"Flight taxis, meat from the laboratory, autonomous driving and kitchen robots are much closer than many believe," says entrepreneur Frank Thelen (44). In an interview with spot on news, the 44-year-old, who became known for the TV show "The Lion's Den", explains how our everyday life will change in the next few years.
Her new book is entitled "10xDNA: The Mindset of the Future". What does "10xDNA" mean?
Frank Thelen: 10xDNA means the attitude that makes great innovations possible in the first place. This mindset was created in 1969 for the moon landing project. What was technically impossible at the time was made possible by an outstanding team of engineers and scientists. In my opinion, this is the origin of 10xDNA. This is also the reason why Silicon Valley is home to the world's highest rated companies. They show a clear line to those involved in the Moonshot project. It is very important to me to wake up this 10xDNA in Germany. Because I am convinced that we can become a pioneer of innovation again if we only dare to think big.
You talk about future technologies in your book. How will these affect our lives and by when will they change the everyday life of everyone in Germany?
Thelen: Our life will change profoundly in the next ten years. Flight taxis, meat from the laboratory, autonomous driving and kitchen robots are much closer than many believe. The technologies on which these innovations are based have already been fully developed in the laboratories and some are already in use. The first robotic kitchens, autonomous trucks and steak grown in the laboratory already exist. When exactly these innovations enter the market nationwide depends on many factors. But the fact is, a lot will change in the next ten years.
Which of these technologies will change our lives next?
Thelen: I think in mobility we will feel the changes first. The electric car will gradually replace the combustion engine, the first flight taxi services will soon offer their services and sooner or later the computer will replace the man behind the wheel.
At "Die Höhle der Löwen" you also invested in start-ups from the food sector. How can the new technologies change the food industry?
Thelen: I just mentioned it, there are currently many teams working on growing meat in the laboratory. In the future, we won't have to slaughter a whole cow to get our steak. In addition, vertical farming will soon enable food to be grown in a confined space and thus close to the city, which is significantly more sustainable and should result in stable and lower prices in the long term. Here too, product innovations can still be expected. A start-up from our portfolio took advantage of retronasal smelling and developed a bottle in which you drink pure water and still perceive taste via smell. This has never happened before.
Where are German and European entrepreneurs compared to international competition when it comes to being innovative in the field of technologies of the future?
Thelen: There are also numerous visionary entrepreneurs in Germany and Europe who want to change the world with their technological innovations and who also have the potential to do so. What we often lack in this country is the mindset just described, which can be found, for example, in the USA.
What do Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk have that sets them apart from other entrepreneurs?
Thelen: The technical understanding, the necessary foresight, thinking ahead and the courage to act consistently. Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk have the 10xDNA. You plan in decades, not in quarters and aim for 10x leaps and not 10% optimization.
The corona crisis has meant a major economic cut. Is there an opportunity in it?
Thelen: Absolutely. Germany has been torn from its prosperity sleep by the crisis and is now ready to move again. Even if the next few months present many great challenges, I see an overall great opportunity for the German economy. If we now invest boldly and consistently in innovation, we could emerge stronger from the crisis.
How has the corona crisis affected your companies and finances?
Thelen: Our portfolio has largely been spared the crisis. Our food start-ups have even partially doubled their sales, and our tech start-ups are also continuing as normal as possible. Only upcoming financing rounds were a bit more cumbersome than usual. People are less willing to invest in times of crisis. Overall, we cannot complain.
One consequence of the Corona crisis for many people was that they worked in their home office. Do you think that is a model of the future?
Thelen: Personally, I'm not a big friend from my home office because I like coming to the office, but I think that every company should have the opportunity and the digital basis to work from home or on the go. What should definitely prevail is the readiness for video calls. At Freigeist, we held a large part of our meetings using zoom before Corona to avoid unnecessary business trips. If this were to prevail in other companies, it would not only be an important step for our environment, it would also save us all a lot of time at airports.
Payment without cash is currently standard due to the corona virus. Will the cash soon be completely old?
Thelen: If it is up to me, yes. But I think it will be a while before society is ready.
You have been advocating abolition of cash for years – why, what are the advantages?
Thelen: In the current situation that is obvious: it is unsafe, unsanitary and unnecessary. Wherever possible, I only try to make contactless payments with my Apple Watch and hope that this function will soon be offered everywhere – even to Corona.
Schools were and still are forced to switch to digital teaching. What opportunities do you see here for future education?
Thelen: I hope that the digital learning concepts that emerge out of necessity in schools will prevail and serve as a positive example of how digital learning can be integrated into everyday school life. I have been supporting the edusense project of a Cologne teacher for a long time. She successfully digitized her school class before Corona and is really pushing the topic forward. Right now, of course, the willingness for digital learning concepts is great and we should definitely use this momentum.