Marius Schober

Embracing the Mysteries, Unveiling the Realities

A polymathic exploration of innovation, philosophy, and the mystical.

  • Trip to HTC Eindhoven

    •

    2 min read

    Yesterday, at 7AM I was drinking an Espresso in the city center of Düsseldorf. Only a 1,5 hour drive later I arrived at the High Tech Campus (HTC) in Eindoven, the home of PHILIPS, Signify, and dozens of other technology companies and startups.

    This 90 minute drive felt like time traveling from the past into the present. The HTC greeted me with an infrastructure that reminded me of the Google Campus in Mountain View, California. The entire campus is designed car-free. Well not literally, because it has a direct access to the high way and offers generous free parking spaces in green car parks. From there you walk to your office or you can use bike sharing.

    It is surrounded by areas of water, which is typical for the Netherlands. On the clean, car-free roads, you can see self-driving delivery robots, you overhear at least as many English conversations as you can overhear Dutch conversations. An international business atmosphere you don’t have – for example – in Düsseldorf.

    The HTC in Eindhoven is not the future. The campus is already 25 years old. It is a reminder for city- and business park planners of how the present should look like. Overall, I feel that in the Netherlands you get a much better infrastructure for a comparable amount of taxes. The world can definetly learn from the Dutch.

    0

  • iSame

    •

    1 min read

    Apple released the iPhone 16. It’s just another iPhone. And that makes Apple the most risk-averse technology company in the world. Apple focusses on refinement over revolution. It prioritizes stability and incremental improvements. This strategy minimizes risk but stifles innovation. Can Apple continue to lead without daring to disrupt?

    Today, the Apple surely didn’t fall far from the tree-dition.

    0

  • Fueling Your Sales Engine

    •

    3 min read

    Over the years, I’ve had numerous conversations with entrepreneurs, inventors, and companies seeking sales support (primarily in the German market). These discussions have revolved around various forms of collaboration, from business partnerships and freelance arrangements to full-time employment.

    Through these interactions, I’ve noticed a common pitfall: a reluctance to offer competitive compensation. Companies often fail to recognize that when it comes to attracting top-performing salespeople, compensation is the most critical factor. Aligning sales success directly with compensation is essential, as it directly impacts your cash flow. Failing to do so will likely result in attracting mediocre talent at best.

    Imagine a garden where you plant seeds but refuse to water them adequately. Just as a plant needs sufficient water to grow and flourish, a salesperson needs proper compensation to stay motivated and deliver outstanding results. If you deprive your sales team of the nourishment they need in the form of competitive pay and incentives, you’ll end up with a garden full of wilted, underperforming plants. On the other hand, by generously watering your garden and providing the right nutrients, you create an environment where your sales team can thrive, ultimately yielding a bountiful harvest for your company.

    Aim for a compensation structure that rewards ambition and drive: uncapped, sky-high commissions that motivate your sales team to reach for the stars. Let’s say you offer a generous 25% commission on every deal closed. For instance, if a sales person closes $800,000 worth of deals in one year, they would earn $200,000 in commission alone. At first glance, it might seem like a hefty expense for your company. However, consider the alternative: a meager 5% commission. They will close fewer deals, let’s say $500,000, and be left with $25,000. That leaves your sales team feeling undervalued and unmotivated.

    In this scenario, paying a higher commission is like investing in premium fuel for a high-performance engine. Sure, it costs more upfront, but it propels your sales machine to operate at its full potential, closing deals left and right. On the other hand, opting for a cheaper, low-octane fuel might save you a few pennies per gallon, but it will leave your engine sputtering and struggling to reach its destination.

    Moreover, when you prioritize top-line revenue and free cash flow, you create a virtuous cycle of growth. The more deals your motivated sales team closes, the more resources you have to reinvest in your business, fueling further expansion. Focusing on margin optimization early on is like trying to fill a leaky bucket – no matter how efficiently you pour water in, it will keep draining away. Instead, concentrate on increasing the size of your bucket (i.e., your revenue) first, and worry about patching the leaks (i.e., optimizing margins) later.

