already running, fighting, reacting, the eagle draws its circles. It reads the wind. It detects movements in the grass that remain invisible. It understands the terrain – not just the target. And only then does it decide. Precisely. Without haste.

Many companies focus heavily on sales because it generates revenue in the short term. This secures liquidity – but can become dangerous in the long run. Companies that neglect business development risk growth, stability, and competitiveness. The key risks: 1. Lack of innovation Sales sells what already exists. Business development creates what comes next: markets, models, and partnerships. Without this perspective, stagnation is inevitable. 2. No market diversification What h

In recent months, I have had in-depth discussions with my clients – predominantly SMEs with 50 to 400 employees. A clear pattern has emerged: At the employee level, there is often concern that artificial intelligence could threaten jobs. At the executive level, however, I frequently see fragmented databases, isolated systems, legacy processes, and a lack of transparency. In many of these companies, full AI automation is currently hardly feasible from an organizational perspec

A managing director or executive board must focus on achieving annual targets in order to satisfy shareholders and secure management bonuses. As a result, the focus often shifts almost entirely to short-term goals. The entire organization aligns itself to meet these targets, while the question of long-term success is frequently pushed into the background. This reflects what is known as a “finite game”: the objectives are clearly defined, and the outcome determines whether one

When you watch ants, you see a perfectly working supply chain: a clear route from point A to point B, efficient, fast, well organized. But if you look closer, something interesting appears: a small percentage of ants – maybe 2–3% – do not follow the trail. They move slightly aside, seemingly illogical, away from the main path. Until an obstacle appears. The ants in the trail stop. They only know their path. No alternative. No detour. And this is where the “other” ants become

Many companies assume that a business model and a product or service portfolio that has worked for ten years will continue to work automatically in the future. When results start to decline, the first reaction is often to adjust marketing and sales: new campaigns, new messages, new channels. Yet despite all these efforts, nothing really changes. Over time, it becomes clear that the problem is not marketing, but the foundation itself. Markets change. Customers change. Expectat

Baby boomers, born approximately between 1956 and 1964, played a decisive role in shaping the economic foundation of today’s Germany. Their childhood and youth took place in a period of rebuilding, growth, and reliability. Work meant security. Performance meant advancement. Responsibility was not an abstract concept, but part of everyday life. This imprint continues to have an effect to this day. From a business developer’s perspective, this generation is central because its

What we are experiencing in Germany today is not happening only here. Generations differ worldwide in how they think, decide, and act. These patterns are surprisingly universal. And yet: Every country carries its own history. And it is precisely this history that shapes each generation – sometimes subtly, sometimes very clearly. Germany is a good example of this. Post-war experiences, the economic miracle, reunification, a mindset of stability, and a strong focus on security

In the business world, pricing is like a compass: it sets direction, builds trust, or causes it to break. A price is never just a number – it is a signpost that tells what a company stands for, what value it creates, and how confident a customer may feel. Many companies look at pricing only through their own mirror. They ask themselves, “What do we want to communicate?” instead of examining what the customer truly perceives. Yet pricing works like a conversation: only when bo

From the outside everything looks stable and appealing – but inside there are holes. Some small, some larger. And the crucial point: the cheese itself cannot see its own holes. Many companies face the same situation. In the daily rush, under pressure, in the routine of operations, they overlook the areas where resources drain away, processes crumble, or opportunities remain unused. Management sees some of these holes – but only from its own perspective. A top-down view never

Many companies only call for Business Development when the fire is already burning — when sales stagnate, structures stop working, or the...

Many companies develop new products or projects with full conviction – without realizing they are heading straight into a dead end. What...

Many companies start new ideas with great enthusiasm: 👉 founding a spin-out, 👉 setting up a subsidiary, 👉 opening an office, hiring...

In many companies, departments run like precise clockwork. Each one focuses on its goals: quarterly results, annual plans, KPIs....

Imagine a company landing in a new country like a plane on a foreign runway. As soon as they arrive, they roll out the heavy equipment:...

Many conservative companies still want their employees in the office five days a week. However, this approach severely limits the talent...

Many companies think of traditional sales when it comes to generating revenue. But in reality, the key often already lies within their...

Many companies are unfortunately realizing today that their business models, which had been successful for decades, suddenly no longer...