What is Startup Walk & Talk?
Startup Walk & Talk is networking with a twist: instead of standing around in a café or at a networking event, you walk around the Alster with others and meet up to 12 people along the way.
Here’s how it works:
- Meeting point: Wednesdays at 7pm in front of the AlsterCliff on Fährdamm.
- Route: once around the Alster, just under 8 kilometres in about 2 hours.
- Format: we form pairs on the spot, and every 10 minutes you switch partners.
- Who it’s for: anyone who wants to make new connections, move more and has had enough of classic networking events.
You combine nature, exercise and networking – and do something good for body and mind. The short trailer shows what it looks like:
How did Startup Walk & Talk start?
It all began when I decided to exercise more and live a bit healthier. No running, no sweating at the gym – just walking around the Alster once a week. Surely I could manage that.
In June 2016, on a beautiful Wednesday, I did the first walk with a fixed slot in my calendar. The nature, the early-evening atmosphere and even the physical effort did me good: almost 8 kilometres, and I barely noticed. Afterwards I felt great.
For a few weeks I walked around the Alster alone every Wednesday at 7pm. Then a friend asked me out for dinner on a Wednesday. I said yes, on one condition: afterwards, we walk around the Alster together. He was tired and didn’t want to at first, but I talked him into it. Wednesday, 7pm – spotted the pattern?
It was even better. Now there was the talk as well as the walk, and I got to know my friend from a completely different side. We talked about life, the universe and everything: business and startups, motivation and failed projects, online marketing, WordPress, goals and moments of success. That’s how the idea for Startup Walk & Talk was born.
At first, three or four people joined me now and then. Then more and more came. When we suddenly found ourselves walking with 20 people, the next idea followed: what if we spontaneously formed pairs and switched partners every 10 minutes? The conversations got better and the connections deeper.
Why does networking on foot work so well?
When you walk side by side, conversation happens almost by itself – entertaining, often inspiring, honest. You’re both looking ahead rather than sizing each other up, which takes the pressure off. The philosophers of antiquity already liked to think and debate while walking.
It’s a world away from sitting in a café or restaurant, or standing around at a networking event holding a glass. And because you switch every 10 minutes, you never get stuck in a conversation that isn’t working. If the chemistry is right, you swap contacts later. If not, no harm done: you always learn something new – about the other person, and often about yourself.
What do you get out of Startup Walk & Talk?
People use the walk to
- make new friends,
- start collaborations,
- get feedback on a business idea,
- meet future employees or customers.
I’ve sometimes invited potential business partners too, because they get to know me better here than in any meeting. For founders, startups and business owners I created a format where I offer 10 minutes of free advice. My day job is working as an SEO consultant in Hamburg.
Who comes to Startup Walk & Talk?
Founders, entrepreneurs, developers, freelancers, board members, investors, designers, copywriters, students, philosophers, elite athletes, business people, estate agents, singers, artists, SEO experts and people new to Hamburg – the list goes on. The walk is perfect for anyone who wants to meet new people and move while doing it.
How does an evening work?
- Arrive: be in front of the AlsterCliff entrance, Fährdamm 13, 20148 Hamburg, at 7pm sharp. There’s usually enough parking nearby.
- Set off: we leave at 7:05pm. The group won’t wait and you can’t join along the way. Come early and you can talk before we walk.
- Walk and talk: switch partners every 10 minutes. We take short breaks if needed.
- Return: at a relaxed pace, you’re back at the AlsterCliff just before 9pm.
The walk happens rain or shine, even when I can’t make it myself. You’ll find current dates and sign-up in the Walk & Talk Hamburg Meetup group.
How big is the Walk & Talk community?
What started with three or four people has become a large community. The Meetup group “Walk & Talk Hamburg” has more than 11,000 members (as of October 2026, according to Meetup). Countless friendships have formed, ideas have been shared, and people have found employees and customers.
The press has covered it too: Hamburg’s official city portal hamburg.de wrote about networking on the Alster walk, and Hochstarter magazine called it a “walk of inspiration”.
What’s still stopping you?
Starting up also means beating your inner couch potato and just showing up. You don’t need to prepare anything. It doesn’t matter what shoes you wear, what you look like, whether you’re tired or swamped with work. Come along on Wednesday at 7pm. The rest takes care of itself.
Why it pays to take steps like this regularly is something I write about in leave your comfort zone. Who I am and what else I work on is on my about page. More articles are on the blog.
