The Munich-based startup Mindshine is on trend with its idea. The four founders have developed an app that serves as a 'personal trainer' for the mind. How does this mental training work? Founder Stephan Hauner explains in his answers to our 7 questions.
1. Who are you and what do you do?
We are Joachim, David, De Long and I, Stephan, from Mindshine.
Mindshine is a personal training app for the mind. In short sessions, users can let go of negative and limiting thought patterns, develop routines, and thus navigate their increasingly hectic daily lives more effectively and fulfillingly. We offer personalized training plans for this. These are called, for example, 'Positive Intelligence,' 'Master of Time,' 'Simply Relax,' or 'Laser Focus.' It's essentially 'Freeletics for the mind.'
We're often compared to mindfulness or meditation apps. The difference here is sustainability. While these apps work on the surface, we work at the root cause—at the thought and behavior patterns. That doesn't mean meditation is bad. We meditate regularly ourselves. It's just one building block among many.
Mindshine: Active mental training for users
2. But that's been around for a long time!
Mental training has existed for centuries and has its origins in spirituality, which goes back even further. Based on 20 years of cumulative coaching experience, we curate the latest scientific findings and success formulas from competitive athletes, top entrepreneurs, and spiritual teachers. We then translate these findings into short, effective training sessions.
Most tools for personal growth focus on imparting knowledge. Mindshine focuses on active application. Perhaps there's something similar out there. It's important to us that we reach as many people as possible with our training and support them in achieving success and fulfillment.
3. What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Challenges arise every day. But we're most proud of our content and the process behind it. From research and creative writing to the professional production of audio content in German and English, we've now developed a well-oiled content machine. But the road to getting there was tough. None of us had any relevant prior experience.
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
We just launched the app. Feel free to ask us again in a year! So far, it feels right and good.
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Munich offers the perfect mix of startup infrastructure and leisure activities. Being able to reach five amazing lakes and the mountains within an hour is simply awesome. The startup scene is incredibly open and supportive. And our office is diagonally across from the Theresienwiese, which is unbeatable during Oktoberfest...
The path to becoming a unicorn: hard work and positive thinking
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
With a mixture of honest, hard work and a lot of positive thinking—that's what Mindshine is all about! And even if it doesn't turn out to be a commercial success, we all learned a ton and were able to live our passion. That alone would have made it worthwhile.
7. Beer or Prosecco?
Sometimes Giesinger, sometimes Tegernseer and every now and then an Augustiner.
