"Post-€250M Exit, Martin Klässner shifted focus to creating a more efficient method for expansion"
In the dynamic world of business, adaptability is key. Martin Klässner, a renowned entrepreneur, has developed a groundbreaking methodology aimed at helping companies navigate change with ease - the Art of Acceleration (AOA) Methodology.
After selling his e-mobility company has·to.be to ChargePoint for €250 million in 2021, Klässner, along with his former co-founders, founded a new startup called GrowthSquare. Their mission: to teach companies to scale successfully with a new research-validated methodology.
AOA is a people-centric approach to strategy execution, designed to build resilient companies through enhanced transparency, alignment, and intrinsically motivated teams. It differs fundamentally from traditional goal-setting frameworks like OKR, focusing on defining clear directions and concrete next actions for employees.
While OKR frameworks traditionally require setting measurable objectives and outcomes to guide progress, the AOA Methodology avoids this complexity deeper in organizations. As Klässner explains, it is challenging for employees to formulate objectives but straightforward to identify immediate actionable steps aligned with company direction. This shift reduces planning time and increases convenience for employees, especially those in service and daily operational roles.
The AOA Methodology is supported by a dedicated cloud-based platform designed to facilitate this transparent, action-focused execution process, fostering high-performing teams and sustainable success. This makes it a more dynamic and flexible alternative to OKR, especially in fast-paced or complex environments where traditional objective-setting may slow down decision-making and responsiveness.
One of the key aspects of AOA is its focus on defining a shared reality within a company. A shared reality includes beliefs, hypotheses, boundaries, and input, which are re-evaluated every 6-12 months to determine if the strategy needs to change. For instance, Lithoz, a large Austrian medtech company, adopted AOA and saw a 94% adoption rate among employees, improving coordination between teams and capacity planning. With AOA, Lithoz moved from a reactive mode to a proactive control mode, allowing them to identify problems earlier and make adjustments before key performance indicators (KPIs) are affected.
A workshop with a retail company revealed a significant difference in understanding the company’s environment and reality between C-level management and lower management. To address this, GrowthSquare developed a module within their execution methodology called Shared Reality, ensuring alignment on a shared understanding across the company and its teams.
AOA is a combinatorial approach, using a mix of bottom-up and top-down strategies for strategy execution. The direction is given top-down by management and shareholders for three to five years, and broken down into 12-18 months. Teams define quarterly sprints through actions, bottom-up definitions of possible contributions to the overall direction.
GrowthSquare is automating onboarding and consulting processes for AOA this year and has launched a training program for others to become AOA-certified trainers. A book about AOA is expected to be published later this year. AOA has been implemented in various company sizes, from startups of 5 to 10 people to large companies with 2,000 to 3,000 employees, demonstrating its versatility and applicability in diverse business contexts.
In essence, the Art of Acceleration Methodology is a game-changer in the realm of strategy execution. By focusing on people, transparency, and actionable steps, AOA empowers companies to adapt, grow, and succeed in an ever-changing business landscape.
- Martin Klässner, an entrepreneur who developed the Art of Acceleration (AOA) Methodology, aims to apply this innovative approach to finance and investing in his new startup, GrowthSquare, by teaching companies to scale successfully.
- With its focus on enhancing transparency, aligning teams, and defining clear next actions, the AOA Methodology can potentially revolutionize technology-driven entrepreneurship by creating high-performing, resilient businesses capable of navigating complex environments.
