Maschmeyer publicly discloses in his book that he composes during DHDL events
In the world of business and entrepreneurship, Carsten Maschmeyer, a seasoned investor on the German television show "The Lion's Den," has developed a unique approach to evaluating startups.
Maschmeyer's process begins with a thorough analysis of the market, sales potential, and margins, before considering the company valuation. This methodical approach allows him to make informed decisions and avoid overvalued startups that may seek free advertising time.
During pitches, Maschmeyer takes extensive notes, averaging two pages per startup. These notes serve a strategic purpose, helping him to follow up with startups he invests in, and aiding in operational discussions and impulse-giving.
Personality plays a significant role in Maschmeyer's investment decisions. He places great importance on meeting motivated founders, particularly young entrepreneurs with innovative products. While he values hard work and potential for growth, specific product assessments are not detailed in the available sources.
Maschmeyer's notes are not just a memory aid or organisational tool. They are filled with emojis that indicate his thoughts and reactions. A question mark might signal a follow-up question, an exclamation mark could indicate something great, and a lightning bolt stands for illogical points. A smiling emoticon is used to show impression with rhetoric and charisma.
However, Maschmeyer does not doodle, valuing his time highly. He finds it disrespectful when asked for the sum and percentage again by Georg Kofler, and believes they should focus on names, percentages, and sums during the pitch.
Maschmeyer evaluates a startup's potential by considering factors such as journalistic interest, potential as an applicant or cooperation partner, market, product, margins, and pricing. He also pays close attention to the founders' knowledge of their market and competition, as poorly prepared startups are perceived as taking the place of better-prepared teams.
During breaks, Maschmeyer notes down whom he should call or which emails he should answer for non-invested startups. He even takes note of the founders' names and the startup's name, as well as direct comments about the pitch, such as "weird logo" or "inappropriate name."
In some cases, Maschmeyer intentionally withholds thoughts until after the pitch to avoid unnecessarily inflating the valuation, as was the case with Nils Glagau. Maschmeyer values working actively with motivated founders and is particularly interested in young entrepreneurs and innovative products, emphasising hard work and the potential for growth.
