Somehow, everyone seems to be sustainable nowadays, or at least they all claim to be. Is "impact" becoming a buzzword today?
Kristina Notz: In my view, impact is definitely a trend word! It is currently used very frequently in many different contexts, which makes the term interchangeable and creates confusion as to what it actually means. I think it's a trend of our time that we always have words that are on everyone's lips. Of course, this has the advantage that topics then get more attention, which is useful for the cause. At the same time, however, it is of course difficult when the aforementioned confusion arises. You have to be careful here that consumers are not led around by the nose by presenting a negative impact in a slightly more attractive light than the reality - I would call that greenwashing. You have to look behind the scenes and not simply believe the marketing departments. We all know that, but sometimes we do it anyway!
In terms of start-ups, this means having to take a serious look at your own impact - just as seriously as your business model. I would describe those who do this as impact-oriented start-ups. Then there are those that perhaps more or less accidentally achieve a positive impact for society "on the side". Both are good, it's just a different approach.
Robert Richter: Yes, I agree with you about all this "buzzwording"! In the tech scene, there are a lot of people doing "AI", so you have to take a close look.
On the subject of greenwashing: in Germany, we have a strong tendency to judge whether someone has a real impact or not. But I think it's important that everyone does what they can for social and ecological projects - that's always a very important point for me. At WERK1, we have start-ups that have more or less impact as a side effect. Then there are the teams where impact is the main focus. Both are good, they are simply two different approaches that contribute to exactly the same thing, both have their justification and should receive full support because both contribute to a better world.
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You can find the whole interview here: https://seakademie.org/2024/02/08/impact-im-fokus-interview/
(c) Text and image: SEA / Werk1