When did you start working on Echometer?
Jean: As a Co-Founder I initially started working on the idea behind Echometer in 2016 already. Since February 2019 the Co-Founding team started to work full-time on Echometer.
What is your previous work experience?
Jean: I did a dual course of studies (International Management) at Bertelsmann, one of the world’s leading media holding (RTL Group, BMG, Penguin Random House …). After my studies I’ve been Executive Assistant in a Bertelsmann & Deutsche Post Joint Venture.
At Echometer
What do you like/love about working at Echometer?
Jean: I always enjoyed working with people that inspire me – and that’s why every day again it’s an honour for me to be part of this great team.
If you could write your own job title that best describes what you do at Echometer, what would it be?
Jean: I tend to take the long-term perspective in our team and challenge each decision in face of the overall picture.
Your favourite retrospective method or team workshop?
Jean: I love thinking about the future and how we can prepare for it. Therefore a „Pre-Mortem“ at the beginning of any new project is something I really enjoy to make use of the whole team’s creativity and experience.
What is your personal highlight that you achieved or experienced while working at Echometer?
Jean: Personally, I think winning the first customers before even having a real product was an emotional highlight for me that boosted my confidence that we are heading in the right direction.
What was your first week at Echometer like?
Jean: As Co-Founders, we started Echometer by moving in a flat together. Christian, Robin and I really got to know each other in that group and it was encouraging to see that we really made a great, complementary team also on a personal level!
What was your biggest or funniest fuckup at Echometer?
Jean: On our website, we use images from third parties. One of them is freepik.com – unfortunately I misspelled their link in our footer. The misspelled link on our website’s footer then led to a NSFW page. Fortunately we found out ourselves (hopefully before anyone else noticed). Learning: Check all links you put on your website 😉
What is an interesting thing you learned at Echometer?
Jean: Building a startup is hard – only do it if you enjoy it and have the right people in your team. Then it may become a real adventure like no other!
Personal
How would your friends describe you in 3 words?
Jean: Positive, imaginative, dependable.
What are the values that drive you?
Jean: I believe that it’s our responsibility to shape the world that we want to live in and make it as fair and sustainable as we want it to be. Therefore I deeply believe in Steve Job’s quote of „questioning the status quo“.
What are your hobbies?
Jean: After sitting at my desk way too long, I like challenging myself in sports – especially swimming and in times of Corona home workouts with Pamela Reif.
Besides sports, I try to make some time for inspiring readings – „Homo Deus“ from Yuval Noah Harari is a great one in that regard. And as an Elon Musk-fanboy, I keep track a lot about what happens at SpaceX, Tesla & Co.
Corona currently makes this tough, but usually I love travelling with friends to get exposed to completely different cultures out of my „startup bubble“.
A picture of you as a kid?
Jean: Well that’s my brother Chris & I in Nicaragua’s Pacific Ocean.
