{"id":7604,"date":"2024-09-23T22:20:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T20:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davidreger.com\/?p=7604"},"modified":"2024-09-23T22:20:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T20:20:00","slug":"time-for-a-new-mindset-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davidreger.com\/en\/time-for-a-new-mindset-in-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Time for a New Mindset in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

A lot has changed since I started writing this blog two years ago. Today, business, politics, and the media are almost in agreement that robotics is definitely the \u201cnext big thing.\u201d We\u2019re talking about the quantum leap marked by recent technological developments in this field, comparable to the major turning points of past industrial revolutions. I always make my vision on this matter clear in public: Germany must take the international lead in cognitive and humanoid robotics! This might be our last chance to reclaim our place as a leading technology and economic power. Pensions, climate policy, refugees \u2013 the major financial challenges of the near future would quickly lose their sting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I constantly emphasize that Germany has the best prerequisites to lead the global robotics market. And lately, I\u2019ve been upfront about adding that we can only achieve this if we change our mindset. This conclusion is inevitable when you look at the roots of the biggest companies of the digital age \u2013 like Amazon, Apple, Google, or Microsoft. But even looking at the early days of Germany as an industrial nation supports this theory. For this article, I had the help of a writing team to provide more detailed backing for my claim. That\u2019s why this post is a bit longer than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 A Look Back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And now, back to the mindset: In Germany, we have all the technical prerequisites to take the international lead in cognitive robotics. At Neura Robotics, we managed to establish the entire value chain in-house within two to three years: from design to construction to AI. But that alone isn\u2019t why Neura is the only German player in the global competition for humanoid robotics today. The resources and know-how exist across several corporations and mid-sized companies in Germany, many of which are world leaders in automation, sensor technology, and control systems. So, what\u2019s different about Neura? The mindset! In the context of this article, it\u2019s the only logical answer. But I owe it to you to make that concrete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spent a lot of time in San Francisco, working as a social worker supporting a community project. Even today, I\u2019m often in the U.S., whether I\u2019m having talks with partners or investors as the CEO and founder of Neura. My insight into American society ranges from the bottom to the top: The belief that what is imaginable is achievable, the so-called \u201cAmerican Dream,\u201d runs through all social classes. It\u2019s part of the societal DNA to believe in a goal and deny skeptics the right to judge your dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I brought this mindset back to Germany, and today, it\u2019s a fundamental part of Neura\u2019s DNA. I\u2019m saying this deliberately: It\u2019s part of our DNA! Because only in combination with some \u201ctypically German\u201d traits did a company like Neura become possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there are key points where we need to develop further here in Germany if we want to stay competitive in a globalized high-tech world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example 1: Attitude Toward Failure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a start-up in the U.S. goes bankrupt, it\u2019s not a big deal. The experience is simply chalked up as part of learning. People are confident: Next time, things will go better! They cite examples of prominent figures who have hit the wall before. It\u2019s a way to inspire hope. Things are different here in Germany: If someone is responsible for a failure or doesn\u2019t reach their goals as planned, they are often seen as a failure. We prefer to look back and assign blame rather than look forward and learn how to do better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The European Football Championship just ended. Can anyone name a top player who\u2019s never lost a game? Cristiano Ronaldo or Toni Kroos have won countless titles \u2013 and they\u2019ve also lost many times. What would have happened if they had been benched after their first defeat? Unfortunately, that\u2019s often the path taken in German business. What a massive waste of talent and resources!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example 2: Enthusiasm for Visions and Visionaries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I respect anyone who dares to take new paths! Let\u2019s look forward to the future and everything it has in store for us. Let\u2019s strengthen our sense of unity, like Daimler, Maybach, Bosch & Co. did during the founding era. I\u2019ve written about this in my blog post \u201cThe Power of Vision,\u201d so I won\u2019t go into detail again here. Germany needs the same kind of enthusiasm for technology as it had back then because it brought with it a strong sense of \u201cwe\u2019re in this together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example 3: Micro-Management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germany has also transformed over the past hundred years from a country of founders and family businesses into a country of managers. Particularly in recent decades, delegating and handing off responsibility have become widely accepted management styles. This phenomenon also exists in politics and public administration, where more and more external consultants create decision-making frameworks, thus removing responsibility from those in charge. On the other hand, many companies have already started reducing staff in what\u2019s known as \u201cmiddle management.\u201d A lot of information gets lost when the visions and feedback from company leadership are passed down to the operational teams third- or fourth-hand. But most importantly, something essential is lost \u2013 something more crucial now than ever: speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at the roots of successful companies \u2013 whether it\u2019s a hundred years ago in Germany or today\u2019s Silicon Valley \u2013 you\u2019ll find structures where founders practice so-called \u201cmicro-management.\u201d Steve Jobs was known for getting involved in every detail. Elon Musk does the same. Especially in today\u2019s fast-paced world, \u201cleader personalities\u201d need to be generalists who can adapt their tactics \u2013 if necessary \u2013 on a daily basis. Micro-management often has a negative connotation today and is seen as a lack of trust. But the success of micro-management tells a different story. It\u2019s the key to maintaining speed and the only way to quickly recognize when a direction is being taken in the company that doesn\u2019t align with the set goals. My team would definitely describe me as a micro-manager. If necessary, I personally get involved everywhere. That\u2019s the only way I, as the founder and CEO, can stand behind my investors and ensure that we\u2019re getting the best out of every area to meet our goals. I\u2019d never forgive myself if I didn\u2019t at least try to contribute to solving a tricky problem in any part of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cognitive Robotics Requires Responsibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every past industrial revolution has significantly advanced the world through a technological leap. At the same time, every major technical achievement has also raised ethical and moral questions. Those who develop robots that will profoundly shape people\u2019s daily lives in the future must bring a high level of responsibility. Germany has become a responsible nation; we always strive to think ahead and take ethical and moral questions very seriously. This is definitely a strength we must nurture and maintain in our mindset. Let\u2019s complement it with a strong belief that we can achieve even what seems impossible! Let\u2019s stick together and see every setback as a positive experience \u2013 as a \u201clearning\u201d that helps us reach our goal even faster!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Good Idea Alone Doesn’t Make the Next Big Thing. It takes the mindset to believe in an idea and the strong will to turn it into something groundbreaking. Both have been lost in Europe, especially in Germany.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":7239,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,38,41,31,35,1],"tags":[169,196,161,147,174,73,210],"class_list":{"0":"post-7604","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-business","8":"category-economy","9":"category-neura-robotics","11":"category-thoughts","12":"category-uncategorized","13":"tag-ai-2","14":"tag-business-location","15":"tag-founding-era","16":"tag-germany","17":"tag-mindset","19":"tag-robotics"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTime for a New Mindset in Europe - David Reger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"David Reger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/davidreger.com\/en\/time-for-a-new-mindset-in-europe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Time for a New Mindset in Europe - 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