A consultancy as an incubator for start-ups - summary of the episode

In this episode of our podcast, Dr. Eddie Dubiel, the founder and Managing Director of zeb.applied, is our guest. Eddie has spent almost his entire professional career at zeb. Starting off as an intern, he later completed our doctoral program and eventually became a Manager at zeb. In 2019, he decided to establish the start-up zeb.applied as a zeb spin-off. The current team with its ten members has set itself the overall goal of developing digital solutions and implementing them technically. zeb.applied supports various companies in their digital transformation, especially in the integration of digital business models. It was a logical step to found it as a spin-off, as zeb.applied needs diverse specialized profiles in addition to more traditional consulting profiles in order to assert itself in the market. With zeb as a strong partner and incubator, zeb.applied combines professional expertise in a strictly regulated market with an agile fintech mindset. zeb.applied and zeb cooperate closely, exchanging topic-related ideas.

Probably the greatest project success of zeb.applied has been the go-live of a comprehensive, digital business model for a major client. During the final presentation, the management praised the fast and client-oriented implementation of the project as well as the fact that it stayed within budget despite unforeseen events. Above all, the close collaboration and the joint development into a strong team have characterized the project work with zeb.applied. Eddie is especially proud of this praise. He values the diversity of his team in terms of age structure, professional background and personal character. He regards this composition as the necessary core for productive expansion. His goal is to continue to grow with zeb.applied in a balanced gender ratio.

When is the right time to found one’s own company? Eddie says that personal development within a start-up provides a sort of safety net. This experience alone makes it worthwhile to take this step despite difficult situations and some setbacks. It is crucial that the company’s idea inspires the founders and employees – and advances their development. Only then is it possible to cushion the start-up against the natural ups and downs and look ahead with motivation.