Frank Thelen - 10xDNA – Mindset for a thriving Future

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE 10x THINKERS. THE VISIONARIES AND MOVERS & SHAKERS WHO VIGOROUSLY DRIVE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS THROUGHOUT EUROPE.

Frank Thelenis a European serial entrepreneur, technology investor, TV personality and best-selling author, who since 1994 has served as founding chief executive of several companies that utilized new technologies to deliver unique and outstanding products and services. As the founder and CEO of Freigeist Capital, Frank focuses on unleashing European Tech founders with his experience, network and capital. His own products have improved the lives of 100+ million customers in 60+ countries around the world. In 2018 Frank published his autobiography, Startup-DNA, which became one of the most succesful non-fiction books of the year. He was the first investor in companies like Lilium Aviation, Xentral, Wunderlist, Air Up, Ankerkraut and YFood.

Markus Schornhas been dealing with the fundamental effects of technological progress on Western society in general and business enterprises in particular throughout his career. His activities and accomplishments center around the interactions and interrelationships between the worlds of technology and business. Markus has successfully guided the market launch of a number of groundbreaking innovations, using a broad range of business models for both enterprises and consumer segments. Thanks to these achievements, he has become a highly regarded adviser for corporate decision-makers, and a mentor for German startups.

1 Foreword

2 How the Moon Landing started the 10x Revolution

3 The US vs. China: Silicon Valley vs. The Chinese Dream

4 10x — The Background

5 The 10x Technology Kit

6 Artificial Intelligence

7 Robots & Automation

8 Blockchain & DLT

9 5G, Edge Computing & IoT

10 3D Printing

11 Synthetic Biology & CRISPR-cas

12 Energy

13 Era 3.0: Quantum Computing, Nuclear Fusion, Brain Appstore, Singularity

14 Mobility: Autonomous Driving, Flying Cars, Hyperloops

15 Food: Labgrown Meat, Hacking Yeast, Vertical Farming

16 Healthcare: Eliminating Diseases, Stopping the Aging Process

17 Humanity 2.0: Augmented Intelligence, Cyborgs, Biohacking

18 Walk the Talk: The 10x Startups in Freigeist’s Portfolio

19 The 10x Mindset: Courage, Dread, Bold Moves

20 The 10x Methods: Serendipity, FPT, The Medici Effect

21 Brilliant Minds

22 Acknowledgments

While writing my first book Startup-DNA, I initially became aware of the era of exponential progress we’re entering. Not only one, but several disruptive technologies will soon bring profound changes to our personal lives as well as all industries. My first book was a rags-to-riches tale of how I went from being a drop-out at school and a down and out failure in the business world to becoming a leading startup entrepreneur and seed-capital investor. My initial aim in writing about new technologies was solely to describe how they work and cite a few compelling illustrative examples. But then one day I realized that if my observations in the book were accurate, they could potentially have far-reaching effects: notably European technology companies being reduced to the status of mere data suppliers for the US and China.

When Startup-DNA was published in late 2018, it was already clear to all attentive that Europe had long since become at best a second-rate player when it came to the internet and cloud computing. In contrast to the US and China with their countless IT mega-corporations, in my own country, Germany, no IT company of any importance had emerged since the founding of SAP back in 1972. And yet, no one seemed to be too concerned about it when I wrote that this was only the beginning of a highly significant trend. For as it turns out, the next wave of new technologies, which are part of my 10x Technology Kit, are bound to take on even greater importance. Even nowadays, the vast majority of our industry leaders and politicians are acutely unaware of disruptive technologies' immense power and exponential progress. The figures speak for themselves. In January 2020, Tesla’s market capitalization amounted to $100 billion and, for the first time, exceeded that of Germany’s leading automaker. Only a month later, the gap was so large that the combined market capitalization of VW and BMW was lower than that of Tesla. In September 2020, the market cap of Tesla reached $400 billion. Thus, not only had Germany’s IT sector missed the boat when it came to utilizing advanced technologies such as the internet, cloud computing and smartphones – but also, for the first time, the country’s flagship industry’s leading position was being taken over by an “upstart” disruptive player.

As a German who loves his country, and cheers for the European Union, I strongly feel that the world needs at least three great powerful voices to come up with fair and equitable solutions for the tremendous challenges humankind is facing today. If the world continues to be a place where the discourse on fighting climate change and regulatory measures for artificial intelligence are left solely to two great powers – the US and China – I fear that the responses to these existential matters will often be shortsighted. We need a strong and united Europe to have a say in these critical discussions and rulings. But Europe runs a serious risk of relinquishing this status within the next decade.

I have decided to do what is possible, within my limited power, to change this situation. My venture capital firm Freigeist only invests in Startups, which have the potential to support Europe in regaining and maintaining its position as a major economic force – every Startup must tackle a major challenge and work on a scalable and meaningful solution. My aim and passion in life is to contribute to the development of an urgently needed thriving European Technology Ecosystem.

In this book, we discuss the methods, the mindset and underlying technologies of the generation 10x. We wrote this book for readers who want to understand these new and disruptive technologies. We want to show how you can make the most out of these opportunities in your private and professional life. We want to encourage founders, decision-makers, politicians, teachers and everybody who wants to contribute, ensuring that Europe remains a strong voice when global issues of utmost importance are discussed.

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