The problem with no problems.

Every business dreams of having no problems. But for a venture client unit, that’s the ultimate nightmare.

The whole premise of your unit is to solve business problems with startup innovations. And those problems are everywhere:

• slow, manual processes

• error-prone inspections on the production line

• skyrocketing customer requests left unanswered

• CO₂-heavy operations

• supply chain blind spots

The list is endless. So the real question isn’t if problems exist. It’s: how do you tap into them? How do you reach the one person, with the one problem — who also has the budget and will to solve it with something as “risky” as a startup?

That’s the world of problem in-flow.

Demand vs. Need: a quick story

You can’t generate needs. They already exist.

But you can generate demand.

Think about your commute. You live between two bus stops. Every morning you rush, miss the bus by seconds, and waste time waiting. It’s frustrating, but your options feel limited — car, bike, taxi. Until one day you see an ad for a local car-sharing platform. Suddenly, you discover an option you didn’t know existed.

The need was always there. The demand only appeared once you became aware of the solution.

That’s exactly how it works inside a corporate. Business units have real problems. But unless they see startups as a credible solution, there’s no demand for your unit.

Why problem in-flow is so hard

If it feels like pulling teeth to get problems surfaced, you’re not alone. Three challenges come up again and again:

1. Visibility
Most colleagues don’t know your unit exists, or what it offers. And when they hear “startup,” many think unreliable, irrelevant, or “not invented here.”

2. Trust
Even if they’re aware of you, people don’t just hand over problems. An intranet post won’t cut it. Leads are earned through personal connection, relevance, and repeated follow-up.

3. Limited resources
Venture client units are lean. Between scouting, pilots, adoption, and reporting, you don’t have the capacity for big marketing campaigns.

So how do you increase problem in-flow without burning out?

Four practical moves

The answer: use what’s already there. You don’t need a comms department. You need to embed your message into existing systems.

1. Use internal channels
Leverage the formats that already reach people: intranet, newsletters, onboarding kits, innovation weeks, even poster campaigns or desktop backgrounds. Be where they are.

2. Reuse content
Startup radars, trend decks, scouting reports, success stories — you already have them. Share with a quick line: “Thought this might be relevant for your team.” It’s easy, personal, and effective.

3. Show up in existing meetings
Steering committees, BU reviews, project boards. Even five minutes to share a relevant startup can spark a conversation that turns into a lead.

4. Activate ambassadors
Find colleagues who’ve had positive pilot experiences or are startup-curious. Give them plug-and-play slides, quick digests, or success stories to share. Internal voices carry further than corporate ones.

Demand vs. Lead Gen: you need both

Notice how these tactics fall into two buckets:

• Demand generation is broad awareness. Repetition. Planting the idea that startups are a real option.

• Lead generation is precision. The footwork: 1:1 outreach, tailored startup examples, discovery workshops.

Awareness without follow-up creates no leads. Footwork without awareness is exhausting. You need both.

Bonus lever: external spark

Sometimes the fastest way to cut through corporate clutter is to take people out of it.

Bring your stakeholders into a different setting — surrounded by startups, industry peers, and the newest tech trends. That’s when the noise fades and curiosity sparks.

They return with:

• new ideas on what to improve,

• inspiration to use startups in their work,

• and a stronger relationship with you as the one who opened the door.

That’s why I helped create the The Venture Client Track at Future Tech Fest on September 11 in Düsseldorf.

It’s not a generic startup fair. It’s a curated format where venture client units bring their internal stakeholders to discover startups, connect with other corporates, and leave with fresh momentum.

If problem in-flow is your bottleneck, this is one of the smartest shortcuts to build it.

Final thought

Problem in-flow doesn’t just happen. You have to build it — systematically, creatively, consistently.

And you don’t need massive budgets. You need to work smart:

• use existing channels

• reuse content

• show up in existing meetings

• empower ambassadors

• leverage external sparks

Because at the end of the day:
No problems = no pilots.
No pilots = no impact.
No impact = no venture client unit.