In this podcast episode Andri Silberschmidt, entrepreneur & the youngest member of the Swiss parliament, talks about his entrepreneural journey and how he is supporting startups during the Covid-19 crisis.
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This message was kindly narrated by Gabriella Trujillo from HITS. Gabriella will be our new "Voice of HITS." She will complement the HITS team with her awesome video making skills & her broad know how in the area of communication.
💡In the first podcast episode Andri Silberschmidt explains how all his activities came together and what he as a Co-President of the Start-up Committee in the Swiss Parliament has been doing to help the start-ups in Switzerland succeed, and these days to overcome the COVID-19 health crisis. The measures taken in Switzerland to others are compared and the pros and cons of those as well. At the end the vision of the world post-crisis is touched.
To go out of the lockdown, every business should be treated the same way, no discrimination - Andri Silberschmidt
🎧 Listen here:https://www.voiceoffintech.com/episodes/andri
The following questions are answered by Andri in the podcast:
You are the co-founder of Kaisin. It seems like a delight start-up to me – could you briefly explain what does it do and why you and your team wanted to start a business like this?
You also have many other activities (charity, advisory to the family office) – can you briefly outline what are your goals there and how it all fits together?
Switzerland is considered by many as a friendly place for start-ups. What’s your view on this? What’s your view on the role of government in supporting start-ups?
We are now living in unprecedented times given the COVID-19 crisis. Switzerland launched several initiatives to help the most impacted parts of the economy. Could you explain the most relevant of those for start-ups? E.g. short-time work compensation or bridge loans?
You have been very active in the parliament, pointing out that the bridge loans are suitable for SMEs with a certain turnover, but not for start-ups, that by definition may have very little revenue. Can you explain your views on this and how you managed to progress them in Parliament?
Can you hint at any additional measures or adjustments to the current ones?
I guess everyone understands that the money for bailouts will come from somewhere, namely from future taxation, inflation, and partly redistribution. This has to be balanced with empathy for the most vulnerable and the need to overcome the government-mandated lockdown. What’s your view on Switzerland is handling this delicate balancing act?
As an entrepreneur in the food sector, what would be your preferred way to return to "normalcy"? Any thoughts on handling the payments or insurance in the post-lockdown world?
I know that you understand the need for scaling up one’s business – what would be your advice to early-stage founders or aspiring entrepreneurs on scaling a business based in Switzerland?
These are very uncertain times, but what are your plans for later this year and beyond?
One month before the federal council was not talking at all about startups - so this is a great success. - Andri Silberschmidt
🎧 Listen here: https://www.voiceoffintech.com/episodes/andri
HITS Team