Discover our start-up guide and kick off your own business!

Have you ever considered founding a start-up, bridging the gap between innovative scientific ideas and the business world? The truth is, our economy thrives on groundbreaking technologies and innovative concepts. The Max Planck cosmos, with its rich foundation of basic research, provides the perfect breeding ground for such ventures. However, beyond exceptional technology and scientific applications, it requires courageous individuals to transition from the realm of science to the dynamic world of business. A willingness to learn, take risks, and persevere are invaluable qualities in entrepreneurship. After all, many tasks await you on the start-up path: from choosing the right legal form and various financing options to refining the business idea for market and sales strategies.

Starting a new company is both exhilarating and fulfilling, yet prioritizing and implementing these tasks can quickly become overwhelming. But one thing remains certain: with unwavering motivation, a vision, and the right support network, you can conquer these challenges. This is where our MAX!mize start-up incubator comes into play, a program of Max Planck Innovation, the official technology transfer organisation for the Max Planck Society. We support you as a future sciencepreneur in all these steps to transform your scientific idea into an innovative company, step by step.

Disclaimer: The timing and prioritization of each topic depends on the current stage of your start-up. Therefore, our start-up guide can be modified based on your objectives. Our Start-up Coaches are happy to provide you with personalized assistance.

1. Idea & Basics - first goal of your start-up guide

Before you start, identify and validate a real problem. What are you currently researching? Is there a way to apply this research to a field of application? What solution does your product or service offer? These initial steps are essential for creating a solid foundation for your company. You should also check if a patent is necessary or possible. Max Planck Innovation, as the technology transfer unit for Max Planck scientists, can help you develop the best protection strategy for your intellectual property.

Practical tip: To find out what makes your start-up unique, developing your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is a valuable step. What sets you apart from other solutions on the market? Simon Sinek's Golden Circle can help here: First, define the "Why" (your mission), then the "How" (your approach), and finally the "What" (your product or service).

2. Team & Competences

A strong team is crucial for the success of a start-up. Look for co-founders with complementary skills and a shared passion or motivation. Here, it's important not only to focus on skills, but also to ensure that the people harmonise well with each other. Assemble an interdisciplinary team that ideally combines both scientific expertise and entrepreneurial skills, and clarify roles and responsibilities as early as possible. If you need support here, please contact us. Building a team is a dynamic process of mutual discovery. Therefore, continuous and honest reflection is essential. As a team, regularly ask yourselves: What do we enjoy? Which tasks come easily? Where do our strengths and weaknesses lie? What values are important to us, and how can we embody them together?

Practical tip: The DISC personality test can play a valuable role in strategically building your team and better mastering challenges. This psychological method, which determines personality types, is frequently used in a business context. Every team member answers the questions or statements of the test according to their preferences and reactions to various situations. The answers are evaluated and compiled into a DISC profile. The result shows which of the four personality types the test participant belongs to: Dominant (D), Influential (I), Steady (S), Conscientious (C).

3. Market Analysis

Before you develop your product, you should understand your target group precisely. A market and competitor analysis, which includes methods such as customer surveys, competitor research and trend analyses, will help you to identify opportunities and risks. Especially for scientific start-ups with novel technologies, it is very important to find and reach early adopters in order to validate the market and achieve initial success. They may need to develop a new market first.

Practical tip: To realistically assess your market potential, utilise methods like TAM, SAM, and SOM. This tool provides a structured approach to understanding the size and scope of your target market, helping you make informed decisions about your business strategy. TAM (Total Addressable Market) SAM (Serviceable Available Market) SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market)

4. Business Model - a crucial task of your start-up guide

Developing a solid business model is crucial for any start-up. This model outlines how your company will generate revenue and ensure long-term sustainability. It encompasses various aspects, from identifying your value proposition and target customers to defining your revenue streams and cost structure. A well-defined business model helps you understand the core mechanics of your company and identify potential areas for improvement.

