In this episode of the Mind Echo Podcast, I speak with David Lähner, founder & CEO of MindPort — the company behind VR Builder, a no-code toolkit that makes building VR content faster and easier.

David shares his vision for VR’s potential beyond gaming, from medicine to enterprise training. But this conversation also explores how management can be different — including salary transparency, remote-first culture, and giving employees voting rights inside a startup.

We cover:

• The untapped potential of VR in medicine, training & enterprise
• The case of VR helping burn victims reduce pain
• How VR Builder enables co-creation between experts & developers
• The role of AI in immersive 3D experiences
• Fairness, transparency & voting rights as part of MindPort’s DNA
• Startup fundraising challenges after the metaverse hype

If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, immersive tech, or modern management, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration.

If you want to learn more about MindPort, visit www.mindport.co

Helping Travelers Explore At Their Own Pace | Melanie Hagen | Episode #8

In this episode of the Mind Echo Podcast, I speak with Melanie Hagen, co-founder of Roadstory Audio — a GPS-based audio guide designed to give travelers freedom to explore without endless research or rigid group tours.

Melanie shares her journey from a 16-year career at SAP into startup life, and how a single road trip inspired her to bring hands-free travel storytelling to Europe. We discuss the courage it takes to say “do it now or never,” the early validation that proved Roadstory could work, and the balance between AI and human creativity in building cultural content.

This conversation covers:

• Melanie’s path from SAP leadership to entrepreneurship
• Why variety and curiosity drove her choices early on
• The inspiration that sparked Roadstory
• Early wins, accelerators, and customer validation
• The most unexpected challenge of being “master of your own agenda”
• Roadstory’s first launch and vision for the future

If you’re curious about entrepreneurship, travel, or creative technology, this episode offers both inspiration and practical takeaways.

Learn more about Roadstory on: www.roadstory-audio.com