Name:
Lorenz Schmoly
Project:
Studo
Founding date - How long have you been working on your idea?
Our "official" launch was in April 2016, when Studo version 1.0.0 was released.
Founding trigger: How did you get the idea?
There is a very nice story about the creation of the Studo app: Our CTO Valentin Slawicek - a 2014 telematics student at Graz University of Technology - was on his way to his lecture. However, he couldn't find his lecture hall and due to the thick walls of the university, there was no internet reception to quickly search for the room on his smartphone. He arrived far too late for his lecture and was annoyed that there was still no app for studying in 2014. That same day, he sat down at his computer and programmed the original prototype of the Studo app.
Founding moment: How did you know that you wanted to realize your idea?
After the initial idea, the Studo app quickly spread by word of mouth: colleagues from the student hall of residence, friends in various Austrian student cities - everyone wanted Valentin's app for their university. At some point, the Studo founders knew that there was great potential here and decided to develop the Studo app for all students with immediate effect.
Elevator pitch of your project:
With Studo, students have their entire studies in one app. With timetables, emails, news and chat, you are always informed about everything that is going on at the university campus. Today, Studo is the most used student app in Austria. With Studo, we also work very closely with many Austrian universities to further develop the Studo app and implement joint development projects.
Elevator pitch about yourself:
I was born in Carinthia and love implementing digital development projects together with my team. For me, working together means more than just regular small talk - what counts for me is appreciation and trust, because only through these attributes can cool projects be realized. My credo is: "Love what you do, because that's the only way to inspire others for your work!"
How many of you are in the founding team and how did you come together?
Studo was founded by five students around CEO Julian Kainz, CTO Valentin Slawicek and Head of Brands Stefanie Horvath. I was able to build up Studo Austria together with my team.
University:
Graz University of Technology, FH JOANNEUM and University of Graz
How did your university support you when it came to founding and entrepreneurship?
The founding team worked intensively on their idea for the first time in the "Gründungsgarage" course at TU Graz and the University of Graz.
Do's: What would you recommend to any founder, or what would you do again?
A company stands and falls with its team. We have a very friendly, almost familial way of dealing with each other and also check with every new person who joins the team whether they fit in with the corporate culture and whether their personal vision is compatible with the company's vision.
Don`ts: What would you do differently? What was your biggest learning?
Focus on one product. In the early days of Studo, there were also ideas for other apps. However, Studo already had such a large community that it was constantly growing. At some point, the founders finally had to make a decision: Studo is the product we want to focus on.
How to start? - What would you recommend to anyone interested in starting a business?
Share your ideas with others and get feedback. Attend start-up events or - if you are still studying - attend courses on entrepreneurship at your university.
