Munich Startup: Kira, what has your career path been like so far?
Kira Schilling, founder of My Event Pass: After studying business administration, I started as a conference manager at Bits & Pretzels and immersed myself in the world of startups, event planning, sales and marketing. This experience led me to start my own business. I help companies organize everything from large conferences to exclusive executive events and establish events as a strong sales channel. Now I’m co-founder of My Event Pass to make the experience of events easier and more accessible.
Munich Startup: What motivated you to found the company?
Kira Schilling: My enthusiasm for starting my own business was sparked during my studies when I took part in the very first entrepreneurship course at the University of Bayreuth. This experience was not only incredibly exciting, but also the first mental step into the startup world. Our team won the course-pitch and we were invited to Berlin by a VC. I was very inspired by the companies, teams and people I saw there.
Kira Schilling wants to make experiencing culture easier
After graduating, I was drawn to Bits & Pretzels, an event for startups that was still quite small and only known locally at the time, which itself still acted like a startup: full of visions but without fixed processes or a budget. This time gave me a deep insight into the startup world and strengthened my desire to start my own company at some point. This wish became reality when I met my future co-founders Andreas and René. Both had already gained experience by founding a startup in the fitness sector that had implemented a subscription model similar to that of Urban Sports Club. I got to know Andreas through a mutual acquaintance, and it quickly became clear that we were a perfect match. Our joint company My Event Pass, a subscription for access to all cultural events in a city, was launched in Munich at the end of last year and currently offers access to over 2.200 events at more than 440 cultural venues.
Munich Startup: What do you wish you had known before you founded your first company?
Kira Schilling: Covid has hit the cultural sector hard, which is why we didn’t launch My Event Pass as planned. In a world where there were no more live events and organizers were only concerned with cancellations, we had to put the brakes on. Looking back, I would have wished for a little more patience during this time. Nevertheless, we used the time to further develop our product and better understand our market. We have been live since the end of last year and are now all the more confident about the industry.
Business angels with an interest in culture wanted
Munich Startup: How has your company been financed so far?
Kira Schilling: We are currently completely self-financed and are looking for business angels who are interested in supporting us for the upcoming marketing campaign and the development of further cities. We would also love to hear from people with a cultural interest or cultural connection.
Munich Startup: When and where do you get the best ideas?
Kira Schilling: My best ideas come to me when I’m on the move. Be it jogging somewhere in nature or on a relaxed walk. Sometimes I also find inspiration in quiet moments, away from all digital distractions, with a cup of coffee on the sofa.
Munich Startup: What are your 3 favorite work tools?
Kira Schilling: Three tools are absolutely indispensable in my day-to-day work: 1. Google Docs and the entire Google ecosystem behind it: Since I work remotely for the most part, the ability to share and edit documents in real time is essential. 2. video conferencing tools (Meet, Zoom, Teams): The ability to conduct efficient meetings without having to travel is crucial for me. This not only saves time, but also increases flexibility. 3. ChatGPT: ChatGPT is a great support for texting and content creation. It helps me with everything from creating emails to social media posts, as well as structuring ideas. I also see great potential for the use of AI to offer our My Event Pass customers better, personalized cultural event recommendations. We have already launched an initial project for this.
A pitch must always be targeted
Munich Startup: Your top tip for pitching?
Kira Schilling: What I have seen time and again with startup teams and now experience myself is that a pitch must always be targeted. It’s essential to ask yourself who you’re pitching to and how you can benefit from each other. Authenticity and a clear idea of what both sides have in common are crucial. Ultimately, the right investor is not just an investor, but must also fit in with the team in terms of content and people.
Munich Startup: Does it seem like a good time to start a company? Why?
Kira Schilling: I am convinced that there is always the right time to implement a good idea. You shouldn’t wait for the perfect opportunity but take the initiative and get as far as possible with the resources available. At the moment, I keep hearing that it’s a difficult time to get startup investments. We only started the funding phase with My Event Pass a few weeks ago, and I’m currently very confident about us and our business model.
Kira Schilling: There is still plenty of room for innovation in the cultural sector
Munich Startup: Which technology or industry would you focus on for your next startup?
Kira Schilling: For me, the cultural sector is exactly the right area. At the moment, a lot of things are still analogue or not really user-friendly. Many processes are complicated, and the market is dominated by big players like Eventim. This leaves little room for smaller platforms, tools, events and artists to develop. The coronavirus pandemic has made us acutely aware of how important it is to get out and experience things with friends and family. Just hanging out on the couch and watching Netflix doesn’t make us happy either. This experience has shown that there is still a lot of room for innovation and improvement in the cultural sector. I am convinced that a lot will happen in this sector and I look forward to being part of this development with My Event Pass.
Munich Startup: What do you think could be improved in Munich as a startup location?
Kira Schilling: Alot has happened in recent years and Munich has already developed into a vibrant ecosystem for startups. When I started at Bits & Pretzels in 2015, it was just getting started. There’s a lot on offer now, which I think is great! What I think could still be improved is more intensive collaboration between the various players in order to maximize synergies and create an even more networked community feeling.
Curiosity, vision and courage
Munich Startup: Which founder would you like to meet in person? And what would you ask him or her?
Kira Schilling: I was lucky enough to meet many inspiring founders in person, including the brains behind Airbnb, Zendesk, Adyen and Prezi, as well as German-speaking personalities such as the founders of Runtastic, Food Panda and Trivago. I was impressed by their drive, openness, and curiosity. Despite their constant travels and high profile, they were surprisingly down-to-earth and approachable. I found their curiosity and openness to new ideas and projects, even from smaller players in the startup world and us as the team behind the conference, admirable.
Specifically, I also worked closely with experienced founders. The three Bits & Pretzels founders and experienced entrepreneurs Andreas Bruckschlögl, Felix Haas and Bernd Storm van’s Gravesande showed me what is possible with curiosity, a great vision and the courage to implement it.
Today I would like to meet Trevor Noah, entrepreneur and host of the podcast “Diary of a CEO”. I admire his ability to have deep and meaningful conversations and would love to ask him about his top tips for a good interview.