📯 Preface

In 2003, we set out to support promising students on their entrepreneurial journey. To create a community in which talented and driven individuals are empowered to reach their full potential and where we thrive together. Where we help each other along our journeys. Where we understand that in order to create the most value for everyone, giving is as important as taking.

This handbook is an overview of our guiding principles. As we grow as a community and as individuals, we hope that these principles will serve you on your way.

Although these principles are important, what is even more crucial to START Munich is your contribution to the network - your ideas, knowledge, and energy. We rely on you to ensure that START continues to be the community in which incredibly talented and driven students are supported on their entrepreneurial journey.

<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/5bcd8aff-5d67-4083-a94a-a8b6c282e22e/START_Emblem.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/5bcd8aff-5d67-4083-a94a-a8b6c282e22e/START_Emblem.png" width="40px" /> Thanks for being here - let's make sure we all thrive together!

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Felix Haas (Founder of START Munich) receiving his START Hoodie from Csaba Krümmer (Former MD Finance) at Bits & Pretzels 2019

Felix Haas (Founder of START Munich) receiving his START Hoodie from Csaba Krümmer (Former MD Finance) at Bits & Pretzels 2019

❓ How to Use This Handbook

The book serves to help new members to understand the culture and principles of START Munich. And it also helps our veterans to refresh their knowledge of the principles and reflect on them. It also helps you to decide in how far you want to contribute to our START Family - it is about the choices you're going to be making and how to think about them.

👋 Welcome to the START Family

📌 Where we come from

Our community START Munich was founded in 2003. Since our earliest days, our number one priority is to bring together entrepreneurial students from diverse backgrounds and support them on their journey to create value through technology and entrepreneurship. We provide our members with the network, insights, skills, and resources they need to found a startup - from finding ideas and co-founders to getting mentoring and financing.

We are more than a group of entrepreneurs. We are a diversified community of individuals that contribute towards making the entrepreneurial ecosystem a better place. This comes in different shapes and forms. It is not just the entrepreneurs themselves who contribute to this but also the many other stakeholders of the ecosystem: mentors, investors, co-founders, accelerators, and so on. We recognize this in everything we do.

Mago Abdulaev (Vice President 2019/20) and Felix Haas (Founder  START Munich) hug each other when they meet at Oktoberfest 2019

Mago Abdulaev (Vice President 2019/20) and Felix Haas (Founder START Munich) hug each other when they meet at Oktoberfest 2019

<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/cb6f65d6-def9-436c-b15e-43204f70c9a8/START_Emblem.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/cb6f65d6-def9-436c-b15e-43204f70c9a8/START_Emblem.png" width="40px" /> START is more than Munich. We are part of the START Network, a syndicate of 9 chapters from all over Europe that all share the same mission. The network comprises over 300 members, spans 6 different countries and was founded in St. Gallen in 1996.

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💡 Our Four Principles

🌍 We create a positive impact

We are servant leaders. We put others first. We are moderators searching for the truth, not dictators. We lead by example. We strive to impact others positively. We behave sustainably.

<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/45f18e3a-f9e8-4f14-86f7-b5b1efba8e41/START_Emblem.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/45f18e3a-f9e8-4f14-86f7-b5b1efba8e41/START_Emblem.png" width="40px" /> Ask yourself Am I creating value for others, or just for myself?

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👫 We trust and tell the truth

We tell the truth, because it creates trust and accelerates growth. We welcome truth, because it helps to improve. We bestow trust right away. Nobody has to earn trust, but everybody has to work on keeping it.

<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/c6a3cb79-da34-4e1e-89e9-27e132175604/START_Emblem.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/c6a3cb79-da34-4e1e-89e9-27e132175604/START_Emblem.png" width="40px" /> Ask yourself Am I assuming positive intent from the other person?

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🏃‍♀️ We are players

We take ownership. We take action. We don't just talk about problems. We work on solving them. Even if we are not the cause of an issue, we embrace the responsibility to resolve it.

<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/2c5721f9-2e79-4dc5-b8d1-f93c3ba977f5/START_Emblem.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/2c5721f9-2e79-4dc5-b8d1-f93c3ba977f5/START_Emblem.png" width="40px" /> Ask yourself What can I do right now to improve the situation?

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💪 We know growth is a process

We continuously strive to grow. We define success as loving the process, not just the outcome. We are patient. We acknowledge that creating real value takes quite a long time.

<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/68cff357-e36e-435f-8141-920a9dd00a1d/START_Emblem.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/68cff357-e36e-435f-8141-920a9dd00a1d/START_Emblem.png" width="40px" /> Ask yourself Am I doing this for the outcome, or because I enjoy the process?

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📈 Our Track Record So Far

Our alumni and members make for great examples of embracing and living these principles. There are so many great stories and ventures that have been created by them. Felix Haas (Founder of START Munich) has founded IDnow, Bits & Pretzels, and 10x Group. Jutta Merschen became Co-Director of the Founder Institute Munich, a Silicon Valley based startup incubator. Thomas Pischke (Vice President 2013) has created Trade Republic, a mobile first broker that enables anyone - not just a selected group of people - to easily partake in the capital markets at no cost. And these are just some of our stories, there are many more - if you are curious about these, just ask our members.

Joshua Cornelius co-founded Freeletics in 2013

Joshua Cornelius co-founded Freeletics in 2013

In total, our alumni have received more than €1.6bn in cumulative funding. They are creating significant value and proving that they can positively impact a huge number of people.

New promising founders continue to come out of START Munich. For example, Marnie Laue and her team are working on Munich Analytics, a startup for crisis detection and analysis, to prevent fatal supply chain interruptions. Jenny Dussileck (MD Finance 2019/20), and Csaba Krümmer (Vice President 2013/14 and MD Finance 2018/19) are launching Levaro to help finance departments in SMEs to stay sane. Sebastian Völkl and Michael Jancen-Widmer are striving to change hiring to a culture-based approached with What2Work. And these were only a couple of examples from our current members.

<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/d6a35ddf-689f-4244-901f-545eac7ce7c8/START_Emblem.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/d6a35ddf-689f-4244-901f-545eac7ce7c8/START_Emblem.png" width="40px" /> How about you? Do you want to become part of START Munich? You can apply here.

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💙 How Our Community Works