Daimler: It’s not about the best people, it’s about the right people
Dennis Dickmann
Lead Product Manager,
LAB 1886 GmbH – Daimler AG
Dennis, please write an elevator pitch about yourself and LAB 1886
We are the incubator of Daimler AG – creating new business opportunities for Daimler AG. And I’m the Lead Product Manager.
A large company has to be prepared to change in order to be attractive to the potential new people – how has Daimler managed to do that?
We’re transforming from an automotive company to a mobility service provider. Establishing a department like the Lab1886 – with a startup culture and at the same time the power of a global player like Daimler – is one of the numerous innovation initiatives within our company. To sum up: we offer “the best of both worlds”.
You can’t get anything done without the right people and that goes for startups as well as large companies. How do you find your right people in Daimler?
It’s not about the best people but about the right people in the places and positions. And that’s the reason why we appreciate the EIA and are proud to be a partner.
You will be a Chief Mentor in EIA Portugal 2018. What is your advice to students who are preparing for the program at the moment – how to make the most out of this experience?
Believe in your skills: doubts are a natural part of a process. And it’s not a disadvantage to be a teamplayer.
What will be the next big thing happening in the automotive industry in the next couple of years?
It’s the mix of our CASE strategy: the future of mobility will be Connected, Autonomous, Shared&Services and Electric.
What do you think startups can learn from large companies?
We invented the car in a greenhouse in 1886 and were the 1st startup in the automotive sector. To survive in such a competitive market for more than 130 years you need to constantly adopt and develop yourself as a company.
Did you know:
- Daimler AG owns Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Car2Go, Mitsubishi Fuso, and other companies
- In 2017 Daimler revenue was 164.3 billion € (more than 200 billion USD)
- Offers internships on all continents
- Dennis Dickmann will give a Keynote in EIA Portugal about “How to successfully ramp up an incubator within corporates.”
- EIA Portugal 2018 participants will have a chance to apply for a job in Daimler
