An evening full of insights - from pizzeria to industry leader
Christoph took the audience on a journey through the most important stages of his start-up: from the first small catering business, to three pizzerias, to the question that changed everything: "Why isn't there actually a frozen pizza that looks like a real pizzeria pizza?"
This question led to bold experiments, a call to REWE - and ultimately to a development that no one could have foreseen: Gustavo Gusto became REWE's most successful product launch of the last ten years - across all product groups.
Christoph spoke openly about tough early days, long days, failures, turning points and the importance of decisions that are only understood in retrospect. A particular focus of his talk: mindset, responsibility and innovation.
The 3 most important takeaways from the evening
1) Just do it. Failure is part of it - and makes you resilient.
Christoph had no background in gastronomy when he started out. What carried him through? Passion, courage and the willingness to step into the unknown.
"Move your ass - your mind will follow. Don't be afraid to just start. Just do it. You can only fail - and if you really want to be successful, you can't avoid failure."
The decisive factor is how you fail: by reflecting. Because if you understand that a setback is often the most valuable source of learning, you can learn a lot from it. This reflection not only makes you better, but also much more resilient.
His message to founders: Don't wait for the perfect moment. It doesn't exist. Start, try, adapt. Failure is not a setback - it's an accelerator for learning and entrepreneurial maturity.
And another tip: When calculating something, always plan 20-50% more time and budget. It always takes longer and is more expensive than expected.
2) Responsible entrepreneurship: Success needs conviction - and impact needs success.
A major topic of the evening - and one that is also very close to the SCE's heart. Christoph made it clear that sustainable, responsible entrepreneurship must come from conviction, not for marketing reasons.
"If I want to change something, I have to take a different path - but I have to be successful. Without economic success, there is no sustainability."
He also showed that it was only when Gustavo Gusto was successful with his approach that the market began to follow suit. Impact is created where innovation and economic strength come together - not by doing without, but by finding better solutions.
3) Vision beats managerial thinking - and growth needs new structures.
Growth brings opportunities, but also tough decisions. Christoph made it clear that no fast-growing company can avoid repositioning itself again and again over the course of different phases.
It is said: "Every company phase needs its own people" - because the requirements change with growth and different skills are needed to successfully master the next stage.
This is precisely what makes change processes so challenging: at some point, people who have made a company strong no longer fit perfectly into the new structures.
At the same time, Christoph showed why a visionary mindset is crucial at such times. Vision beats managerial thinking - but visions must be able to be translated. He also asked himself whether he was still the right person at the top. His conclusion: he is the entrepreneur and visionary, but he needs a management team that structures and transports his ideas and anchors them in everyday life. Because long-term success is created where vision, organization and the right people come together in the right places.
Voices from the audience
Many visitors took away valuable insights for their own paths:
"You don't have to be successful with the first idea. Christoph's company has also gone through several stages of development."
"There are always opportunities - even in markets that seem completely saturated."
"I learned how important passion, genuine conviction and consistent action are."
Outlook: Even more Christoph Schramm insights coming soon
Look forward to an in-depth interview with Christoph - with further learnings, background information and exciting insights into the future of Gustavo Gusto and his own entrepreneurial vision.
Soon on our channels. Don't forget to subscribe!
Don't miss: SCE InnovationsCafé on December 2 - Christmas Edition 🎅✨
For everyone who is interested in start-up topics, community, inspiration and networking: Come to the next SCE InnovationsCafé on December 2 - the very special Christmas Edition.
Let's end the year together with a festive atmosphere, exciting impulses, strong founders and lots of new ideas.
Free tickets at: www.sce.de/events
We look forward to seeing you!