CEO Bastian Siebers on Mindset and Ten Lessons

At the 10th‑anniversary celebration of the E‑commerce Berlin Expo, Bastian Siebers, chairman of the management board and CEO of flaconi, shared ten lessons that shape his view of online retail.

Customer centricity as the starting point

Siebers said the first thing that attracted him to e‑commerce was “the concept of true customer centricity.” He noted that many firms claim to care about shoppers, yet few design their processes around them. At flaconi, the hashtag #customercentric is more than a slogan; it dictates that every decision begins and ends with the consumer. This focus, he argues, is essential for lasting success.

Learning from early missteps

Running two companies at once for two and a half years taught him a hard lesson about focus. He realized that trying to give 100 % to multiple ventures dilutes effort, and that “to be fast and successful, you must focus your energy on executing one thing with excellence.” That experience still guides his approach to strategy and resource allocation.

The interview also highlighted a recurring theme: “mindset is everything.” He repeated that even the best strategy fails without a team that adopts the right attitude. Business is not just about numbers; it’s about people. Building a workforce with a winning mindset, he believes, allows a company to overcome any challenge.

Balancing optimism with sustainable growth

Reflecting on the past decade, Siebers misses the industry’s “sheer hunger and positivity.” He recalled a time when “anything was possible, and no obstacle was too big,” and he still lives by the credo “positivity powers performance.” At the same time, he is relieved that the era of “growth at all costs” has faded. The shift toward earning money before scaling, he says, aligns with healthier business principles and longer‑term sustainability.

Siebers defines success as the balance between happy customers and positive business results. Flaconi boasts the industry’s highest net promoter score and a customer‑retention rate exceeding 80 %. He points to these metrics as evidence that satisfied shoppers drive revenue.

Opportunity beyond technology

While artificial intelligence is integral to operational efficiency, he believes the real opportunity lies in what he calls #WEcommerce. This concept stresses building long‑term, trust‑based relationships with employees, partners, and customers. The company that cultivates the strongest network will dominate the market.

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In practice, flaconi invests heavily in culture, treating it as a core business driver. Rather than focusing solely on key performance indicators, the firm creates an “innovative, fun workplace” that attracts talent and unlocks potential. By shaping an environment where people can grow, reflect, and push boundaries, flaconi hopes to achieve its KPIs more naturally.

When asked about the most counterintuitive practice that works, he highlighted that culture, not metrics, sits at the foundation of strategy. Many competitors chase numbers alone, while flaconi prioritizes the setting in which those numbers are earned.

His guiding principle is uncompromising: never sacrifice mindset. “You can be the smartest person in the room, but without the willingness to go the extra mile, it won’t get you anywhere.”

The team stays agile.

Looking ahead, Siebers feels “incredibly optimistic.” He sees a market evolving rapidly, driven by a new competitive spirit that raises the importance of quality and speed.

In a brief analysis, the emphasis on mindset over pure technology echoes earlier shifts in retail where customer experience began to outweigh price competition. Much like the transition from brick‑and‑mortor to online, the current focus on relational value may signal a similar inflection point for e‑commerce.