    Finally, don’t be afraid to increase your prices to accommodate some of the cost of compensating your top performers. Just as a rising tide lifts all boats, a small price increase across the board can create the budget necessary to attract and retain the best sales talent in the industry. Your customers will hardly notice the difference, but your sales team will be invigorated by the opportunity to earn what they’re truly worth. In the end, everyone wins: your company, your sales team, and your customers who benefit from a superior product or service backed by a passionate, motivated sales force.

    0

  • The True Value of a Passport

    •

    3 min read

    In recent years, the trend of collecting passports has gained popularity. Countries like St. Kitts and Nevis, Malta, Cyprus, or Antigua and Barbuda offer easy access to citizenship through investments or relocation. But what is the real worth of these passports?

    The most crucial factor, I believe, is the diplomatic resources and leverage a country possesses and employs for its citizens. Imagine you are a sovereign individual, traveling the world, and suddenly, without any legal justification, a country arrests you. It could be due to a social media post or mere corruption.

    In such a scenario, the critical questions are: Will your country of citizenship care about your arrest? Do they have the diplomatic resources to assist you? And do they possess the necessary leverage to intervene on your behalf? For countries like St. Kitts and Nevis, Malta, or Antigua and Barbuda, the answer to all three questions is likely no.

    The current cases of Pavel Durov and Roger Ver serve as a revealing case studies. Durov holds multiple citizenships, including those from Saint Kitts and Nevis, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia. As we can observe, St. Kitts and Nevis have shown no concern, lack the ability to act, and have zero leverage to help him. The UAE, despite withdrawing contracts worth billions of Euros from France, seems to lack sufficient leverage to assist him. Russia, Durov’s country of birth, has demonstrated concern and possesses the diplomatic pressure and leverage to aid him, although the extent to which they will intervene remains uncertain due to Durov’s political alienation from the Kremlin.

    The crux of my argument is this: if you value your freedom, be cautious about which citizenships you acquire or relinquish. Consider whether the country will care, possess the diplomatic capability to assist you internationally, and have the necessary leverage to do so.

    Passports from global powers like the United States, Russia, and China rank high on the list, as these nations have the requisite leverage on the global political landscape to not only care but also take action to protect their citizens from unjust situations.

    Other countries whose citizenship holds significant diplomatic value include neutral nations with effective global diplomatic presence, such as Switzerland, Singapore, Norway, Japan, and Hong Kong, and potentially – the case of Pavel Durov will tell – the UAE.

    A decade ago, I would have included countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the Netherlands in this list. However, these countries’ credibility on the global stage is diminishing with each passing day.

    While having multiple citizenships is advantageous, ensure that you hold at least one from a country with the interest, capability, and leverage to provide genuine diplomatic assistance when needed.

    A citizenship without diplomatic resources is merely a piece of paper or a residence permit at best.

    0

  • Provisions-Vertrieb

    •

    2 min read

    In den Vereinigten Staaten ist der Vertrieb nicht nur ein Beruf, sondern eine Lebensphilosophie. Leistung wird dort mit fürstlichen Gehältern belohnt – Spitzenverkäufer erreichen nicht selten Jahreseinkommen jenseits der 250.000-Dollar-Marke. In Deutschland zeichnet sich ein kontrastreiches Bild ab. Hier dominiert eine Mentalität, die tief in der kollektiven Psyche verwurzelt ist: das Streben nach Sicherheit.

    Diese kulturelle Prägung spiegelt sich deutlich in der Vergütungsstruktur wider. Während in den USA Provisionen den Löwenanteil des Einkommens ausmachen, setzen deutsche Unternehmen vorwiegend auf fixe Gehälter mit geringen und häufig gedeckelten Provisionen. Das Ergebnis: Selbst erfolgshungrige Verkäufer in Deutschland finden sich oft mit Jahresgehältern konfrontiert, die die 100.000-Euro-Schwelle kaum überschreiten – ungeachtet wohlklingender Titel wie “Sales Executive” oder “Business Development Manager”.

    Doch auch in Deutschland gibt es sie: zielstrebige, talentierte und erfolgshungrige Verkäufer. Das eigentliche Problem liegt im Matching. Auf gängigen Jobportalen treffen Top-Verkäufer auf mittelmäßige Stellen, die ihren Ambitionen und Fähigkeiten nicht gerecht werden.