Practical tip: One effective tool for structuring your business model is the Business Model Canvas (BMC). This visual framework allows you to map out the nine key components of your business on a single page, helping you clearly understand and refine your strategy: Customer Segments: Who are your target customers? Value Propositions: What value do you deliver to your customers? Channels: How do you reach your customers? Customer Relationships: How do you interact with your customers? Revenue Streams: How do you generate revenue? Key Resources: What resources are crucial to your business? Key Activities: What key activities do you need to perform? Key Partners: Who are your essential partners and suppliers? Cost Structure: What are the main costs in your business model? By using the BMC, you can quickly identify gaps, sharpen your concept, and make strategic decisions with confidence. This tool helps you create a clear and comprehensive business model, setting a solid foundation for growth.

Additionally, you should create a detailed business plan, especially if you want to convince investors. This plan should include the following points:

Executive Summary: A brief summary of your venture
Market Analysis: Insights into your target market and target audience
Marketing & Sales Strategy: How you acquire and retain customers
Financial Planning: Forecasts of revenue, costs, and profits

5. MVP (Minimum Viable Product) & Prototyping

Develop an initial prototype or a minimally functional version of your product. Gather feedback from potential customers early on and continuously improve your offering. This ensures that your product truly works in the market.

Practical tip: Consider using rapid prototyping techniques and iterative development cycles. These methods allow you to quickly build and test different versions of your product, incorporating customer feedback in real-time and minimizing development time and costs. Tools like 3D printing, low-code platforms, user testing software, and design tools such as Figma can significantly accelerate this process.

6. Branding & Communication

1. Name

A strong name and professional branding are essential for making a memorable impact in the market. Ensure that your chosen name isn’t already in use by conducting a quick Google search, which can give you valuable initial insights. Your business name can be a creative neologism or even derived from the initials of your team members – the possibilities are endless. There are countless methods to come up with the perfect name, but it’s important to consider factors like pronunciation, especially depending on the country in which you plan to operate. Once you’ve settled on a name, make sure to secure the matching domain and social media handles as early as possible.

2. Elevator Pitch

Additionally, develop a concise and compelling elevator pitch that clearly communicates your start-up’s essence in just a few sentences, ensuring you’re ready to captivate any audience at a moment’s notice.

3. Corporate Identity (CI)

Another essential aspect of branding is Corporate Identity (CI). CI includes all the visual and communicative elements that represent your brand, such as your logo, colors, fonts, and graphic style. These elements help create a cohesive and recognizable brand image. It's important that your CI is not only modern and appealing but also reflects the values and personality of your business.

4. Pitch Deck

Another key element to building your brand is creating a pitch deck. A well-crafted pitch deck is an essential tool for attracting investors, partners, and potential customers. It should provide a clear, visually appealing snapshot of your business, outlining the problem you're solving, your solution, market and competitive analysis, business model, and financial projections. Keep it concise, focused, and engaging, highlighting the strengths of your team and vision.

Practical tip: There are many free tools with great pitch deck templates – for example, Canva. Here, you can customize elements like color and font and have a wide selection of photos and graphic elements.

7. Financing & Funding

How will you finance your start-up? There are various options such as bootstrapping, funding, business angels, or venture capital. Analyze your capital requirements and prepare for investor meetings. Investors want to see clear financial plans and understand how you plan to scale your company.

Our support for you: Our MAX!mize incubation program offers you needs-based funding. In Phase 1, you can apply for up to 50,000 euros for your start-up; in Phase 2, we support your project with up to 220,000 euros - depending on your needs.

8. Legal & Administration

Topics like legal structures, patents, licensing and accounting are crucial for building a solid foundation, especially in the scientific field. Protecting your intellectual property (IP) is essential, as it not only secures your innovations but also provides a competitive edge.

Additionally, it’s vital to comply with industry-specific regulations and standards, which ensures your business avoids legal pitfalls. When selecting a legal structure, consider its impact on taxes, investment opportunities, and grant applications.

These tasks are foundational. Properly managing your IP, licensing, and legal compliance will set your business up for long-term success, enabling you to focus on innovation and growth.

Our services for you: As the official technology transfer unit for the entire Max Planck Society, we as Max Planck Innovation have been offering excellent advice in the areas of patenting and licensing, as well as start-up coaching and portfolio management, for over 30 years. Our mission is to help Max Planck scientists translate their science into applicable scenarios. So, feel free to contact us anytime if you need support.

