My name is Noah, and I‘m 20 years old. I live in a small town near Chur, Switzerland, in the Alps. I love building things that help people and make work easier. Sport is a big part of my life, I mostly run and cycle to push my limits and clear my mind. For the nerds out there: my race shoes are currently the Adidas Adios Pro 4, and I ride a Thömus Sliker Ultimate pro road bike.

My journey started with trying to make money online as a teenager: dropshipping, building websites, surveys, even publishing a coloring book. None of it really worked, but I learned a lot. At 15, I began an IT apprenticeship, which gave me a strong technical base. By 17, I had my first real start-up idea: a fitness app to track workouts for my coach. I convinced a friend to join me, and together we launched FitFull.

We faced early challenges: no budget, no experienced developers, and school/work commitments. I coded the MVP myself while also building PedalGo, an app rewarding eco-friendly commuting. Both projects launched successfully: PedalGo in October 2023 and FitFull in May 2024, with FitFull gaining 150 users in its first days. That summer, I completed my Federal Vocational Baccalaureate and apprenticeship as the top student in my region.

My co-founder and I then focused more on FitFull, talking with Garmin and Polar for integrations. We realized funding was needed, spoke with investors, and got interest. But while my co-founder went full-time, I had to fulfill Swiss military service. The experience taught me resilience, teamwork, and working under pressure, but I couldn‘t fully dedicate myself to the start-up. In November 2024, I made the tough choice to leave FitFull due to differences in passion and work ethic.

After leaving FitFull, I focused on PedalGo for a few months, but soon faced similar challenges: misaligned co-founders and a lack of real experience. I realized that passion and the right team matter more than any idea. In spring, I traveled alone to Thailand to reflect on my failures and brainstorm about my future. Back in Switzerland, I tried multiple side projects and rented a co-working space, hoping a new idea would come to me. It didn‘t. Over time, I understood that ideas don‘t come by forcing them. They come naturally, through conversation, experience, and the right network. That‘s when I realized my biggest weakness: I hadn‘t connected enough with other founders and business owners to understand real problems and opportunities.

The two biggest lessons I‘ve learned so far: even the most brilliant idea is powerless without the right partners and network. And nothing compares to the feeling of building your own startup, day by day, from the ground up. It‘s magical.