    Hier liegt eine vielversprechende Marktlücke für den deutschen Markt: eine Plattform, die ausschließlich ungedeckelte, rein erfolgsbasierte Vertriebsjobs anbietet. In den USA existieren bereits mehrere solcher Plattformen, allen voran CommissionCrowd.

    Das Konzept ist denkbar einfach: Unternehmen schreiben Aufträge/Jobs für hochpreisige Produkte oder Dienstleistungen im hohen fünf- bis siebenstelligen Bereich aus. Top-Verkäufer können sich auf diese Jobs bewerben, erhalten eine Schulung, schließen über die Plattform einen Handelsvertretervertrag ab und können dann zu 100% erfolgsbasiert verkaufen.

    Eine solche Plattform hätte das Potenzial, die Vertriebslandschaft in Deutschland nachhaltig zu verändern. Sie würde nicht nur Top-Talenten die Möglichkeit bieten, ihr volles Potenzial auszuschöpfen, sondern auch Unternehmen dabei helfen, ihre Umsätze zu steigern. Meines Erachtens ist an der Zeit, dass Deutschland den Vertrieb neu denkt und mutigen Verkäufern die Chance gibt, nach den Sternen zu greifen.

    0

  • Decentralized One-To-Many Communication

    •

    5 min read

    Telegram and Twitter/X have become the two leading platforms for communication and information sharing. However, as the arrest of Pavel Durov shows, these platforms come with inherent limitations that hinder true freedom of expression and user privacy.

    First, I believe that what has led to the prosecution and arrest of Pavel Durov was much less about the one-to-one or group messaging features of Telegram. The discussion on the strength and utility of Telegram’s proprietary end-to-end encryption is distracting from what I think made Telegram and Pavel Durov a target of governments: censorship- and algorithm-free one-to-many communication channels.

    Telegram established itself as a crucial source for uncensored and real-time information during any critical world event; during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war, and now Israel-Palestine.

    Twitter has always been the preferred platform for one-to-many communication. And as X, under new ownership, free speech has improved drastically. Yet, X still faces issues of algorithmic bias and manipulation of public discourse.

    In contrast to X and other social networks, Pavel Durov choose a non-algorithmic approach without a timeline for Telegram. Instead, users follow channels where the content is shown – like in a chat – in a chronological form without any censorship.

    However, Telegram still relies on centralized servers for message storage and delivery. This centralization makes the platform vulnerable to political attacks, government pressures, potential censorship, shutdowns, and data breaches.

    On the other hand, X, despite its wide reach and real-time nature, is plagued by its algorithmic nature and lack of privacy. For most, X’s algorithm dictate what content users see, often creating echo chambers and limiting exposure to diverse perspectives. Its centralized structure allows for arbitrary changes in policies and features, at the expense of user experience and privacy. Additionally, X’s data collection practices for targeting advertising and training the LLM Grok s concerning from a user privacy perspective.

    Most crucially, the centralized nature of these platforms requires users to trust these platforms not censor content, suspend accounts, and enforce arbitrary rules. It also gives governments through political pressure – as we experience with the arrest of Pavel Durov – to enforce censorship or even a shut-down of the service. The centralized nature also means users have little control over their own data and no ownership of their social graphs.

    While decentralized social networks like Farcaster or Bluesky have paved the way for decentralized social networking, they still largely mimic traditional social media structures with feeds and follower systems. Telegram’s channels are a case study for effective one-to-many communication, yet they are centralized and vulnerable to government pressure and censorship.

    There is a need for a truly decentralized, censorship-resistant platform focused solely on one-to-many communication without the distractions of feeds, likes, and algorithms.

    How could such a decentralized communication network look like?

    A Decentralized, Algorithm-Free Communication Platform

    I’m envisioning a platform that (like Telegram) moves away from the algorithmic and chronological feeds – let’s call it Beacon for now.

    At the heart of Beacon is a hybrid architecture that combines the strengths of blockchain technology with an advanced Distributed Hash Table (DHT) system. The combination could address the scalability issues that plague pure blockchain solutions, while maintaining the integrity and immutability that blockchain provides. The lightweight blockchain layer would handle user authentication, channel metadata, and access control, while the advanced DHT layer would manage content storage and distribution.

