Anna Lukasson-Herzig, Nyris: From BCG Consultant to Tech Founder with Visual Search Solution

About this episode

Dr. Anna Lukasson-Herzig is a prime example of how career paths can take unpredictable turns – and how the best business ideas can emerge from apparent obstacles.

From Lab to BCG: An Unplanned Career Path

Armed with a PhD in Material Science, Anna originally had no intention of spending nearly a decade at management consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She had planned to stay just three years – which eventually turned into almost ten. However, this experience shaped her profoundly and would later prove to be a crucial advantage for her entrepreneurial career.

At BCG, Anna not only gained valuable experience in strategic consulting but also developed the analytical thinking and structured approach that would later prove invaluable when founding nyris.

Necessity-Driven Founding: When No Daycare is Available

Anna's first venture into entrepreneurship arose from a very practical necessity. When her first child was born, she faced the classic problem many parents know: no daycare spot available. But instead of embarking on an endless search for a free spot, Anna decided to solve the problem herself and founded her own daycare center.

This first founding experience awakened her entrepreneurial spirit and showed her that sometimes the most direct solution is the best one – an approach that would also shape her later tech venture.

From Idea to nyris: Siblings as Co-Founders

Inspired by her founding experience, Anna began regular conversations with her brother about potential business ideas they could implement together. These discussions led to the founding of nyris in 2015.

Originally, nyris was conceived as a fast checkout solution that would enable online purchases within just 20 seconds. But as often happens in the startup world, reality led to a crucial pivot.

The Decisive Pivot: When the Problem Lies Elsewhere

While developing their fast checkout solution, Anna and her brother encountered a fundamental problem: product discovery itself took far too long. Customers could theoretically buy quickly, but they couldn't find the right products in the first place.

This insight led to a complete realignment of the product. nyris was rebuilt as a visual search solution for complex e-commerce businesses. Instead of focusing on checkout speed, the founders now concentrated on revolutionizing product search through visual technology.

The Advantages of a PhD When Founding

Anna emphasizes how much her PhD helped when founding nyris. In the tech industry, and especially with B2B solutions, scientific credibility often provides the crucial trust advantage with customers and investors. The degree opens doors and signals competence in complex technical areas.

Combined with her BCG experience, Anna had the rare combination of deep technical expertise and strategic business understanding – a decisive advantage in the competitive startup landscape.

Entrepreneurship and Motherhood: A Balancing Act

One of Anna's biggest challenges was reconciling her role as a founder with being a mother. In the podcast, she shares her experiences and strategies for successfully managing both areas.

Her story shows that motherhood doesn't have to mean the end of entrepreneurial ambitions, but can sometimes even be the catalyst for innovative solutions – as her first daycare founding proves.

Learnings for Other Founders

Anna's journey from science through consulting to tech entrepreneurship offers several important insights:

• –Sometimes detours lead to the best destinations
• –Practical problems can inspire the best business ideas
• –A well-timed pivot can be crucial
• –Diverse backgrounds (science + business) are a strong advantage
• –Family and entrepreneurship can be reconciled, but require clear strategies

nyris is now an established solution for visual product search and demonstrates how a successful tech company can emerge from an originally completely different idea.