Lessons from the Experiences of Hendrik Hey, Founder and CEO of MILC Platform

Today we learn from a veteran European entrepreneur who has been around for a very long time. Hendrik Hey enjoys over two decades and half of experience in the media industry in Europe and beyond. 

However, he and his team have currently set their eyes on improving their industry with the use of blockchain technology and other technological innovations. And this is where it all gets interesting. 

The result of that would be the creation of the MILC platform. Now we snooped around the man, and here are things we can easily learn from his journey so far.

First things First: What’s Hendrik Hey About?

Hendrik Hey is best known for Welt der Wunder TV (World of Wonder TV), the company behind the MILC platform, which he founded some 25 years ago. In that time, the company has grown to become a very well-known media brand in the DACH region. 

But internationally, the Welt der Wunder company has made a name for itself as a big producer of high quality factual entertainment and edutainment programs. Not long ago, they launched a new project called the MILC platform; a move that was inspired by observing the gaps in the media content industry.  

Lesson #1: Find a Healthy Work Culture

And this routine should be a healthy one. Many people know that their daily routines compound over the years to define their personalities. In that case, an entrepreneur must be intentional about what s/he does every day.  

Some entrepreneurs start their day with meditation or yoga or even music; whatever it takes to activate them for the day. For Mr Hendrik, sports before office hours is a good way to get started for the day.

Another routine of his would be to allow his team members the freedom to perform their roles in the way they know best. Hear him go: “I don’t tell anyone what to do or how to do it. I can rely 100% on my team and in the confidence that everyone knows exactly how to do their job. It’s a culture we’ve developed over the years”

Lesson #2: Don’t Ignore Trends

Many of us were there when the dot com boom began and saw exactly its potential. But we probably delayed adopting it or loved something else so much that we missed its blessings completely. Thankfully, the blockchain era is bringing it all back. This time many smart entrepreneurs are capitalizing on it.

Talking about today’s blockchain boom and following his own experiences, Mr Hendrik is known to advise people to take blockchain technology seriously. 

In his words: “You just have to pay some attention to it. And when you do, don’t focus too much of your attention on what Bitcoin is, but what it stands for. It is the same for every coin or token or project out there. Each might just be a figment of blockchain application, but contains an important part of the soul of this young industry.”

Lesson #3: Find a Way to Love Your Business

Now it’s true that many people go into certain businesses just for the money. Now that’s not a bad thing as long as they are delivering value. But you will find it somewhat difficult to stay motivated if you don’t have any level of love for your business.  

As Mr Hey always says “Fall in love with what you do and remain in love with it. And If you no longer love what you do, do something else.” 

To an extent, persistence at one’s craft might just be a way to develop or increase some love for a business. Mr Hendrik likes to call it continuity. For him, “Most things you start won’t work immediately. It takes a lot of time, effort and attention to break even. Many entrepreneurs simply give up too quickly. Again, I like projects that no one has done before. If you then stay on the ball, there always comes the right time to become successful”  

He would continue “In my experience, we’ve always stayed on course and the programs we produced were always new and different. Continuity and diligence are the keys to doing it. If you can’t break down the wall, climb over it or dig under it or walk along it until you find a gap“

Lesson #4: Make Sure There’s Something Interesting About Your Business

Ideally, every business needs something  that’s going to get their customers hooked. Some use celebrities to attract attention while for some others, offering a unique service or product does the magic. The possibilities are unlimited in this regard. 

When we look at what Mr Hendrik has done with the MILC platform, it is clear that his team basically wants to do something that has never been done in their industry before. That is an attention-grabbing move!

“The MILC platform,” begins Mr Hendrik “is the first fully digital content marketplace for the professional media industry. It also builds bridges to the audience by inviting them to actively help us creators and be rewarded for it.” 

So there you have it. Stick with us for more interesting insights from leading entrepreneurs, projects and movements