    The most important feature of Beacon is the focus on pure one-to-many communication. Users can reach their audience directly, without intermediaries or algorithmic interference. Instead of relying on feeds or algorithms to surface content, Beacon would employ a push-based system where users receive direct notifications from the channels they follow, called “Beacons”.

    To ensure that content remains accessible indefinitely, users contribute local or self-hosted storage to the DHT system and/or purchase storage on a decentralized blockchain. Users automatically host not only their own posts but also all posts they interact with – these are the posts they like – and all Beacons they subscribe to and receive. This way, even if the original creator goes offline, the content would persist through the collective storage of its followers. The more followers a user has, the more decentralized and uncensorable the posts become.

    Furthermore, think of adaptive content replication using AI to predict popularity and access patterns, zero-knowledge subscriptions for anonymous yet personalized content delivery, and quantum-resistant cryptography to future-proof the platform against emerging threats to become an integral part of Beacon.

    From a user perspective, I believe Beacon should – just like Telegram – offer an intuitive interface that abstracts away the underlying complexity of the decentralized system. Users could easily create and manage multiple Beacons, set up tiered access levels, and incorporate interactive elements like polls, voice messages, and live-streaming. The goal would be to make decentralized communication accessible and appealing to the masses.

    Beacon, or a platform like it, could offer a truly open, efficient, and user-controlled communication ecosystem that reshapes how communities, creators, and organizations interact in the digital age.

    0

  • The Supplement Industry

    •

    4 min read

    The supplement industry is a study in contrasts. On one end of the spectrum, you have standardized mass-market products, like the multivitamins lining grocery store shelves. On the other, you have the hyper-competitive world of fitness supplements, where brands vie for attention with protein powders, amino acids, and creatine formulas. Online, the landscape is even more fragmented, with countless niche brands peddling proprietary blends and miracle formulas. And at the top of the pyramid, there are the medical-grade supplements, backed by scientific studies and sold at premium prices in pharmacies.

    But amidst this dizzying array of options, two critical factors are often conspicuously absent: transparency and fair pricing. In the supplement world, markups of 50 to 500 percent are not just common – they’re the norm. And when it comes to the quality and sourcing of ingredients, most consumers are left in the dark.

    The Murky Supply Chain

    The truth is, the vast majority of supplement brands are just that – brands. They might have a catchy name, a slick website, and an army of influencers under contract but they’re not actually manufacturing the products they sell. Instead, the majority of brands outsource production to contract manufacturers, who are responsible for sourcing ingredients, mixing formulas, and packaging the final product.

    But even these contract manufacturers usually don’t have direct relationships with ingredient suppliers. They usually buy from wholesalers, who in themselves import from other wholesalers from locations like Asia. It’s a game of trade, with each player adding their own markup along the way.

    By the time a supplement reaches the consumer, it may have passed through three to five different entities, each taking their cut. The end result? Consumers pay inflated prices, without any real insight into what they’re actually getting.

    The Quality Conundrum

    Transparency around quality is another major issue in the supplement space. While standardized multivitamins from reputable pharmaceutical companies generally adhere to strict quality control standards, the same can’t be said for many of the products sold online.

    To better understand the landscape, we can visualize the supplement market as a quadrant, with quality transparency on one axis and price on the other:

    • High Quality Transparency, Very High Price: This quadrant includes medical-grade supplements sold in pharmacies and premium brands that invest in extensive third-party testing and ingredient traceability.
    • High Quality Transparency, Medium Price: Here, we find standardized multivitamins from well-known pharmaceutical companies.
    • Low Quality Transparency, High Price: This is where many niche online supplement brands and fitness-focused brands reside, often selling proprietary formulas at high prices without clear sourcing information.
    • Low Quality Transparency, Low Price: Generic store-brand supplements and cheap mass-market fitness products fall into this category, offering minimal information on sourcing or quality control.

    The Opportunity: Radical Transparency at Fair Prices

    While the bulk of supplement sales (in terms of quantity) occur in the standardized multivitamin segment, the brands commanding the highest margins are often those with low transparency and high prices. They’ve perfected the art of marketing, using influencers to build trust without actually providing full transparency.

