Almost half of all startup founders in Germany initially worked for a large corporation. 39.5 percent came from mid-sized companies. This is shown by the ‘German Startup Monitor 2025‘ from the Startup Association and thoroughly dispels the cliché of the dropout founder.
The typical German startup entrepreneur is 37.7 years old, has professional experience, and knows their market from the inside. And often they didn’t build their startup overnight, but developed it alongside their main job first.
The classic hero’s story – quit, risk everything, fail or triumph – is losing its shine.
Test first, then leap
The main advantage of founding a startup alongside your main job is that your salary keeps coming. Anyone who can cover their fixed costs monthly without relying on initial startup revenues enjoys a luxury that full-time founders don’t have.
Dr. Andreas Lutz, chairman of the Association of Founders and Self-Employed Germany (VGSD), describes part-time founding as a “low-risk way to test demand for a business idea – and whether you enjoy it yourself.” If you fail, you haven’t lost everything, and if you succeed, you already have a first customer base with real numbers to show. This makes later investor conversations easier.
How well this can work is demonstrated by the well-known Munich example Flix (formerly Flixbus). Jochen Engert was a management consultant and working on his doctorate when the liberalization of Germany’s long-distance bus market became foreseeable in 2011. Together with BCG colleague André Schwämmlein, also still in the middle of his doctorate, and business information systems specialist Daniel Krauss, who was then employed at Microsoft, he developed the idea for a long-distance bus company. For months, the main job and founding work ran in parallel. Only when it became clear that the market would actually open did they take the leap in 2013. Today the company is valued at around 3 billion euros and operates in over 45 countries.
The trio could not have developed the idea under these conditions if they had not still been in a structured working life. Their employment gave them the time and financial buffer to wait for the right moment.
Prerequisite: a favorable employment contract
Part-time founding requires that this is permitted by the employment contract. During an ongoing employment relationship, a statutory non-compete clause automatically applies according to sections 60 et seq. of the German Commercial Code (HGB). It prohibits competing with your employer without this being explicitly stated in the contract. So if, for example, you work as a product manager at a software company and build your own SaaS product for the same target group, you’re on thin ice.
Additionally, many employment contracts contain clauses on secondary activities that create a notification requirement. Ignoring this risks a warning and, in the worst case, immediate termination.
What many don’t know: the statutory non-compete clause applies not only while actively employed, but also during the notice period and even when released from work. Registering a competing company quickly in your last month can therefore also backfire.
When 24 hours aren’t enough
An often underestimated factor is the additional workload on top of your regular job. Anyone working on their own company late into the night after an eight-hour day will feel it. First in your free time, then in your social environment, and finally in your own health. According to a 2026 study by Wilbur Labs that surveyed 200 founders, 90 percent experienced stress or burnout so severely that they considered giving up at least temporarily. According to an analysis by CB Insights from 2021, moreover, every twentieth startup failure is directly attributed to burnout. If you want to counteract this, you need structure above all. Here are some concrete approaches that have proven successful in practice.
Fixed time blocks instead of open availability: If you don’t define when you work on your startup, you either always work or never do. Two fixed evenings per week plus a half day on Saturday are often worth more than an hour daily squeezed in between. This also includes a clear upper limit. When the time is up, it’s up.
Sort tasks by the Eisenhower principle: What is really important and urgent, and what just feels that way? Part-time founders especially easily lose time on tasks that are visible but not decisive.
Delegate as early as possible: Many part-time founders believe they have to do everything themselves. Bookkeeping, social media management, or website updates can often be outsourced early to students, freelancers, or tools. Those who protect their limited time for real management matters move forward faster.
Do less, but do the right thing: Andy Bruckschlögl, serial founder, co-initiator of Bits & Pretzels, and author of the startup guide ‘Startup!’, describes one of the most common mistakes young founders make like this: they want to do too much at once. His advice: focus on purpose instead of scaling. Those who know why they’re founding make better decisions about what to leave out.
Deliberately seek peer groups: Networking with other founders in the same situation is a real survival strategy.
When should I quit?
At some point, the question arises of when the right time to quit is. There is no simple answer, but there are a few indicators. The startup generates regular income, first customers are no longer just acquaintances, and your own exhaustion makes clear that two parallel worlds won’t work long-term. If you wait too long, you risk losing momentum.
The Münchner Gründungsbüro recommends clarifying this timing together with your health insurance company, tax advisor, and your network if you have one. Support offers such as consulting and coaching grants are sometimes available to part-time founders as well.
Conclusion
78 percent of founders in the ‘German Startup Monitor 2025’ would found again. Starting part-time doesn’t mean taking it less seriously. Sometimes it means exactly the opposite.
