Making an idea take flight
Leader. Intrapreneur. Mastermind. For years now, Philipp Spies has created impact in a multitude of ways. Now working in a leadership position at Bosch China, Philipp is the former CEO of grow platform start-up copperdot. Launched in January 2022, copperdot offers innovative solutions for the cost-optimized procurement of printed circuit boards (PCBs). During his time within grow platform, Philipp was constantly amazed by the speed at which new ideas could be turned into reality.
When Philipp joined forces with Benjamin Ohse to launch the innovative business of copperdot, one thing was clear to him: embarking on the portfolio team adventure meant striving to “make your idea take flight.” The copperdot team worked fast and successfully implemented its vision of an end-to-end platform offering AI-based PCB purchasing—something that has set it apart from the competition. It’s no surprise that copperdot’s ambitious first-year sales target was achieved after just ten months.
A workday full of hands-on tasks
“I’m still amazed at how quickly you can act at grow platform. You are your own boss, and everything’s in your own hands—in the end, you don’t need as many signatures to make a decision,” says Philipp. Compared to his earlier positions where he fulfilled traditional leadership roles, such as his time as the head of a sixty-strong international team, Philipp’s workday at copperdot was much more hands-on in many respects. “This gave me practical advantages. For example, when I used a piece of software myself, I could better judge its functionality and whether it suited our needs.”
From intern to intrapreneur
Philipp Spies studied mechanical engineering at the University of Kaiserslautern before earning his doctorate at the University of Karlsruhe. Even before finishing his studies, he completed an internship at Bosch—and has remained loyal to the company ever since. After various positions, including project manager in Corporate Research and departmental head at the Bosch joint venture UAES in Shanghai, he became CEO of the grow platform portfolio team copperdot in January 2022. Today, he works in a key leadership role at Bosch China.
Teamwork as a key success factor
While autonomy was a big benefit for Philipp within grow platform, so too was the support provided by its experts—such as in the area of marketing, which helped build up the copperdot brand. “We even integrated grow platform personnel into our organizational charts. They were—and remain—an integral part of the team and an important success factor in achieving goals,” he adds. Philipp has been a fan of Bosch’s corporate culture from the very start, thanks to its focus on partnership and loyalty: “No one ever stands alone, whether something shines or occasionally doesn’t—success can only be found as a team.”
grow platform offers a chance to try new things
At copperdot, Philipp’s workday revolved around a team mindset. Successes were celebrated as a group while setbacks gave everyone a chance to learn. “It wasn’t my ambition to always be the one with the best idea. Rather, the more inspiration we got from the team, the better the results,” says Philipp. Bright business models have the chance to fly high at grow platform, but Philipp knows they could also fail. With this perspective, he still highly recommends this path to aspiring intrapreneurs. “Especially for younger people just starting out, grow platform offers a great opportunity to try out new things and keep developing.”
copperdot
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the foundation of electronics. copperdot helps its clients in the procurement of industrial-grade PCBs, with an innovative AI-based solution providing an end-to-end platform that significantly optimizes the production, delivery and cost-effectiveness of PCBs. Founded in early 2022, copperdot focuses on the B2B market worldwide.
A catalyst for executive talent development
As CEO of copperdot, Philipp spearheaded numerous initiatives—from strengthening the start-up’s position in the electronics and PCB industry to fostering growth across all international teams. Thanks to close collaboration between Philipp and his co-founder Benjamin Ohse, copperdot has reached remarkable milestones: achieving their first-year sales target in just ten months, expanding their global presence, and gaining new customers along the way.
At grow platform, we recognize Philipp's transition as a great example of how new-business building serves as a catalyst for executive talent development. His journey from copperdot CEO to the key leadership role in Bosch's Automotive Purchasing division in China showcases the transformative power of entrepreneurial experiences within our organization.