    Herein lies the opportunity: a supplement brand built on the principles of radical transparency and fair pricing. By vertically integrating the supply chain – cultivating raw ingredients, manufacturing in-house, and selling directly to consumers – it’s possible to dramatically reduce costs while providing unparalleled clarity around sourcing and quality.

    The potential for price disruption is significant. By eliminating multiple layers of middlemen and excessive markups, prices could potentially be reduced by 65 to 80 percent compared to current retail averages. This would be achieved through a transparent cost-plus pricing model, with a reasonable markup of 20 to 30 percent to sustain operations.

    A Paradigm Shift

    At its core, this business model is about stripping away the extraneous and focusing on what matters: high-quality supplements at fair prices, with complete transparency. I believe consumers shouldn’t have to choose between quality, affordability, scientificity, and ethical sourcing – they can have all four.

    In many ways, it’s a return to first principles. By questioning the assumptions that have long governed the industry – that complexity is necessary, that opacity is acceptable, that high prices are inevitable – we can envision a new paradigm. One where simplicity, transparency, and accessibility are the driving forces.

    My vision is to build such a fully-integrated purpose-driven supplement company that embodies the principles I hold dear: radical transparency, fair prices, and unwavering integrity. By owning every step of the process, from seed to shelf, we can redefine what’s possible in this industry. I believe that when you put people and principles first, success follows.

    0

  • Pavel Durov

    •

    4 min read

    I switched to Telegram as my main messenger in 2014 when Facebook acquired WhatsApp. Sitting in a car with my best friends, we frantically downloaded every messaging app we could find, desperate to escape Facebook’s prying eyes. Telegram stood out with a superior app and its unwavering commitment to privacy and freedom of speech.

    For the past decade, I’ve closely followed Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder. He is a rare breed in tech – a principled maverick who values freedom and privacy above profits and power. Born in the Soviet Union, Durov witnessed firsthand the soul-crushing conformity and censorship of centralized power. This forged his unshakable belief in individual liberty, which he carried as he built VKontakte into the Russian Facebook.

    When the Kremlin demanded Durov to censor political opposition on VK, he chose exile over submitting to surveillance.

    Durov understands that privacy is not a PR talking point, but an inviolable human right and the foundation of all other freedoms.

    Exiled from Russia, Durov started Telegram, built on uncompromising privacy. With his brother – a genius mathematician – he developed an innovative encrypted social messaging platform that even sophisticated state surveillance could not crack.

    Telegram’s robust proprietary encryption has proven secure and resistant to backdoors – unlike WhatsApp and Signal, which operate in countries where Telegram is banned, likely because they secretly plant government-ordered backdoors. Durov insists on controlling Telegram’s encryption to prevent this.

    Pavel Durov doesn’t just talk the talk—he has consistently walked the walk, even when it meant standing up to authoritarian governments and corporate behemoths. Apple and Google constantly threaten to kick Telegram out of their app stores, unless it censors content they dislike. The FBI has tried to bribe Telegram employees to plant backdoors. But Durov never wavers. He understands that compromising on core values is a slippery slope to tyranny.

    What impresses me the most about Durov is his long-term vision. He’s not just building an app – he is fighting for a world where technology empowers rather than enslaves. A world where individuals can communicate and organize freely. A world where truth emerges through unfettered debate, not centralized diktat.

    During the pandemic, Telegram was crucial for accessing uncensored information. It was one of the only platforms that didn’t censor skepticism of lockdowns, masks, and vaccines. For this, Durov should be hailed as a hero of free speech. But instead, he was arrested in France today.

    The cruel irony is inescapable — the man who built the freest space for communication in the 21st century has had his own freedom taken away in the land of “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.” France, a country Durov admired for its history, culture and values, now treats him as a criminal. Meanwhile, he remains unmolested in the UAE where he resides, and in Russia, Iran, and China, whose authoritarianism he fled.

    This is a disturbing sign for privacy and freedom in the EU. First it was Julian Assange, now Pavel Durov. The West is increasingly hostile to those who challenge the power of governments and Big Tech to control our data and decide what we can say.

    As such, I vehemently demand the immediate release of Pavel Durov. If the West wishes to maintain any moral authority on the world stage, it must become a true safe haven for privacy and freedom. The persecution of visionaries like Durov is a giant leap in the wrong direction.

