Zalando is moving beyond transactional e-commerce by using an AI assistant to answer complex, context-based questions like, "What should I wear in Norway today?" This conversational approach solves a core user need for inspiration that traditional search-and-filter functions cannot address.
Zalando's co-founder, Robert Gentz, believes curiosity and humility are the most critical leadership traits. Curiosity enables learning from everyone to make better decisions. Humility ensures a founder respects upcoming challenges and acknowledges that past success does not guarantee future victories, which is vital for long-term navigation.
Zalando's co-CEO argues Europe's entrepreneurial ecosystem lacks a unifying vision like the "American Dream." He sees an opportunity for Europe to establish its own brand based on inclusivity and democratic values, creating a powerful narrative to attract global talent and win the innovation race against the US and China.
As Zalando scaled to 15,000 employees, co-CEO Robert Gentz's leadership evolved from hands-on execution to an "enabling" style. He now focuses only on areas where his founder's perspective is irreplaceable: setting culture, making ambiguous long-term bets, and providing conviction that only he can.