StartUs Presents: DEXINA

Describe DEXINA in 50 words or less.

DEXINA evolved UX-Design and uses specific data analytics to to build vibrant company buildings to be the most powerful value creation tool ever. Together with the companies we design, build and run their customized buildings as a holistic ecosystem of work. Leading to a boost in innovation, productivity and happiness. We call that LIVE AT WORK!

Why did you decide to pursue your own dreams rather than someone else’s?

Because that is the only way to pursuit happiness and fulfillment in life. As Steve Jobs perfectly said some years ago:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

7 years from now: How did your startup change the world?

Everything in our world was built by someone’s work, yet for most of us it is an alienating and painful work. That’s what we want to change, and make sure that each and every human being can once again feel alive at work. We’re absolutely convinced that this can only happen if the development manifests itself physically. That’s why we build holistic LIVE AT WORK environments, focused on people’s needs. We are going to build hundreds of them a year turning work into what it could be for the people: a motor of joy, a dynamo of meaning, a generator of pride and a social network, all at once.

DEXINA attended Websummit in Dublin this year – what impressions did you get and what experiences did you make?

We did not get a very wide impression on Web Summit because we were very focused on our one goal, to get an investor. Doing that we pitched 150 of them during the three days. One even flew spontaneously back with us to Germany the day after the summit. We now have more than a dozen hot leads. So for us it turned out very well.

You also reached the Alpha-Class for startups with your LIVE AT WORK-Products, which makes you quite exotic within this technology focused congress – how did you manage and what did you learn?

In many conversations it took a while for the counterpart to get his mindset off from us being another app. But the focus of the congress is the very right one concerning what we do and our history of being an IT company. We enhance and transfer methods like UX Design and Data-Analytics to the physical world – building user focused and customized office spaces and buildings. Using an IT analogy, we think of the building as being the hardware, and of the company culture as being the operating system. They have to work smoothly together. Just as the software drives the hardware, the company culture drives the building in which it operates. That is why we are rethinking real state. Tech understands that better than real estate does!

In what ways do you measure your success and how do you make sure you don’t lose track?

We are driving a very close follow-up with our leads and will measure the outcomes either in investments or new clients. But the Summit was a big success for us regardless of gaining an investor or new clients. Focusing on the Summit and the pitches we learned so much about our business and gained a lot of clarity.

Describe your typical working day from coming to the office to leaving it.

That is not possible, because the typical workday does not exist in this way. For example, today I wasn´t at the office but staying at home eating lunch with my family, tomorrow I will join the office late the day after tomorrow very early in the morning. And this it totally different for every colleague of mine, depending on their duties and current life situation.

Already pivoted? Did customers use the service like you imagined it in the beginning?

Basically yes, but with every costumer it is a special journey, with different obstacles to overcome and different solutions to find and develop.

Bootstrapped or financed: What fuels your startup now and what will in the future?

Our first business (IT-Consulting) was bootstrapped, and for LIVE AT WORK we have already invested 3,5 million Euros by ourselves coming from that first business. Now we are looking for investors, to be able to grow much faster and to bring LIVE AT WORK to more people.

With ferocious competition and a booming trend to build new companies: How do you make sure you don’t get lost in the shuffle?

In our field there is almost no competition with new companies. Today’s real estate market is one of the largest markets, which is well situated and very traditional. It has not undergone any big changes throughout the last 50 years. So our challenge is not compete against many startups, it is to disrupt an encrusted market with his big players.

What do you look for in team members?

People who follow their passion and love what they do. Who are able to take on responsibility for their actions, who drive their ideas and topics and are persistent about to make them happen, see the things that are good and build on top of them instead of focusing on what is bad. People who are open minded and able to solve conflicts, see and treat colleagues as hole human beings and not just as workers. People who strive for constant learning through action and doing and are able to refuse 95% of the ideas and work so the remaining last 5% is just awesome.

Why would a talent join your team?

I think and hope that the main reason is that they believe in what we are doing, something meaningful which will positively impact the lives of many people. For personal reasons I think that most people want to work totally different than they have to nowadays. Especially in an environment that values them as human beings, that supports them to do their best work and that gives them a lot of autonomy and freedom. People who seek for that and are able to live up to the new accruing responsibilities and challenges this kind of working brings with it may join us.

What was your most memorable moment so far?

As a father of two children I am sure you can imagine.

What advice would you give fellow founders for their startup?

Do something meaningful – changing the world is not enough, make it a better place instead. Focus on holistic solutions and be aware of longtime and complex implications of your business venture. Truly enrich peoples lives, resist the temptation of fast money with another senseless product or app. Don’t manipulate people to buy things they don’t need, give them something they truly need and deserve.
Take care of your employees, they always come first.

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