Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain
In May of 2021, the start-up spexor was looking for a Marketing Manager. Alisa was the ideal candidate – having worked for four years in the marketing communication department of Bosch Sensortec, she was well acquainted with the technology. "The topic of sensor technology is really fascinating to me because it can make life simpler, safer, and more comfortable," explained Alisa. At Sensortec, she had the opportunity to oversee product cycles from the beginning to the end rather than being responsible just for an single area such as online or retail marketing. "You have to think holistically and entrepreneurially here and act across the full spectrum with your team."
New Environment, New Challenges
The approach of launching a so-called Minimum Viable Product (MVP) on the market also intrigued Alisa from the beginning. It involves quickly launching a new product and subsequently improving it step by step. This process allows for making mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve. "I greatly appreciated an encouraging work environment where mistakes were not only accepted but even valued," said Alisa. Just half a year later, she became the Head of Marketing in her start-up, built her own team, and was also responsible for Sales. "It was an extremely challenging phase, like being thrown off the deep end. I had to just act. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything – I learned so much from it."
The Marketing Expert
Alisa Gaiser got to know the corporate culture of Bosch as early as 2010 during a holiday job. After completing her bachelor's degree in 2013, she followed up with internships and a pre-master's program at Bosch Automotive Electronics. From 2017 to 2021, she handled marketing communication for Bosch Sensortec. In May 2021, Alisa joined spexor. Now she is working for Bosch Smart Home in Stuttgart-Vaihingen – initially in Business Development, and since July, in Product Management for the business team Climate & Comfort.
Strong support from the team and from grow platform
Alisa is always happy to seek new challenges, even in her free time. "When hiking, I climb the highest peaks and go the extra mile; I have always been highly motivated." According to her, her time at spexor got her even further – the keyword being resilience. When things don't go as planned, it's frustrating at first; you have to change your strategy or even start all over again. But you can learn to deal with such situations. "The personal development I experienced here was reflected in private contexts, too," she reported. She received the necessary support not only within her team but also through the grow platform. "I had never experienced such strong support on a personal, friendly level. It was very enriching."
"I would do it all over again"
The team spirit at the start-up and the strong support from the platform left a lasting impression on her. It was an intense and unique experience for Alisa that was personally rewarding, too.
With the help of the grow platform HR partner, she found her role in personnel development through team workshops and other activities. When faced with important decisions, she had the marketing professionals from grow platform as sparring partners on an equal footing to exchange ideas with. And she could always rely on her own team. "It was like working on a product with friends. We all wanted to make a difference." She would recommend the experience to others, too, even if it means leaving one’s comfort zone and opening up to new things. "I would do it all over again. When you fall, you fall soft – you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain," said Alisa. After spexor's exit, Alisa was able to move to Bosch Smart Home with most of her tried and trusted team. "For me, it was the optimal path. At the moment, I'm just very happy!"
spexor
The start-up spexor was launched at grow platform in 2019. From idea to mass production it took just 15 months. spexor was a mobile security assistant for break-in detection, monitoring of indoor air quality, temperature alerts and much more. The expertise Alisa gained during that time continues to be of excellent use to the subsidiary Bosch Smart Home.
