A clear statement from Dr. Philipp Baaske, Vice President for Entrepreneurship at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich:
Pitch & People Episodes
PITCH & PEOPLE episode 15: Philipp Baaske
"An innovation is only an innovation if it is used by the customer."
The physicist and co-founder of Nanotemper Technologies He knows what he's talking about – his company now has 215 employees, and 20 percent of all medications come into contact with a nanotemper device at some point.
In the interview, Baaske warns against a typical mistake made by many founders, especially those from academia: being too enamored with technology and lacking customer focus.
"It is not the best technology that prevails, but the one that is best used by the customer and therefore also bought."
What does that mean? Those who constantly develop and never venture out will lose. Success arises where technology meets real user problems – and through good storytelling, marketing, and sales.
"I was sometimes terrible."
Baaske also speaks openly about his early days as CEO at Nanotemper:
"I was sometimes terrible. I always felt I wasn't respected and therefore I pushed people into a corner."
The founder speaks honestly about that time: working 60 to 80 hours a week, dark rooms, constant time pressure, and the ever-present fear of going bankrupt the next day.
"That was in no way romantic. [...] And when the ninth [person] left, I understood that perhaps the problem lay with me and not with the employees."
This self-awareness marked a turning point. Today, Baaske sees leadership, among other things, as the responsibility to create spaces where people can work and grow "under good conditions." He describes his company as a "small village" where diversity, trust, and cohesion count. Fun fact: the Franconian village where he grew up has fewer inhabitants than the startup he founded.
Growth with attitude
Instead of pursuing rapid growth at any cost, Baaske opted for the "German Mittelstand way" at Nanotemper. What does that mean to him? Profitable, independent growth. It's a slow but often sustainable path that he advocates. His analysis: Of 16 competitors who received venture capital, hardly any still exist in the market today. And the founders who have achieved an exit often regret the sale. Nanotemper, on the other hand, has survived – and grown.
However, Baaske sees sustainable growth as not only a corporate but also a social responsibility.
“We paid 47 million euros in taxes with Nanotemper – the state invested 4 million.”
For him, this is proof that successful startups strengthen the state in the long term. Taxes are one thing, but there are also innovations that advance society and the economy, create jobs, and inspire employees to become entrepreneurs themselves.
Courage to embrace gaps and risks
As Vice President for Entrepreneurship at LMU, Baaske wants to share this experience with others. He can now pass on the knowledge he gained through free public education to students and researchers, thus giving something back to society. How will he truly succeed in his new role? He calls for less fear and more courage.
"If I'm afraid of failing, I won't do anything new. And if I don't do anything new, others will – and then we've lost."
His appeal to Munich's startup scene is clear:
“We should have more confidence, dare more – after all, we have the best conditions in Munich.”
