FOR STUDENTS — FROM STUDENTS
Our mission is to bring together entrepreneurially-minded students from diverse backgrounds and support them on their journey to create value through technology and entrepreneurship. To fulfill this promise, we rely on the active contribution of our members.
How We Organize
First of all, we do not have a real hierarchy. There are two reasons for this. The first one is obvious: hierarchies are no fun! Secondly, telling a group of smart and motivated people what to do is just an utter waste of talent and energy. Like Steve Jobs used to say “My job is to hire great people and get out of their way”. The same principle is at work at START: we make sure to “hire” the most talented, ambitious and motivated members, and then we “get out of their way” – meaning, we’re always there to provide support and feedback, but we never micro-manage or monitor what the members do.
The Board
There are 5 Board Members at START, and each of them acts as Managing Director (MD) for their Department. The roles of President and Vice President are primarily symbolic, because all Board Members are equal.
The role of the Board is to ensure the continued success of START in the Munich startup ecosystem. Board Members are responsible for their Departments, but they do not micro-manage or enforce top-down directives. Rather, they represent an open ear and a helping hand for all other Members, and they make sure that every Member haseverything they need to flourish and benefit from their journey as a STARTie.
The departments
The only fixed structure at START are the Departments, of which there are five:
- Partnerships & Events: secures funding from external partners and organizes events with other players in the startup ecosystem
- Community: organizes all internal event for the START Community, from parties, to Startup visits, to field trips
- Human Resources: recruits and onboards 25 new STARTies each semester
- Operations & Growth: ensures that all legal, financial and administrative operations and processes run smoothly
- Marketing & Branding: establishes a strong Brand by curating content creation and promoting START Munich
The Departments are not individual siloes, but rather work and coordinate with each other. For example, HR and Marketing will work together to promote START (online and offline) and attract talented new members. Each Member can choose in which department they would like to work. Each Department is headed and represented by a Board Member
