Laudatio-Zeit! Zur Graduation des Games Lift Programms 2025 durfte ich den Pivot von Team Curio Compass / AfterLIVE loben.

Excited to be here for Teams Curio Compass. Me, not having decades of experience in the games industry. Besides running workshops at this wonderful program.

So let me share a few words from the angle of a product strategist and co-author of the Product Field Framework:

In product development, there’s a moment every founder fears: you realize what got us here won’t get us there.

In the startup world, they call it a pivot. A sharp turn.

A pivot is not just changing direction. It’s looking at something you’ve built, something you’ve loved, something you’ve defended in pitches and late-night discussions—and saying, “This isn’t working. Let’s cut it.”

That takes more than skill. That takes nerve.

Curio Compass came into this incubator with a wild, wonderful concept: A reality TV show in the afterlife. Dead people competing for a second chance. And at the heart of it? Volleyball.

Volleyball was their hook. Their unique selling point. Their baby.

And then, after workshops, after feedback, after honest conversations with themselves, they cut it. Gone.

In most teams, a decision like this causes friction. Blame. Maybe even a breakup. But not here. Adnan, Felix, and Adri – you handled it with remarkable harmony. You told us, “A weight lifted off our shoulders.”

That’s the sign of a team built on trust.

And your openness didn’t stop at your own project. Throughout this incubator, you were first to offer feedback, first to ask hard questions, first to help others see new perspectives. You didn’t just grow – your spirit helped everyone grow.

Curio Compass, you’re making a NOT-volleyball game now.

And that’s a good thing – because now the story can breathe. What does it mean to be watched, judged, to never feel good enough? That is a way bigger question than winning a volleyball game. To mark this milestone, I brought you this ball.

It says: “Super Soft Play.” That’s my wish for everyone who plays AfterLIVE.

And for you three – I wish a Super Soft Founder Journey.

Process determines product.

Congratulations.