Post by Olga Steidl-Skipper

Sometimes, You Inspire Without Even Knowing It There’s someone I’ve never really spoken to — not properly, at least. We’ve never shared a coffee or had a long conversation. And yet, this person motivates me every single day. My neighbor’s office is just across the street from my apartment. Every day, like clockwork, I see him opening the door to his startup. Rain or shine. Weekdays, weekends. Sundays included. He walks from his apartment to the office and — simply put — hustles. This morning, at 8:00 when I went on my jog, he was already there, setting up for the day. I see his team picking up (my!!) deliveries, getting on calls, playing table tennis during breaks, and just... living startup life in the most grounded, consistent way. He doesn’t know it, but he’s on my team. He’s someone I silently compete with, someone whose work ethic keeps me on my toes, someone I look up to — without us ever having exchanged more than a nod. We talk a lot about inspiration coming from books, TED talks, or famous founders. But sometimes, it’s the person across the street who lights a fire under you without realizing it. So this is a (slightly creepy, but very sincere) shout-out to my neighbor: Thank you. Thank you for showing up every day. For reminding me that consistency is a superpower. For proving that hustle doesn’t have to be loud to be real. And to anyone who says people in Berlin don’t work hard — come stand on my street for a week and watch this man build his dream, one quiet, determined day at a time. Jobflow GmbH Steffen Allesch