    I call upon the EU to live up to its ideals. The EU should be a bastion of individual rights and data privacy. It should create an environment where innovators like Durov can build the technologies of the future that empower citizens, not control them. But this requires political courage to stand up to entrenched interests and misguided fears. If the EU fails to protect Durov, it fails us all.

    The world needs Pavel Durov and more leaders like him in the fight for a free and open internet. His vision of a secure and private communication platform, uncompromised by authoritarian control or corporate greed, is essential for democracy to flourish in the digital public square.

    As governments grow ever more invasive and tech giants ever more complicit, the future of privacy, free speech, and digital rights hangs in the balance. I stand with Pavel Durov, and so should you.

    1

  • “Foreigners Out”

    •

    3 min read

    With disquiet, I saw a video in my X feed recorded on Sylt, where young German people are singing and dancing “Ausländer raus, Deutschland den Deutschen, Ausländer raus” which translates to “Foreigners out, Germany to the Germans, foreigners out“.

    The next video in my feed is a video of illegal immigrants behaving in an equally disgusting and disrespectful behavior against their hosts and asylum providers.

    In the Canary Islands, where I lived for 2 years, the sentiment against foreigners and tourists is becoming more toxic every day. Why? Because housing became unaffordable and the larger islands (Tenerife and Gran Canaria) are reaching the limits of their infrastructure.

    If you don’t close your eyes, it is easy to understand where the growing nationalist and right sentiment is coming from. Not only in Europe but also in North America, including Mexico. Over the past decade, politicians failed to provide the necessities of a functioning society. They failed to enforce the rule of law, and they failed to provide policies that increase the wealth and ensure the safety of their citizens.

    Xenophobia is something I don’t like and don’t want to see in the world. The majority of my friends and business partners come from nations all over the world. This has enriched my life tremendously.

    How should we move forward?

    I believe the only effective way to make a multicultural society work is through the vigorous enforcement of law. This implies an enforced suppression of illegal immigration, the deportation of illegal and – above all – criminal immigrants. The creation of an incentive and high-skilled based immigration system. Examples to watch are the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, or – quite frankly – China.

    Libertarian policies, by dumping bureaucracy and encouraging investments and buildings, will furthermore solve high housing prices. The curbing of social security payments to citizens and long-term residents will prevent wrong incentives.

    In addition, laws should be introduced that protect citizens and residents from foreign influence. In the case of the Canary Islands, I believe Spain would benefit greatly by copying Denmark’s example. It would let only residents buy property who lived and paid taxes in Spain for a minimum of 5 years, or EU/EEA citizens who use the home as their primary residence.

    The answer is not right nationalism – neither is it a left open-arm welcome culture. It is a minimal state, a libertarian society, and a rigorous enforcement of the rule of law.

    1

  • Becoming Polymath

    •

    2 min read

    Ever since I can remember, I have been deeply interested in a wide range of subjects. From playing guitar and producing electronic music to experimenting with physics, chemistry, and electronics, studying business and economics, understanding cryptocurrencies, diving deep into health and human longevity, learning languages, and exploring human nature.

    I have never felt satisfied committing to and specializing in one domain. In fact, I have deliberately avoided it. Until this day, I have intuitively studied and learned whatever I felt drawn to, often resulting in learning and working on multiple things simultaneously.

    Conventional wisdom has always told me that this approach is wrong. The prevailing belief is that one must hyper-specialize to be successful, strive in their career, and become a thought leader. Yet, this has always felt wrong to me. Even when I tried to specialize, my natural instincts led me back to pursuing multiple things concurrently in wildly different domains.

    From a conventional perspective, this might make me appear less valuable – perhaps even unemployable. However, I have always thought of myself as an indispensable generalist who understands and interconnects a wide range of subjects well enough to discover value that specialists overlook.

    A few days ago, I started listening to “The Polymath” by Waqas Ahmed. After listening to the introduction and the first chapters, everything started to make sense. My natural tendency to immerse myself in a wide variety of subjects is not a flaw; it is perhaps the only way to fulfill my full potential.

    It is liberating to read how polymaths have led and steered the world. With this newfound understanding, I can now confidently embrace anything I feel drawn to. Learn. Study. Apply. And – what has been missing until now – Master any subject I feel a natural inclination towards.

    0