Why Buy When You Can Rent?

In this episode of the Mind Echo Podcast, I speak with Vincent Schulz, co-founder of Miezekater — a peer-to-peer rental platform helping people rent and lend everyday items locally, from camping gear to power tools, without always having to buy them.

Vincent shares his journey from a creative, tech-savvy teenager teaching himself animation and game development, to launching a startup in under four months while still at university. We explore how he and his co-founder Simon are testing their platform in Aachen before scaling, why they split equity 50/50, and how AI helped them move from idea to app at impressive speed.

This conversation covers:

• Vincent’s entrepreneurial path and early creative projects
• Why he believes building a startup is less risky than ever
• The role of co-founder alignment and trust
• Lessons from building a marketplace and testing locally
• Why sustainability matters but isn’t enough as a value proposition
• Bootstrapping, growth focus, and avoiding early funding distractions
• Using AI as a speed and efficiency enabler

If you’re curious about entrepreneurship, the sharing economy, or lean startup building, this episode offers both inspiration and practical takeaways.

If you are interested in learning more about Mietzekater, go to www.mietzekater.de