Startup Spotlight #159: Think-it
Startup Spotlight #159: Think-it
Think-it is an engineering collective on a mission to unlock human potential through sustainable use of technology.
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I got the chance to speak with Joscha Raue, co-founder and COO of Think-it, about what he’s working on at his startup, and any advice he has for emerging entrepreneurs.
Joscha is the Co-Founder of Think-it, an engineering collective on a mission to unlock human potential with technology. Driven by the vision of a future in which all humans thrive in balance with our planet, he mobilizes technical talent and collaborates with innovators across the world, developing cloud & AI solutions to create a more sustainable future. His non-profit Kulimi is conceptualizing and running projects that leverage technology to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Besides tech & entrepreneurship, he is curious about the intersection of ancient philosophy, spirituality, and modern science to elevate our collective consciousness and build a better tomorrow.
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Startup Spotlight: Think-it
Problem: The global pandemic and the climate crisis are two visible examples of the huge challenges our community and ecosystem are faced with. But developing the right cloud data ecosystems and AI solutions to facilitate global data-driven collaboration and solutions for a more sustainable future is significantly slowed down by a lack of technical talent and expertise.
Market: The global cloud computing market size is expected to grow from USD 371.4 billion in 2020 to USD 832.1 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.5% during the forecast period. Looking at the specific angle of building cloud data platforms for a more sustainable future the serviceable available market will be well above USD 500 million.
Solution: We work closely integrated with our partners on building cloud-data infrastructure and AI solutions for a more sustainable future. Our platforms and solutions help companies such as BMW, SoundCloud, and XPrize to promote and facilitate open, secure, and sovereign exchange of data as well as speeding up data-driven innovation towards a better tomorrow.
Team: Think-it now counts 65+ engineers, data scientists, and other problem solvers across three continents. Our founding team has been working together for over a decade and is complemented by a diverse leadership team with deep expertise in cloud computing, AI, software engineering as well as international management, and sustainable development.
Recent Success:
Raue: We were able to build a really strong cultural DNA centered around unlocking the potential of each member of the collective, and our values such as Integrity, Collectivism, Ownership, and Fairness guide everything we do. This has resulted in an environment in which people truly care for one another, act in a people-centric way, and always consider the delicate balance between purpose and profit. We've observed that this not only leads to people feeling happier and fulfilled when coming to work but also results in more trustful cooperation, which we believe is key to thrive as a distributed team in a challenging environment.
Recent Struggle:
Raue: Especially the first years I struggled with finding the right balance between the passion for building an outstanding team and collective pushing for the highest standards and not becoming too emotionally attached to the company so that the situation at work affects my mood. It took a lot of painful lessons and the dedicated support of some extremely valued and caring team members for me to come to a point where I can be extremely excited and invested in what we do while maintaining a zen attitude when things blow up.
Founder Advice:
Raue: Based on the experience above my key advice would be: You are not your company. I would encourage everyone to give your startup all the fire and dedication you have, but at the same time it is encouraged to go through regular reflection and an evolutionary journey as a founder to realize that your self worth is completely independent of how well your startup is doing and that this realization will probably help you lead a much better life, irrespective of how the company is developing. And I would argue that with this personal development on the founder’s end, most likely the company will also see really positive developments. At least that's the case for Think-it and myself. :)
Three Cool Founders You Should Know About:
Raue: Here are three founders you should check out next!
Anis Kallel, Founder of Kaoun: Kaoun’s mission is to empower every person on the planet to become part of the modern financial world - by using data science to power payments and credit scores.
Rene Wienholtz, Founder of Loom Impact: LOOM IMPACT is building bridges between impact funds/corps & impact investors to attract more money to solve the SDGs.
Lubomila Jordanova, Founder of Plan A: Plan A has developed the first Carbon Reduction Software which helps businesses calculate, monitor, and reduce their carbon footprint monthly, while automatically building each month a tailored sustainability action plan and offsetting schemes, according to the footprint of the company.
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