From School Dropout to $300 Million Company Sale: Learn How to Master the Founder-to-CEO Transformation - with Josef Brunner, NutriUnited

About this episode

The biggest transformation on the entrepreneurial journey is going from founder to CEO. Serial entrepreneur Josef Brunner has successfully navigated this path multiple times - most recently with his digital transformation company Relayr, which was sold to Munich Re in 2018 for approximately $300 million USD. Today, he's building a new company in the food segment with NutriUnited and is already leading a team of over 80 people just weeks after market launch.

The Challenge of the Founder-to-CEO Transformation

The role of a founder is fundamentally different from that of a CEO. While founders often make gut decisions and work closely with the product, CEOs must lead systematically, delegate effectively, and think strategically. Josef Brunner knows this challenge from personal experience and shares his insights on how to master this critical transformation.

Leadership Basics: Effective People Management

One of the most important skills for any CEO is people management. This isn't just about delegating tasks, but about building a culture of accountability, ownership, and responsibility. Josef emphasizes that successful leadership starts with clear expectations and is characterized by continuous, constructive feedback.

Particularly challenging are difficult conversations - both feedback sessions and termination discussions. Josef has developed concrete strategies for conducting these conversations professionally and respectfully, so that leaders can ultimately be proud of how they handled them.

Company Culture as a Success Factor

The importance of a strong company culture is often underestimated. Josef demonstrates how culture can be actively shaped and what role it plays in long-term success. Especially in fast-growing companies like NutriUnited, it's crucial to establish the right cultural foundations from the start.

Board Management: Composition and Leadership

An often overlooked aspect of the CEO role is board management. Josef explains how to assemble a diverse, competent board and enable effective collaboration. A well-managed board can be a valuable resource for CEOs when making strategic decisions and navigating difficult situations.

From Founder-Led-Sales to Sales Organization

A critical transition in company growth is moving from founder-led-sales to a structured sales organization. Josef shares his experiences on how to successfully manage this transition without compromising sales performance.

Decision-Making and Handling Difficult Situations

As a serial entrepreneur, Josef has learned how important structured decision-making processes are. He shares strategies for dealing with complex situations and explains how to remain focused and capable of action even during the "dark times of the entrepreneurial journey."

Practical Learnings of a Serial Entrepreneur

Josef's path from school dropout to successful entrepreneur who sells companies for hundreds of millions is marked by continuous learning. His most important insight: many things sound simple in theory but are highly complex in practice. Success comes from the willingness to embrace this complexity and approach it systematically.

The transformation from founder to CEO isn't a one-time change, but a continuous development process. With the right strategies and willingness to learn, founders can successfully master this challenge - as Josef Brunner impressively demonstrates.