Munich Startup: Did you start the business alone or with partners?
Tina Ruseva: Alone, and always looking for partnerships. At Mentessa, I'm excited to be working with my husband for the first time, in a family-run business. He officially joined as a co-founder with the 2022 financing round, but has always been my biggest fan and supporter.
Munich Startup: What motivated you to start the company?
Tina Ruseva: Between my startups, I returned to the corporate world for a few years. I was shocked by how little communication there was—between different functions, but also between departments and hierarchical levels. Such silos not only create inefficiencies, they also degrade the corporate culture and inhibit innovation. As a founder, I knew that creating something new requires exchange and collaboration with experts. Transformation also requires learning and collaboration within a collective.
Even large corporations today rely on this culture of dialogue to avoid being pushed out of the market in times of rapid change. It also makes the world of work fairer, for example, for women. This is precisely where I wanted to make a difference.
Tina Ruseva: “You can’t achieve anything great alone”
Munich Startup: What would you have liked to have known before you started your first company?
Tina Ruseva: I wish I'd known earlier about the driving force of good, productive working relationships. Because you can't accomplish anything great alone. By that, I don't mean the strategic, upward-oriented "networking" that's so prevalent today, but rather the interactions between people and the social integration within a team. Connection creates commitment and opens doors where they would otherwise remain closed. For a long time, I also wasn't aware of how I was perceived outside as a woman in tech, as a woman in leadership, or as a "female founder." To be honest, I'm glad about that, because it allowed me to pursue my goals authentically. Ultimately, that's what matters.
Munich Startup: How has your company been financed so far?
Tina Ruseva: We were bootstrapped for the first two and a half years until we reached a turnover of 500,000 euros. Then in 2022 came a pre-seed round from Eleven Ventures (VC) as well as 2023 a major EU funding for EIT DigitalA good mix of financing sources makes us flexible and resilient in the face of change.
Good mix of financing sources
Munich Startup: When and where do you get the best ideas?
Tina Ruseva: When I'm out walking the dog. There, I usually meet other dog owners who have nothing to do with my profession and who open up very interesting new perspectives for me. Exchanging ideas outside of the bubble is very important for creativity and problem-solving. The same thing happens with books from other disciplines. That's why I enjoy reading a lot.
Munich Startup: What are your 3 favorite work tools?
Tina Ruseva:
- LinkedIn – it is my Slack with the world. I actually use it as a collaboration platform.
- My smartwatch – it is my mentor for good habits and reminds me to drink water and go outside between meetings, for example.
- Docusign! As a managing director, I sign several documents a week. Before this tool, it was really tedious. Thanks, Docusign.
Munich Startup: Your top tip on pitching?
Tina Ruseva: Pitching is like public speaking – it doesn't matter what you say if you don't mean it. That's why the rule is: Mean it! Authenticity makes pitches memorable! Investors listen to hundreds of them every week – they can't keep up with the templates and clichés. With your own startup story, you already have a real hook and get the conversation started.
“Any time is a good time to start a business”
Munich Startup: Does this seem like a good time to start a business? Why?
Tina Ruseva: Any time is a good time to start a business. The world needs solutions and the builders who create them. Today more than ever – to preserve democracy, freedom of expression, the principles of our society, and prosperity. It's not about timing, but about driving force. When it comes to investing money, you can perfectly determine the right time. But when it comes to impact, the answer is always: yesterday! As a founder, you should always be driven by what you want to achieve and ask yourself which problem is worth finding a solution for. The rest will follow.
Munich Startup: Which technology or industry would you focus on for your next startup?
Tina Ruseva: I've made work my profession. As the founder of Mentessa, president of the German New Work Association, and initiator of the "Big & Growing New Work" festival. I'm not guided by the industry or technology, but by my mission: to remove barriers to exchange and development for everyone in the world of work. That's why we're currently founding Mentessa, a new consulting firm for team culture. There's a lot to do!
“Munich is a fantastic place to start a startup”
Munich Startup: In your opinion, what could be improved at the Munich startup location?
Tina Ruseva: Munich is a fantastic place to start a startup. As a business location, the city is home to many potential customers and a diverse startup ecosystem. This offers numerous funding opportunities that aren't available elsewhere. It's also home to many investors and top universities where you can find potential co-founders, employees, and innovations.
Unfortunately, the local culture also relies heavily on "relationships" in the traditional sense. As a woman, "with a migrant background," or with a different skin color, you quickly find yourself marginalized outside the startup scene. Yesterday's "nepotism" needs to go! Munich has long been an international metropolis with a high proportion of migrants and alternative lifestyles. Diverse backgrounds are not a weakness, but a strength. This is an enrichment and an opportunity, because no one can do everything, and everyone can do something. A strong community is built on strong individuals.
Munich Startup: Which founder would you like to meet in person? And what would you ask them?
Tina Ruseva: Hanno Renner. Personio is a great role model for us as an HR tech startup. I would like to discuss his predictions for the future of work with him and learn about the principles he used to shape the corporate culture at Personio, as well as get his recommendations for scaling Mentessa into a unicorn.
