SELEKT Founder Day: 2026 Strategy w/ Timo Buetefisch (Cooltra Co-Founder & CEO)
- Date
- 2026-01-16
- Location
- Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
- Host
- KARISMA
About this event
Founder Day is built for serious operators who want to think clearly about what comes next. This edition brings the SELEKT community together in Barcelona for a focused, in-person session on 2026 strategy with Timo Buetefisch, Co-Founder and CEO of Cooltra. If you want sharper thinking, better questions, and stronger founder-level perspective on planning for the year ahead, this is the room to be in. This is not a broad conference or a passive talk. It’s a members-only gathering with limited guest spots, designed to give founders and startup leaders space for honest discussion, practical insight, and high-quality connection with peers who are building in real time. About the Event SELEKT Founder Day is a curated in-person session for founders, operators, and startup leaders who care about strategy at the company-building level. The core theme is 2026 planning: how to make stronger decisions now, how to prioritize for the next phase of growth, and how to align ambition with execution. The conversation will be shaped by Timo Buetefisch’s experience as the Co-Founder and CEO of Cooltra, bringing a perspective grounded in actually building and scaling a business. Rather than staying at the level of theory, the event is positioned around founder-relevant questions: what matters most as you look ahead, what tradeoffs deserve attention, and what strategic choices can compound over time. Because this is a SELEKT community event, the format is intentionally selective and relationship-driven. Expect a room where the discussion can go deeper than surface-level networking, with attendees who are there to engage seriously with the topic and with each other. The setting also matters. In-person events create a different quality of conversation, especially when the audience is curated and the group size is limited. That means more context, more candor, and a better chance to leave with ideas you can actually use. What to Expect The event centers on a strategy-focused session with Timo Buetefisch, paired with time to connect with other members of the SELEKT community in person. While the exact run of show may vary, you should expect a format that balances structured discussion with open conversation. A typical flow for a gathering like this may include: Welcome and framing of the 2026 strategy theme Founder conversation or fireside-style session with Timo Buetefisch Discussion around strategic priorities, growth questions, and execution challenges Networking and peer exchange with other founders, builders, and operators The value of the session will likely come from the combination of perspective and proximity. You are not just hearing a polished story from stage; you are stepping into a room designed for practical thinking around real business decisions. You can also expect a stronger signal-to-noise ratio than at larger startup events. With limited guest spots and a members-only orientation, the emphasis is on relevance: relevant people, relevant conversations, and relevant questions about the next year of building. Why Attend If you are actively shaping a company’s direction, strategic clarity is one of the highest-leverage things you can invest in. This event gives you a chance to step out of day-to-day execution and look at 2026 with more perspective, better inputs, and sharper founder conversation. Hearing directly from a founder-CEO who has built at scale can help you pressure-test your own assumptions. You may leave with a clearer view on where to focus, what to deprioritize, and which decisions deserve more rigor before the year’s plans harden. There is also the community dimension. The right room changes the quality of thought. Being around other founders and operators who are similarly deep in company-building can help you surface better questions, compare approaches, and spot patterns you might miss on your own. A few of the likely takeaways include: Fresh strategic perspective on planning for 2026 More grounded thinking about priorities, tradeoffs, and growth Peer insight from conversations with other ambitious builders Stronger connections within a curated tech and founder community Momentum to return to your business with clearer next steps Practical Details This event takes place in person in Barcelona, Spain on Friday, January 16 at 10:00 AM GMT+1. The in-person format is part of the point: it creates the space for nuanced discussion, stronger networking, and the kind of spontaneous conversation that rarely happens online. The event is tagged members-only and limited-guest-spots, so attendance is intentionally selective. If this is relevant to your role and stage, it’s worth treating it as a small-room opportunity rather than a drop-in meetup. The audience will likely include people across the startup and tech ecosystem, with a clear emphasis on founders, leadership-level operators, and community members who want substance over volume. Come ready to listen closely, contribute thoughtfully, and make the most of being in a room with people who are serious about building. If you are planning your 2026 direction, want direct exposure to experienced founder thinking, and value high-quality conversations over event noise, this session is a strong use of your morning in Barcelona.
Who should attend
This is for people who are actively building and want a sharper view of what smart 2026 strategy looks like in practice. - **You’re a founder or co-founder** working through next-year priorities and want perspective beyond your own internal planning loop. - **You lead strategy, growth, operations, or product** at a startup and want to hear how experienced founders think about tradeoffs, focus, and execution. - **You value curated rooms over large crowds** and prefer meaningful conversations with other serious builders in tech. - **You’re part of the SELEKT community, or a strong fit for it,** and want to deepen relationships with members in person. - **You’re looking for practical insight, not startup theater** and want an event where the discussion is relevant to real company decisions. - **You’re based in or around Barcelona, or will be there on the day,** and want to spend your Friday morning in a room that can genuinely influence how you approach the year ahead.