Falko Kremp, current Master in Management student
What have you done before your Master in Management (MIM)?
After my studies at Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in Social and Economic Contexts, I began working at Rocket Internet as an intern in the global PR department in Berlin. Shortly after, I became Junior Manager Communications in Glossybox, which is one of Rocket Internet’s portfolio ventures.
My studies provided me with a rich and diverse background. Topics covered during my three-years bachelor arose from fields such as Strategy, Marketing, Economics, as well Sociology, Psychology, Media Science and even Design and Art.
Beside my main studies I attended courses at HPI: School of Design Thinking and became certified Design Thinker.
With this broad skill set I entered the vibrant startup scene in Berlin at one of its core points: Rocket Internet. As an intern at Rocket I supported the portfolio ventures all around the globe. After promotion to Junior Manager Communications, I worked as person in charge for PR and Communication at Glossybox Germany.
Why did you decide to do the Masters?
Easy: I always wanted to become an entrepreneur. Living in Berlin for four years thus was all grist to my mill. Furthermore, as I see Freedom as one of my core values, becoming an entrepreneur is the logical consequence to me. Creating something from scratch, freely and without constraints from somebody except my team and perhaps the investors is the closest form to freedom I could imagine in a job.
Ultimately, what really drives me in this world is to build something that is bigger than me. In order to achieve this goal, a Master in Management seemed exactly what I needed. Our Professor for Entrepreneurship always says: “Numbers are for monkeys, ideas are for humans.“ I learned all about ideas and how to sell them in my undergraduate studies and my former job. But nevertheless I got the feeling that I have to know how to be a monkey before I really can get bananas.
Why did you chose IE Business School?
At IE Business School, Entrepreneurship is not just something that is written in the brochure but something that is lived throughout the whole institution. From the Venture Lab, that works like a small incubator for promising startups, to the Venture Day, which is a regular conference and pitch-competition, to Entrepreneurship classes during the terms, IE provides many possibilities to push yourself into the field.
Besides, I liked the student body. Welcoming and wanting people like me with a more “exotic“ backgrounds, was a top argument in favor for IE. I believe in the strengths of diverse teams. Also regarding different cultures – here, IE is unique anyway – but especially regarding personal and professional backgrounds.
What experiences have you gained during the program?
What I most enjoy is the speed of everything; of working, of learning, of Madrid. IE provides you with the tools, tasks and people to work on a constantly high-speed level confronting you with diversified challenges that always push your knowledge and your capabilities above your perceived limits.
Would you recommend the MIM?
You can bet your bottom dollar on that!
What are your next steps?
Accelerate – and then, in best case, bring our project to life. IE is the perfect environment to incubate a business opportunity. You have amazingly smart people, you have the institutional resources. Everything is there. All you got to do is make moves.
About the author