Entrepreneur Frank Thelen (44) has said goodbye to the popular start-up show "The Lion's Den" and has just published a new book with "10xDNA: The Mindset of the Future". In an interview with the news agency spot on news, he reveals whether he already misses his TV job.
They became known through "The Lion's Den". Do you benefit from celebrity status as an entrepreneur?
Frank Thelen: I would be lying if I said that it wasn't. My name has already opened a few doors for me and I have built up a very strong network in recent years. The show also gave me a voice to place my heart topics in society. "10xDNA" got on place 4 of the "Spiegel" bestseller list in the first week. So I managed to place the topic of technology in the broad masses. Without "DHDL" that would have been much more difficult.
If the "cave" could run out of founders, does it make sense to start up now in the Corona crisis?
Thelen: I don't think so, no. If you have a good idea and are convinced of it, you can start a company now. I went through a crisis in 1999/2000 and can therefore say from experience: It will get better again. Prospective founders should of course keep an eye on the situation, but should not be discouraged.
Do you sometimes miss your TV job and which colleagues do you still have regular contact with?
Thelen: Of course I had a good time in the studio, but my heart beats for technology and I am very grateful to be able to spend a large part of my time building up disruptive tech start-ups. I still have the most contact with Judith, we are also good friends privately. I am still in contact with Ralf, we invested in air up together outside of the show and I still appreciate him very much.
What has changed in your private life since you left TV?
Thelen: To be honest, very little. I have not completely withdrawn from the public, continue to accept invitations to talk shows and express myself on economic and technical topics.
You have just invested in a space start-up. Can you make money in space? Would you like to fly into space yourself?
Thelen: We assume that the space market will grow enormously in the next few years. Regardless, EnduroSat has been a very sensible investment in our eyes as it will allow us to make smarter decisions based on data in the future. I personally do not like space as a destination, but I am happy that thanks to EnduroSat, space data will be made available to our researchers and scientists in the future in order to make our world a bit better.