“F*ck it. Ship it.” “Experiment. Fail. Learn. Repeat.” “Get sh*t done.” They are the kind of slogan that pop up frequently in the challenging and all-too-often destructive world of startups. Sometimes, they can add the little splash of inspiration that is required for success, and Squaredo is hoping to inject just that into the Berlin scene in the form of its big and bold posters.
Launched this week, the Berlin-based startup is an e-commerce shop for motivational posters, and the main aim behind it is to share something inspiring with family and friends.
Each 42x60cm poster features a quote in a contrasting colour to the monochrome background and a small icon associated with the words. There are currently seven posters online, each costing €25, with quotes from Steve Jobs, Box’s Aaron Levie, Fortiva’s Paul Chen, and other phrases that have caught the eye of the Squaredo team.
Squaredo is a side project for designer Oliver Schendzielorz, with Toast‘s Benedikt Bingler acting as an advisor, and he wants to add to the lean startup way of thinking. The concept stemmed from the idea of the ubiquitous whiteboard that resides in every startup office with a multitude of ideas and reminders scribbled all over it. It acts as a constant reminder to stay motivated, stay enthused and stay focused.
Oliver said: “With our quotes, we’d like to inspire and motivate young entrepreneurs like us working on innovative products. They reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of the young generation of companies in Berlin and all over Europe.”
The project is similar to LA-based Startup Vitamins, which is currently focused on the US. While the cost of the poster itself is cheaper at €20, with shipping costs included it would work out the same.
The Squaredo team intends to release a new poster at least every month and will at first aim for the Berlin market, but seemingly have listened to some of their own poster advice and are thinking big – London and New York might well be next.
Silicon Allee readers can get an exclusive €5 discount on Squaredo’s posters until the end of April by using the code siliconallee54.