This interview was originally published in German and has been machine translated.
Hi Daniel, hi Ioannis, you are the founders of seatbase. What does your startup actually do?
We are developing a platform for managing cloud software. Specifically, we help companies efficiently manage their cloud applications – SaaS tools – gain transparency into their usage, and reduce unnecessary costs.
How would you describe your vision in one sentence?
We empower all IT professionals to excel in their daily work.
What was the trigger or problem that inspired you to start?
Ioannis: I have been working in IT for over ten years and have been involved in developing several software products. At the same time, I have always been fascinated by entrepreneurship. The combination of building technology and being self employed ultimately motivated me to take the leap into founding a company.
Daniel: seatbase is already my second startup. I had previously co-founded another company and realized how much I enjoy this kind of work. So it quickly became clear that I wanted to continue in this environment. Ioannis and I met at a startup speed dating event organized by Triathlon. After a few follow-up meetings, we quickly decided to work together on the seatbase project. We started with an initial idea, built a product, learned from conversations with potential customers, and continuously refined it. In the process, we realized that it’s not just about building a good product, it’s about truly understanding the problem in the market and how to solve it in a concrete way.
What did your path into entrepreneurship look like?
Daniel: Both of my parents are self-employed, so the desire to be my own boss was there early on. I’ve also always been fascinated by startups. During my studies at htw saar, I got to know the startup world more closely, for example through formats like the 5-Euro Startup. Through a social media post, I eventually came across an idea, connected with two other students, and that’s how my first startup was born.
Ioannis: I studied computer science at Saarland University and completed my master’s degree there. During that time, I worked extensively on artificial intelligence and time series forecasting. This also led to the original idea for seatbase: predicting license usage loads to help companies optimize costs. After an intensive research phase, we started building a team. Today, we have been part of the Triathlon ecosystem for over two years and received EXIST funding, which has helped us further drive the founding of seatbase.
What does your team look like today, and how do you complement each other in your daily work?
Our team currently consists of six people – four men and two women. The company was founded by three of us: Ioannis, Daniel, and Danish. Three additional team members strengthen our software development and business areas.
Right now, the focus is on product development, which is why the share of software developers is higher. In the future, we aim to grow more strongly in sales as well.
In day-to-day work, each team member has clear responsibilities, while we support each other where needed. We work with flat hierarchies, have a strong team spirit, and genuinely enjoy what we do. It’s especially important to us that everyone takes ownership and can organize themselves well. This combination of clear roles and mutual support works very well for us.
What has been your biggest challenge so far, and how did you deal with it?
Every day brings new challenges. Especially in the beginning, many things are unclear and hard to plan. You often don’t know what will happen next or what problems will arise. It’s important to accept this uncertainty and not be afraid of it.
One recurring challenge has been naming the company. Nowadays, almost every name – no matter how creative – is already taken, whether as a domain, brand, or company name. We actually chose two names that later turned out to be unusable. That’s why we strongly advise founders to be very thorough when choosing a name.
Is there a mistake you wouldn’t make again?
One key learning for us was team composition. Over time, we realized how important it is that people truly fit with us, our project, and the demands of a startup. In the future, we would take more time in selecting team members to ensure the fit is right. Ultimately, success depends on building a team with complementary personalities and skills.
Another point is timing the market entry. It’s crucial to enter the market early enough to gather feedback—but not too early. The product needs to be developed enough to generate meaningful feedback. Finding the right balance is not easy.
What has been the craziest moment in your startup journey so far?
Looking back at where we were just a year ago, it’s incredible to see where we are today. Take our platform: we built a product from scratch that meets the highest standards of companies, solves real customer problems, and makes their lives easier. What we’ve achieved so far feels quite surreal – and makes us very proud.
What advice would you give to someone currently thinking about starting a business?
Connect with others as much as possible. Network, talk to people in the startup scene, and become part of an ecosystem that supports you. And most importantly: dare to take the step. Many things can only be understood once you actually do it.
Thank you for your time!