9. Network

Networks are extremely valuable for building a start-up. Make contacts with relevant companies, research institutions, and industry experts. Other start-ups and founders are also very happy to help and are often open and willing to support you on your journey. Dare to approach them. The experiences of others are invaluable. Attend conferences, participate in industry events, and use online networks like LinkedIn to make valuable contacts. Leverage networks to form valuable partnerships and benefit from the experiences of others.

Our support for you: In the MAX!mize incubator, you'll connect with many other start-up teams, experienced trainers and experts, and valuable contacts from industry, VCs, and our coaches, who will individually support you in building your company. Or join our MAX!mize community on Linkedin.

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10. Go-To-Market Strategy

With your target audience already clearly defined, it’s time to focus on how to reach them effectively and bring your product to market. A solid go-to-market (GTM) strategy combines marketing and sales efforts to acquire your first customers and validate your product in a real-world setting.

1. Build a Marketing Foundation

Marketing is key to building visibility and trust — especially in the early stages. Based on your target audience analysis, choose the most relevant channels and messages. A well-rounded marketing strategy might include:

Online Marketing: Optimize for search engines (SEO), publish valuable content (blogs, whitepapers, videos), and stay active on social media platforms where your audience is present.
Public Relations (PR): Use press releases, interviews, and features in industry publications to build credibility and generate buzz.
Your network also plays an important role here: Leverage personal and professional networks, attend industry events, and connect directly with potential customers and partners.

2. Align Sales With Your Market Insights

Now that you understand your audience’s pain points and decision-making behaviors, tailor your sales approach accordingly:

Build a pipeline of high-potential leads
Use a CRM system to manage contacts and outreach
Offer product demos or trial periods to reduce entry barriers
Collect feedback to refine your pitch and product continuously

3. Launch, Learn, Iterate

Your first customers are invaluable for product validation. Track what works - understand which channels are delivering the best results, which messaging resonates with your audience, and where users drop off during the conversion process. You should focus on tracking specific KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), such as user acquisition cost, lifetime value, churn rate, etc., to guide all iterations. Stay flexible and ready to adapt based on real customer insights. Your initial launch phase is just the beginning of an ongoing cycle of learning, adapting, and improving.

4. Establish Partnerships and Collaborations

In addition to building visibility and trust through marketing, consider forming strategic partnerships with established players in your industry. Collaborations can help increase your reach, provide access to new markets, and boost your credibility quickly. Look for co-marketing opportunities, joint ventures, or partnerships that can amplify your efforts.

Monitor Competitors

An initial competitive analysis is not enough. Always stay aware of what your competitors are doing in the market. Tracking their marketing efforts, pricing strategies, and customer feedback can help you stay ahead. Competitive analysis can reveal gaps in the market and provide insights into opportunities for differentiation.

11. Growth & Scaling

Once your start-up has achieved initial success, it's time to scale up. Think about how you can tap into new markets or further develop your business model in order to remain successful in the long term. As described above, regularly reviewing your strategy and, if necessary, realigning your company can be crucial in order to respond to new insights. Stay focused and have a vision, but keep flexible.

Conclusion our start-up guide for Max Planck scientists

The path to a successful start-up is complex, but with a clear structure, it's quite feasible. Don't be discouraged – with the right support and a well-thought-out strategy, you can successfully build your company! And always remember: As a Max Planck scientist, you have the best possible prerequisites to turn excellent basic research into real-world impact.

Practical tip: A general workspace and project management tools help you and your team keep track. Tools like Trello or Notion are excellent for managing tasks and tracking progress.

At MAX!mize, we are dedicated to supporting you in transforming your scientific vision into a thriving company. Through our targeted start-up program, you'll delve deeply into all the aforementioned topics through invaluable workshops led by expert trainers. Additionally, you'll receive personalized guidance throughout your entrepreneurial journey from your dedicated Start-up Coach.

This is an exceptional opportunity to save valuable time, gain significant momentum, and nurture your research into an impactful business idea. Let us help you pave the way to your start-up success. Looking forward to getting to know you!

Do you have questions or require assistance? Please don't hesitate to reach out to us!