Co-founder and CEO Marc Janssen introduces himself in our interview. He himself studied at the University of Oxford and, in addition to his founding experience from various Internet startups, brings with him experience as an investor and insights from the companies Capgemini, Océ and Canon. He talks about how he designs his event and what students can learn in his module.
What motivated you to teach at The Hochschule Niederrhein?
After working for global IT companies in various national and international middle and senior management positions for over 15 years until 2013, the time came for me to turn the tide and take a new path. Coming from an entrepreneurial family myself, I was also drawn in this direction and started my own business as an entrepreneur. With experience in strategic planning, product marketing, sales and programming, I started my first Internet company and also focused on consulting and university teaching.
Around this time, the Degree programme "Master of Science E-Commerce" was also founded at the Hochschule Niederrhein and for this I redeveloped and taught the course "Digital Business Models & Entrepreneurship". Two years ago, Prof. Dr. Vergossen approached me with the proposal to offer the module in the MBA Degree programme as well, since the students expressed the explicit wish in the evaluations to learn more about the topics "Digitalization" and "Start-Ups".
What I like about being a university lecturer is the opportunity to pass on one or two experiences I have had in the past. Another motivation is to stay in contact with the younger generation of people and to continue to deal with the current topics such as innovation and start-ups. I continue to find the exchange with students and with the digital industry very enriching.
Unfortunately, I no longer have time for consulting these days. After selling my first webshop, I founded a highly specialized data science company together with an Oxford fellow student. Neural Search Labs GmbH develops an AI-driven advertising platform for webshops that simultaneously advertise on multiple marketplaces as well as on Google. We call this cross-marketplace advertising. We are currently scaling this company up.
How did you feel about your first courses at the Hochschule Niederrhein?
I honestly don't remember my first course. However, I will have enjoyed it very much, as I have now been working as a university lecturer for almost 10 years.
More important, however, is the question of whether the fiftieth lecture was also fun. Fortunately, I can confirm this entirely, and this shows that the motivation is truly intrinsic and it is not just a superficiality. I continue to enjoy working with young people and learning from them. Along the way, I hope they also learn from me and through the experiences I share with them, better understand their social and business environment and they can make better decisions in both professional and personal contexts.
What can students expect from your course?
I myself completed my full-time MBA at the University of Oxford in Strategy & Finance. Therefore, my lectures are very Anglo-Saxon in nature and also take place in English. As I mentioned, the course was originally designed for The Hochschule Niederrhein's Master of Science E-Commerce program. My lecture revolves around start-ups and digital business models that can also be applied in established companies should the business become digitalized. At its core, the module deals with managing entrepreneurial opportunities and risks in small, agile teams in dynamic, digital business fields. Entrepreneurship is a management discipline that can be learned to some extent.
Theoretically, we cover basic concepts and thinkers such as Joseph Schumpeter, Clayton Christensen or even Peter Thiel. However, internalizing theory is not a goal in itself, but a tool to better deal with practice. For me, the link between theory and practice is an important goal.
In the practical part, we work with selected podcasts in which content from entrepreneurs and investors from the digital industry is conveyed. Afterwards, discussions about the content are initiated. As an explicit specialisation, we deal with female entrepreneurs and investors, because we still have far too few of them. The teaching method is particularly appreciated by career-integrated students, as podcasts can be listened to while driving or jogging, for example.
In addition, students work in teams on start-up projects that they can propose themselves. If they have serious plans in the pipeline, I put them in touch with business angels or VC investors, if necessary.
A third important component is the quantitative approach, because digital business models by definition generate a lot of data and therefore require data-driven management. Therefore, a Monte Carlo simulation with Excel is used to analyze the self-selected projects. Students should ideally have some Excel experience.
What advice would you give to first-year students of a career-integrated MBA?
I would like to give two tips to potential students.
Think well and honestly in advance about your expectations of the Degree programme and how the programme will help you in your ambitions. From top-20 global universities like Harvard, Stanford or Oxford to distance-only programs, there are thousands of opportunities to pursue MBA studies around the world. Pick the program that best suits you and your goals.
If you are aiming for a management position in large German corporations or medium-sized companies, the MBA Degree programme at the Hochschule Niederrhein is certainly worth considering. You will be comprehensively prepared for management positions and gain valuable insights into areas you were previously unaware of.
Then, once you've decided to take the MBA Degree programme, enjoy it! An MBA unleashes a wave of information, insight and work, so it's sometimes compared to trying to drink from a fire hose. Prepare for it, don't let it intimidate you, and enjoy this unique stage of your life!
