I'm Niklas Johannknecht
Right now, I'm the CEO of 90five, a global design and Webflow studio, and Founder of EC Capital, a venture studio and holding of creative businesses. My mission is to connect as many users through design, psychology, and technology as possible. Before my current roles, I founded a few other companies, with one exit and multiple failures. On that path, I learned lessons that I now share on social media. Writing about life, business, health, and documenting my journey.
Principles
These principles guide me through life's challenges and joys, influencing my actions and helping me stay true to myself.
Obsession. It's about going all in or all out. No room for mediocrity. No backup plans, no halfhearted efforts. Always strive for excellence.
Discipline. Consistent discipline equals freedom. Being able to stick to your plan no matter what. No excuses, just getting it done.
Simplicity. Those who simplify complex ideas are more valuable than those who make simple things complex. Be lean and simple.
Speed. Sets you apart. Move fast without sacrificing quality. Stay one step ahead of the game — and everyone else.
My Work
I began my journey in the design industry nearly a decade ago and always wanted to combine design, psychology, and technology. That's how 90five came to life. We've focused on creating experiences that connect with people and convert—whether it's a website, app, or product.
Website Design Studio
Always been keen to help others along the way. That's how the idea of EC Capital came to life, offering creative businesses the opportunity to access industry insights, connections, resources, and capital to break boundaries and grow to new heights.
Venture Studio/Holding
Over the years, I noticed friends struggling to launch their products, thinking interest will come automatically, which isn't usually the case. This led to creating taskforce95. It serves as a product design partner for startups and founders, offering a dedicated senior design team to build products with exceptional design, replacing freelancers and costly agencies.
Product Design Partner
Things I believe
∙ The only thing that is limiting you, is yourself.
∙ It's always you vs you.
∙ You are the result of the decisions you made yesterday, last month, last year.
∙ There’s no such thing as work-life balance, more like work-life choices.
∙ How you do one thing is how you do everything.
∙ Most of the time, the equation looks like this: Business problem = Self problem.
∙ Client is king but respect your boundaries.
∙ Always under-promise and over-deliver. Always.
∙ Keep teams as small, lean, and efficient as possible.
∙ Fewer meetings, fewer PMs = better culture.
∙ Plan to exit. Everything comes to an end, this is how nature works.
∙ It's all about the things you can't buy: health, partners, memories, and more.
∙ A bad person ruins even a gourmet meal. A good person turns a cheap meal gourmet. It's the company that elevates experiences.
∙ People always matter more than money.
∙ It's always about the user, remember that.
∙ Nobody can make you happy until you are happy with yourself first.
∙ Only listen to people's advice if they are where you want to be or go.
∙ Everything is created twice. First in your mind, then in reality.
∙ You can shape your reality. Thoughts > Beliefs > Actions > Results / Reality.
∙ Money doesn't change you, it only reveals who you are when you no longer have to be nice.
∙ Don't get into non-scalable lines of work. It's not worth it.
Library
I understand you can't peek into my mind to grasp my thoughts, but you can gain insight by reading the books that influenced me the most.
Relentless
One of my all-time favorite books provided insights on unlocking my full potential and achieving greatness. The Relentless 13 list is deeply ingrained in my mind.
Can’t Hurt Me
Goggins' book helped me face my fears and push through self-imposed limitations. My journey towards mental toughness began to kick off after applying some lessons from the book.
Discipline is Destiny
A recent addition to my favorites list is this book on stoicism. It provides practical advice on daily discipline, decision-making, and living a good life, which aligns with my interest in stoicism.
Ready, Fire, Aim
One of my favorite books on startups focuses on making quick decisions, adjusting strategies, testing ideas, and getting things done fast. An absolute must-read. A true classic.
38 Letters from J.D. Rockefeller
This book surpasses all the personal development books I've read. It provides insight into J.D.'s perspectives, ideologies, and a father-son business relationship.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
This is gold! I truly enjoyed the insights on wealth, happiness, and personal development. Startup founders should read this at least once in their life.
The Toyota Way
I learned many lessons from their system and principles on how they make their production smooth. Implemented a few lessons on teamwork, problem-solving, and efficiency in our studio.
Legacy
One of the best books on leadership, covering 15 practical principles for high-performance culture. It provides valuable insights on establishing ethos and team practices.
Predictably Irrational
First time reading it, I was amazed since I directly spotted different patterns of behavior. I learned how to identify and adjust decision biases on the go.
Thinking in Bets
It helped me think more probabilistically, make better choices, and predict outcomes. It also provides significant value in managing risk and navigating decisions.