“Jumped into cold water early” [Interview with Frederik Schröder & the Horizont Foundation]
This interview was published in HORIZONT magazine 6-7/2021 on February 11, 2021 and was conducted by Roland Karle.
Frederik Schröder (managing director of moinAI [by knowhere]] received a grant from the HORIZON Foundation in 2016 — and knew exactly that he wanted to become an entrepreneur. Today, he brings artificial intelligence into practice.
Roland Karle: When you think back to the award ceremony, Mr. Schröder: What do you remember the most?
Frederik Schröder: The moment I stood on the HORIZONT stage in front of the most renowned media experts in Frankfurt, received my award and was asked: “If you could choose a company that you could work for — which would it be? ”
Now I'm excited.
I answered: “As much as I admire all the companies present here, the next step I won't be able to work for any of them, because my biggest goal is to start my own company. ”
And that worked?
Yes My goal of running a successful company has been fulfilled and presents me with new challenges every day. I am now managing director of Moin.ai, a self-learning AI chatbot solution for automating digital customer communication. We also work for clients from the media industry, such as Spiegel-Verlag, Tagesschau, NOZ Medien.
Did the scholarship play a role in your later professional life or established contacts?
The award has opened several doors for me in the media industry. For example, I gave a presentation together with one of our customers at HORIZONT Digital Marketing Days in Hamburg.
What did you actually use your prize money for?
That went into founding my company.
What have been the defining stages of your career so far?
First, the dual study program at Südwestrundfunk, which enabled me to learn all the basics of business and experience a company from within for the first time. As a result of my self-employment in addition to studying and numerous start-up attempts, I jumped into “cold water” early on — valuable experience. As managing director of Moin.ai, one of my highlights was talking to a customer at the OMR Festival in front of over 1000 people about the successful AI chatbot implementation.
What did you find out about yourself?
An important insight that became clear to me while studying human-computer interaction in Hamburg: That's when I realized that programming isn't my strong suit, but it is getting people excited about technologies.
Which guiding principle determines your career path?
Be the change you want to see in the world.
