“I don’t answer emails full-time, I’m a founder-successful maker,” says investor and DHDL lion Carsten Maschmeyer. He prioritizes his tasks and appointments accordingly. Maschmeyer Group/Collage: Founder scene
The same thing every year, says Carsten Maschmeyer with a laugh. As if the world was ending at Christmas, everything had to be crammed into the time before, he jokes. His working week in Advent is correspondingly full. But that’s not unusual, says the 64-year-old. On average, he spends two nights a week in hotels, which is how much he’s always on the move. And it is also normal that no evening goes by without a dinner, usually a business meal. After all, he sees his job as a “people business,” he emphasizes at the beginning of our conversation about his calendar. And about ultimate hacks and insights into self-organization and time management.
What does this mean for the organization of his meetings? How much time does Carsten Maschmeyer take for personal meetings per week? When does he process his emails? Does he have set routines and does he plan breaks? Why does he mix private and professional appointments? And who is ultimately in control of his calendar – Machmeyer himself or his personal assistant, with whom every single appointment has to be made?