Dominic, which is more difficult: designing automated testing procedures that are semantically precise enough to reliably identify complex security vulnerabilities or convincing investors of your business idea?
Dominic Steinhöfel: Good question! Both are really difficult problems without a clear "playbook." Which one is easier depends on your skills. If you ask a serial entrepreneur after their second exit, they've already done this with investors a few times. They would certainly do it better than I could at this point. Security experts like us may see the testing process as the right approach. We've done something similar a few times before. In the end, though, there's no guarantee of success for either problem. However, there are skills you can acquire through reading, learning, conversation, and, most importantly, application that will make things much easier for you.
If you were back at university today, what would you do differently to start your business faster or more effectively?
Dominic Steinhöfel: I would read a lot more, a lot earlier. I would read about applied psychology, marketing, sales, management, and self-optimization. I would also invest much more in my network. Ideally, I would have connected with my future customers. As a former scientist, I found that the biggest handicap was the lack of a professional network with the target group. Compared to other founders with existing customer contacts, it puts you behind by several years. I would also start researching topics such as resilience and positive psychology earlier. As a founder, you should not be easily knocked down.
Andreas, what can science-based startups do that traditional business startups often cannot?
Andreas Zeller: First, an innovative idea from the world of science offers many advantages. The idea is usually well-documented and evaluated. There are experiments demonstrating its feasibility, and their results can convince customers and investors alike. All of this creates trust, which is not always the case with a business idea alone.
However, you still need a way to turn the idea into actual customer value. That's not easy. Many scientific ideas are based on assumptions that are not (or not yet) true. They come too early, or they don't scale. Sometimes they solve a problem that customers don't have. The idea must be sold—both figuratively and literally. The only thing that helps is talking to as many potential customers as possible and adapting your approach to the market.
Inputlab
Deutscher Startup Monitor 2025
