From the very beginning, I strived to stay on the cutting edge of the web. In 1998, I secured my first domain: agree.de. Back then, acquiring a web domain was extraordinarily complex and expensive, requiring two independent servers with separate IP addresses—something almost no individual could afford. I managed to obtain it through a national funding initiative connected to DENIC.
I was so proud of this digital milestone that I had www.agree.de printed in massive letters across my car. Young female developers in my network helped me build that first website. However, the public reaction was one of complete bewilderment. People would approach me on the street and ask in utter confusion: "What is that supposed to be? Why on earth would anyone need a website?"
In hindsight, this vividly illustrates how resistant societies are to fundamental paradigm shifts. Emerging technologies initially appear useless, abstract, or like mere gimmicks to the general public. From those early pioneering steps in the late 1990s, I learned that building meaningful digital spaces often requires being years ahead of the curve—an experience that serves as the foundation for UNO.TEAM today.
