Iâm stepping down this week after two years as co-director of EA Germany. While I deeply valued the team and helped build successful structures, I stayed too long when my core values and personal fit no longer aligned.
When I joined EAD, I approached it like the other organisations Iâve worked with, planning on staying 5-10 years to create stability during growth and change. My co-director, Sarah, and I aimed to grow EAD quickly and sustainably. But the FTX collapse hit just as I started in November 2022, and the dream of expanding the team disappeared.
This wasnât the only challenge. I treated EAD as a single organisation rather than part of a global ecosystem where impact shouldnât be geographically contained. I slipped into a âsoldier mindset,â focused on proving EADâs local value instead of prioritising international scalability or considering where I could provide the most impact.
By the end of my first year, I could see that Iâd reached the end of what I was best at and passionate about. The organisation was running well, and my full-time input wasnât needed anymore. But I stayedâbecause I felt so good with the team, because of my long-term commitment, and because I hoped weâd find a path to grow the organisation within Germany.
Meanwhile, I started consulting for Claire Boine at Successif. When she secured new funding to expand, I joined her team part-time. Instead of using this as a chance to leave EAD, I tried to balance both rolesâwhile still running my company, serving as a trustee at EV UK, and mentoring on the side.
Looking back, this was my biggest mistake: I didnât recognise that my counterfactual impact at EAD had become the lowest of all my commitments. Instead of staying true to my value of helping solve the most pressing problems as effectively as possible, I acted out of connection and obligation.
This experience has taught me to recognise when to step back and refocus on where my skills, passion, and impact align best.
Iâm very grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Sarah Tegeler in building and leading the organisation with the invaluable support of Christiane Ranke and Milena Canzler. I also appreciate the backing of the EAD board, the CEA Groups team, my colleagues in the CBG program, and the many peopleâboth within and outside the EA communityâI had the privilege to work with.
A core value of mine is to do good, per EA principles. This means I aim for a sustainable career where my personal fit can have the highest counterfactual impact. This has not been the case in the last few months.
Reflections on Two Years at EA Germany
Iâm stepping down this week after two years as co-director of EA Germany. While I deeply valued the team and helped build successful structures, I stayed too long when my core values and personal fit no longer aligned.
When I joined EAD, I approached it like the other organisations Iâve worked with, planning on staying 5-10 years to create stability during growth and change. My co-director, Sarah, and I aimed to grow EAD quickly and sustainably. But the FTX collapse hit just as I started in November 2022, and the dream of expanding the team disappeared.
This wasnât the only challenge. I treated EAD as a single organisation rather than part of a global ecosystem where impact shouldnât be geographically contained. I slipped into a âsoldier mindset,â focused on proving EADâs local value instead of prioritising international scalability or considering where I could provide the most impact.
By the end of my first year, I could see that Iâd reached the end of what I was best at and passionate about. The organisation was running well, and my full-time input wasnât needed anymore. But I stayedâbecause I felt so good with the team, because of my long-term commitment, and because I hoped weâd find a path to grow the organisation within Germany.
Meanwhile, I started consulting for Claire Boine at Successif. When she secured new funding to expand, I joined her team part-time. Instead of using this as a chance to leave EAD, I tried to balance both rolesâwhile still running my company, serving as a trustee at EV UK, and mentoring on the side.
Looking back, this was my biggest mistake: I didnât recognise that my counterfactual impact at EAD had become the lowest of all my commitments. Instead of staying true to my value of helping solve the most pressing problems as effectively as possible, I acted out of connection and obligation.
This experience has taught me to recognise when to step back and refocus on where my skills, passion, and impact align best.
Iâm very grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Sarah Tegeler in building and leading the organisation with the invaluable support of Christiane Ranke and Milena Canzler. I also appreciate the backing of the EAD board, the CEA Groups team, my colleagues in the CBG program, and the many peopleâboth within and outside the EA communityâI had the privilege to work with.
Thank you for sharing this. Could you clarify what you mean by âmy core values [...] no longer aligned.â?
A core value of mine is to do good, per EA principles. This means I aim for a sustainable career where my personal fit can have the highest counterfactual impact. This has not been the case in the last few months.