A passion for entrepreneurship: Lukasz Gadowski

But I guess only a small portion of those enrolled really want to get into business as a science.

You spent the first eight years of your life in Poland and you once mentioned that first generation immigrants make very good company founders. What's behind this entrepreneurial spirit?

You can observe that phenomenon in many countries, especially in the US, and there are some studies on first generation immigrants. Migrants have a very strong interest in moving up the social ladder. They aren't caught in set structures, and they know different cultures. They are open to change, and that's what a company does — change things.

What's your advice for people with business ideas — start small or look for a big investor?

When we started our business we had no capital, no investor, nothing. It always depends on the line of business. If you don't need an investor, you're better off without one, because you still have everything under control.

You stepped down from your office as Spreadshirt's CEO last year. You're still involved with the company but it's obviously not your main focus anymore. What are your current projects?

I consider myself an internet entrepreneur. I found new companies, I invest in early-stage startups ... I want to do new things and promote entrepreneurship in Germany.

Is it hard to hand over responsibilities and let go?

It's really not that easy, but you have to do it at some point. Some people can't do that at all — or don't want to. I was always thrilled to found companies or to support other people in doing so. If you're out for a new endeavor, you have to leave the old one behind. There are people who like it where they are and don't have a reason to let go. If you're not able to do the job properly but still can't let go, it's a problem for the company.

The most successful people have often learned from a history of failures. Does that hold true for you?

I was also involved in some projects which didn't work out properly from the very start. I think it's perfectly normal that startups fail sometimes. At that stage you can gain valuable experience. The most important thing is not to get too deep in debt.

Mr. Gadowski, thank you for this interview.

Related Websites: www.spreadshirt.de, www.gruenderszene.de