My best-kept secret that I never told before in public. I‘ve been always ashamed to share it but now I’ve gained the confidence to say it out loud publicly.
My Mutti [1] acts as a startup incubator, letting me rent a 14sqm room for 15 euros a day. She also gives me access to wifi, bathroom, shower, toilet, and kitchen so I can build my startups. Electricity, water and GEZ (a general fee for Germany’s public broadcasting institutions) are included in the price, whereas food, doctor visits, and daily necessities are not.
I use the room as an office, bedroom, sports room and production studio for audiovisual creations.
At the age of 35, I still live „with my mum“. You can think about it what you want, but that’s a reality, my reality and the price I’m willing to pay as a startup founder.
It has always been clear to me that this is a special kind of support because it allows me to focus on what matters most to me. My startups are bootstrapped, which is why I depend on such help and appreciate it.
Important bonus: When I’m not in Berlin, for example when I’m on the road for my search engine startup studiolist.org, I do not pay room rental, but I can leave all things in the room. That’s how I finance my business trips (recently six weeks in the US, from New York City to LA on the land route).
P.S. Living in my mum’s house with 30+ years burdened me for months and years. I didn’t want to go public with that because I was afraid of the reactions, the ridicule, the malice - also regarding the dating of women. Not very sexy and independent, right? I hear you. But in the last few years, I’ve learned to ignore these sounds and voices and only follow my own sound(track).
I care about what I’m doing and who I’m helping with my actions. But I don’t care about your opinion or world view if it’s limiting my power radius, restricting my way of expressing myself or trying to destruct my overall positive attitude towards building ventures that transform lives for the benefit of society and the living environment.
This was my outing. I encourage you to out yourself too.
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[1] in Berlin, Germany, we say „Mutti“ when we mean mum or mummy.
Dan J. Jacobson, novelist, said:
Well-said and well-shared, mate. :)
Virginia Houser, running Gray House Dog Training, said:
This is awesome! It really resonated with me because I have a friend who is severely struggling with his day job, but his family has openly mocked his thoughts of becoming a business owner. As someone about to take that dive myself into full-time self-employment, this is definitely something I’ll be sharing with him (along with a few Gary Vee videos of a similar vein).
Hanna van Binsbergen, who is a fine artist & graphic designer, said:
You’re sharing an awesome story! I loved it 😊
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