From high school dropout in Germany, to a self-driving car engineer in Silicon Valley, Stefan’s journey to co-founder of Mobile Jazz is anything but expected.
I heard about Stefan’s innovative ‘happiness first’ business model from Johannes Voelkner of the Nomad Cruise, and knew I had to get Stefan on the show.
In this interview Stefan shares his philosophy on prioritizing happiness over a paycheck, his love for travel, living in a Fiat camper van and spending his days kiteboarding.
“Even today when I talk to people, I sometimes say, ‘If all my businesses went bankrupt, my bank account was set to zero, I wouldn’t be worried because I could leverage my network, leverage my skills and just start up again.'” – Stefan Klumpp
Podcast: Play in new window
Subscribe: RSS
Travel Topics:
- How a high school dropout can become a successful entrepreneur [2:08]
- Moving to Silicon Valley to race self-driving cars through the desert [6:29]
- Getting hooked on kiteboarding [8:30]
- Yes…. Island fever is real! [10:10]
- What to do when you go broke in Spain [13:06]
- How to become a self-taught mobile app developer [13:20]
- Ha! Turns out, mobile was not just a fad! [13:49]
- The simple principles of entrepreneurship [17:57]
- How to create a unique office environment and pay model for your startup [21:52]
- Organizational advice: First up – Start spreadsheets! [27:52]
- Why Stefan took a personal financial hit to grow the business [29:00]
- Low overhead = Personal freedom [29:46]
- The simplicity of camper van life [31:11]
- Security issues inherent with traveling in a camper van [34:32]
- How Stefan measures happiness [38:06]
- The nomad working on the beach myth dispelled! [40:13]
- Clickbait vs Quality content [43:46]
Stefan Klumpp’s Talking Points:
- Check out cool camper vans
- Kiteboarding in Tarifa, Spain
- Read unique Mobile Jazz reviews on SE Asia, Cape Town and Sri Lanka
- Connect with Stefan:
Email | Facebook | Website | Vantrepreneur FB Group
- Connect with Optimizing for Happiness:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
- Connect with Mobile Jazz:
Music Credit:
Take Action:
Money can’t buy you happiness, right? So what makes you happier than money and what are you willing to do for it?