Iva Jankovic is a generalist who uses innovation to seed positive growth in people and companies. She believes in impact, values, mutual support, and the power of community. She is currently part of the leadership team of MDX, a product development unit of MetaDesign. Find out how she stumbled upon the startup world, and check out her comparison between the ecosystems in Berlin and the Western Balkans, where she’s from.

1. Hi Iva, thank you very much for agreeing to do the interview. Could you tell us about your background and how you got connected to the startup world?

Hi, and thanks for the invite! I’m excited to share my journey. I stumbled upon the startup world as a freshly graduated musicologist seeking experience. I landed an internship at betahaus Berlin in 2012, drawn by its vibrant culture and community, even though I didn’t fully understand the startup scene.

Back then, startups were rare, and co-working was just emerging. betahaus was a hub for diverse innovators, from artists to unicorns like orderbird, or Clue the godparents of term FemTech, and it was exhilarating to be part of that energy.

Out of there, I found my passion in designing programs for entrepreneurs to upskill themselves or their teams, so they can grow their businesses and find opportunities. Back then, there weren’t many programs, such as accelerators or mentoring networks in Berlin. I started with betahaus Academy, which later merged with betapitch to form betahausX. We designed programs such as DB Mindbox, launchpads to expand business from and to Korea, BBRAUN innovation lab, and others. Today, betahausX designs accelerator services and go-to-market programs for startups.

2. You’re the Principal Consultant at MetaDesign, a leading international branding and design agency. And as you mentioned, you spent more than seven years at betahaus. Could you tell us more about your mission?

I spent nearly eight years designing successful pilot-focus startup programs for large organizations like DB and VW. Despite this, I lacked the insights to truly impact these organizations and create lasting change, one that goes beyond inspiration or impulse. You see, with betahausX we would open the doors for innovation, and back then this was very new and disruptive, but we needed to be able to influence the internal structures that take that innovation impulse from outside and embed it into a large organization. This realization led me to leave the startup world and join MetaDesign to help grow MDX, their product and service design unit.

MetaDesign, Germany’s N1 branding agency, under the wings of Publicis Groupe, has a long-lasting trusted relationship with enterprise clients, allowing us to foresee innovative solutions from within. MetaDesign’s deep knowledge of large organizations and their brand needs poses a strong ground for welcoming new disruptive ideas and distilling them into solutions feasible for that organization. 

I believe this is where change that impacts people’s lives materializes, and I am on a mission to contribute to this change in large organizations helping to make a more open, enjoyable, and sustainable world. 

3. You’re half Serbian, half Slovenian. Could you compare the ecosystem in Berlin to the one in the Western Balkan region?

Although I come from Western Balkans, I got a chance to immerse myself in the ecosystem recently. Once I dipped my toe in it, something started pulling me back there. There is just so much going on!

We all know that IT, PM and even marketing contracts have been outsourced to Western Balkan countries for over a decade, resulting in highly skilled talent. What I found interesting is that most startups were born out of donor-based funding, which is crucial to kick something off, but it isn’t always able to unlock scale. This is where the Western Balkans turned to its migrant communities, to its representatives in developed ecosystems in the US (as well as in Europe, but not as much). Strong local talent merged with (second or third-generation) migrants’ networks and market access is the secret sauce of hidden Western Balkan champions. 

If you’re looking to open or relocate to the Western Balkan countries, the abundance of opportunities will surprise you, while the environment is still affordable. It is a great region to grow your company. 

4. Which advice would you share with founders who are reading this interview?

One that can’t be repeated enough, as founders (and product leaders) still often forget about it: You are not your user, and make sure to validate your assumptions with the ones who are or who might become your users! 

5. What do you predict for the startup ecosystem in Berlin?​ What are the challenges and the opportunities the ecosystem is facing?

This is an important question for me and I ask myself about it often. So often, I teamed up with my fellow Berlin expats Olivia and Diego (AinTheMachine) to help uncover and craft the future Berlin Narrative, through Unboxing – Unfiltered Talk Show.

We were attracted to Berlin for its craziness, cheapness, and even disruptiveness in certain areas. But how do these things today help us grow our businesses, make our beloved city livable, or even enable us to grow as beings, families, and as a culture? By talking to change drivers in tech, sustainability, culture, politics, etc., we are trying to piece together today’s story, challenges, and opportunities in the Berlin ecosystem.

So not to be too promotional here, but my answer to this question is crystalizing with every next episode we release. Tune in! If you have a PoV to share, I would love to hear from you. Connect with me on LinkedIn and drop me a message!

Thank you for sharing your journey with us, Iva. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

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