Three questions for Sissel Hansen, Danish entrepreneur based in Berlin, founder and CEO of the creative content and publishing company that produced the guidebook.
(Featured Image: Sissel Hansen founder Startup Guide, a creative content and publishing company / Image Credit © Startup Guide)
How did you come up with the SG idea?
I moved from Copenhagen to Berlin in 2012 for its open, vibrant and do-it-yourself spirit. At the time, everyone was talking about startups and companies were sprouting out everywhere in the city. Soon I realized that many people moved to Berlin with a similar urge to start a business or work for a startup but, like me, didn’t know where to begin. As I began researching, I noticed how difficult it was to find practical information about the city itself, but also advice on who to talk to and what to do to start a business in Berlin. That’s when I realized there was an opportunity here: I could collect all of this information in one place and make it accessible to others to help them navigate the startup scene in Berlin.
Our first book came out in Berlin in 2014 and it sold out in less than 48 hours. Today, Startup Guide is a creative content and publishing company that produces guidebooks and tools to help entrepreneurs navigate and connect with different startup scenes across the globe. Our books are in 18 different cities in Europe and the Middle East and have opened two physical stores in Berlin and Lisbon to promote and sell products by startups. As the world of work changes, our mission is to guide, empower and inspire people to start their own business anywhere.
“We hope the book will become a trusted companion for entrepreneurs as they start a new venture in a new city.”
How do your guides help entrepreneurs concretely?
So our books are based on traditional guidebooks that can be carried around everywhere. To ensure an accurate and trustworthy guide every time, we team up with a city partner that is established in the local startup scene. Each Startup Guide book is packed with useful information and data, exciting entrepreneur stories and insightful interviews with the movers and shakers in the local startup ecosystem. It cuts through the clutter to help entrepreneurs navigate and connect with different startup scenes around the world. We hope the book will become a trusted companion for entrepreneurs as they start a new venture in a new city.
“Though many people may be less likely to associate Luxembourg with thriving startup scenes in countries like the UK, France or the Nordics, in fact, it has a business climate that’s ripe for entrepreneurial activity and innovation.”
What do you think about Luxembourg’s startup ecosystem?
Luxembourg is known for having a high ranking when it comes to economics, education, life expectancy and income on the Human Development Index. These ingredients alongside a government that has been investing in its startup culture make it a perfect recipe for having a successful entrepreneurial community. Though many people may be less likely to associate Luxembourg with thriving startup scenes in countries like the UK, France or the Nordics, in fact, it has a business climate that’s ripe for entrepreneurial activity and innovation. Not only that, the small population and country size mean that it’s extremely easy to navigate both within and outside the country. You can reach the airport from the city center in a mere ten minutes, which is a big plus for the expansion of a startup business.
