How to Create New Opportunities: 3 Untold Stories from 2024

About this episode

As we start the new year, I want to share three stories from 2024 that I've never told publicly before. These anecdotes perfectly demonstrate how small decisions and bold questions can lead to completely unexpected opportunities – from exclusive Silicon Valley events to charity dinners with top athletes.

The Power of Simply Asking: Contacts Are Your Most Valuable Asset

The first story begins with a simple realization: The most valuable asset you can have as a founder isn't your ideas or capital – it's your contacts and your contacts' contacts.

I had the chance to attend a very exclusive event in Silicon Valley. Not because I received an invitation, but because I simply asked. A contact in my network knew someone, who in turn knew someone else. Instead of thinking "This will never work anyway," I wrote a polite but direct message.

The result? Not just an acceptance, but access to a network that opened completely new perspectives for me. The most important lesson: Your network is only as strong as your willingness to actually use it. Many founders shy away from asking "too much." But the opposite is true – people love to help when you ask authentically and respectfully.

From YouTube Video to €250,000 Project

The second anecdote shows how unpredictable success can be. It all started with a YouTube video I had created on the side. Nothing special, I thought – just another contribution to the channel.

Weeks later, someone who had seen this video reached out. This developed into a conversation, then a meeting, then a business idea. What began as a 10-minute video became a €250,000 project.

The butterfly effect in its purest form: A small action – uploading a video – led to a completely unexpected business opportunity. This reminds me again and again why consistency is so important. You never know which content, which post, or which conversation will make the decisive difference.

The lesson: Take every small step seriously, even if it seems insignificant. The biggest opportunities often come from the most inconspicuous moments.

Connecting Business and Sports: When Ideas Take Their Own Path

The third story is about connecting business and sports – and how ideas can evolve, even when they turn out differently than planned.

Originally, I had an idea for an event that would bring business and sports together. But during implementation, the concept evolved further. The original idea eventually became a charity networking dinner with top athletes.

What impressed me most: How willing successful athletes were to engage for a good cause. Again, it was the direct, honest approach that made the difference. No complicated pitches or endless email chains – just the clear question: "Would you like to be part of this?"

The event became a great success, even though it looked completely different from what was originally planned. And that's okay. Sometimes the best results are the ones we couldn't foresee at all.

Key Learnings for 2025

From these three stories, I draw five concrete learnings for the new year:

1. Just ask. The worst that can happen is a "no." The best can change your life.

2. Actively use your network. Contacts are only valuable if you actually use them – respectfully and authentically.

3. Be consistent in what you do. You never know which content or action will bring the decisive breakthrough.

4. Let ideas evolve. Not every project has to end the way it began. Sometimes the unexpected turns are the best ones.

5. Courage pays off. "Bold" questions and courageous decisions open doors you never thought possible.

The Impulse for 2025: Just Do It

These three anecdotes have one thing in common: They all emerged because I took the first step without knowing where it would lead. Whether it was asking about an event, uploading a video, or implementing an initially vague idea – the deciding factor was always: Just do it.

2025 will be the year of action-takers. Not the planners, not the hesitators, but the founders who have the courage to take the first step, even when the path isn't clear yet.

What question will you ask? What video will you upload? What idea will you implement? The biggest opportunities don't wait for the perfect moment – they emerge when you start taking action.