Team Spotlight—Get to Know Markus

Many of the revolutionary concepts and technologies behind Tapkey can be traced back to him—our co-CEO and co-founder Markus. In the team interview, he not only talks about his job, his best career lesson and work philosophy, but also what he likes to do outside of work and which book was so good he couldn’t put it down.

 

What does your job entail?

As co-CEO and CTO, my main focus is the technology underpinning Tapkey. As a CEO, however, you don’t just deal with one topic, but with a variety of matters that are relevant to the progress of the company. Central for me are the development and operation of our products and their respective functions. I’m not a one-man band though; my team supports me every step of the way. Fortunately, the size of our team means that I can often lend a hand with the technical implementation of the projects we have planned.

 

What do you like most about your job?

I love being able to spend every day doing what I enjoy most—building a great product with a great team. A product that generates tangible added value for our customers and, above all, represents real innovation.

 

What is the toughest part of your job?

The most challenging part is also the one that is most interesting, namely making the right decisions. We’re building today what our customers will need tomorrow, which means we always have an eye on the future. In other words, understanding what will be needed in the future, determining what we need to do now to achieve this and then setting the course accordingly.

 

What is the best career lesson you’ve learned so far?

If you want to have a successful product, it’s essential that all aspects of the product and company work together seamlessly. It’s not enough to have a good product idea or to implement something well. It’s also not enough to just have excellent marketing or good sales. Everything has to work together. For example, a good product is nothing without good marketing; and good marketing is nothing without a good product. This may sound rather obvious, but internalizing this and applying it every day is certainly one of the most crucial aspects of successful work.

 

What is your work philosophy?

I’m someone who believes you always have to see things from a holistic perspective. You absolutely need individuals who are detail-oriented to the nth degree. Above all, however, you need people who understand the big picture. This holistic view of a product is crucial, and it’s even more important in a start-up like Tapkey than it is in larger organizations.

 

How did the founding of Tapkey come about & what was your role in it?

Tapkey grew out of our parent company, Phactum GmbH. I founded Phactum in 2006 together with some friends. In 2012, Gregor, Jochen and I in particular then started working on locking technology—this is when we developed and tested the first prototypes. This eventually evolved into Tapkey GmbH.

 

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

Keeping busy with my three children. I also enjoy playing piano and engaging with my family’s farm on the side. When I find time, which is unfortunately far too seldom, I sometimes borrow an aeroplane to gaze at the world from above.

 

What’s a fun fact about you many people may not know?

I have a special relationship with strawberries 😉

 

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Albert Einstein. Because it’s almost unbelievable how he understood the world and saw connections that no one else recognized. I would really like to have a chat with him.

 

What is the one thing that you can’t live without?

My family of course! But also challenges—without them, life would just be boring!

 

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Being able to convince people of the greater good.

 

What book was so good, you couldn’t put it down?

There are a few. I found Computer Thinking by Roger Penrose really exciting, but it’s been a while since I’ve read it. It deals with topics around consciousness—certainly worth your time!