Marcel Düe

Profile
Studies: Marcel Düe studied at the University of Potsdam, Sydney University and Freie Universität Berlin, graduating from the University of Potsdam with a degree in Startup and Innovation Management.
Career: Marcel Düe is the co-founder of Tweek, was previously a product manager at Nokia, worked in business development for gate5 and was a product manager with BILD-Zeitung.

What has been the most important invention since Konrad Zuse?
Marcel Düe: Konrad Zuse stands for the Internet. Human exchange worldwide and in real time. The end of communication barriers. To me, Zuse also stands for the ending of information asymmetries in the political and economic process. Thanks to the Internet, an era for new, innovative business models, especially in the IT sector, has of course also evolved.

To what extent do you follow in the tradition of Konrad Zuse?
Marcel Düe: Oh, that's a great tradition. I don't presume to fit in there entirely. My innovations still lack worldwide relevance. Having said that, at least we both started in the same place: Berlin. Right now I couldn't imagine a better city for the headquarters of Tweek. Besides, it's probably true to say of all founders and innovators that they do not content themselves with the status quo. We want to alter the existing borders in a defined area, to change the world slightly to our way of thinking. To open up new possibilities for people and perhaps to make life a little more liveable.

Berlin is…
Marcel Düe:
… inspiration. There are very few cities that allow you to develop your ideas as freely as Berlin. You can find inspiration everywhere; even on the subway in the morning you discover ten things which could make all our lives simpler. You can sense the creativity that emanates from Berlin and you are constantly motivated by it. I couldn't imagine a better city for Tweek's HQ.

How did you get into IT?
Marcel Düe: After travelling around the world for twelve months I came back to Berlin intending to begin my main studies. But first I needed some money, so I went to see my old boss. He had just launched a startup. That was in March 2005. The name of the startup was gate5. I began working there and very soon I was having so much fun that my studies were shifted to my leisure time.

How did you come to the Tweek project and what is it about?
Marcel Düe: We three founders already knew each from earlier jobs and one day we asked ourselves why none of our friends watches TV anymore. All everyone talked about was the depths to which television had sunk and how boring the programmes were. Our goal is to change that by making sure that TV becomes fun again. We think TV is great. But it can be incredibly annoying. You're looking forward to a cosy evening in front of the TV and then spend most of your time zapping through the huge selection of TV stations without finding anything that really interests you. Tweek has the solution: a personalized TV guide which knows exactly what you like and immediately provides you with the right films, series and TV shows.

How will IT continue to develop in the future?
Marcel Düe: Everyone will be participating. I can already see now that, over the last eight years, many of my friends who have nothing to do with technology have worked in former IT startups. IT will become part of our everyday lives. It will be more easily accessible and in its basic form it will be simpler to develop. We will use more IT services as a matter of course. An example: We are the last generation to have relatively few facts on the current status of our body. That will change considerably. IT will allow us to monitor our body continuously and to influence it more consciously.

About Tweek
A personalized social TV guide which is tailored to the individual needs of the consumer and which revolutionizes the TV experience – this was the vision of the Berlin startup Tweek and its co-founder Marcel Düe. Tweek stands apart from the competition in that the young company concentrates on innovations of the "second screen", i.e. the tablet. The Tweek iPad app which was launched simultaneously in Germany and the United Kingdom enables users to get their bearings more quickly in the wide range of TV, film and web offerings. Recommendations from friends serve as a kind of social filter. The user-friendly application also provides direct access to the desired contents.

Contact
Ubertweek GmbH
Marcel Düe
Schönhauser Allee 149
10435 Berlin
Tel. +49 15 73-7 65 86 52
e-mail: <link hello@tweek.tv>hello@tweek.tv</link>
Web: <link http://www.tweek.tv/ _blank external-link-new-window>www.tweek.tv</link>
Twitter: <link http://twitter.com/tweek_tv _blank external-link-new-window>twitter.com/tweek_tv</link>