The new fascination with medium-sized businesses: If the startup bubble wants to take over established companies – can that work?

On the cover of the magazine "Time for Entrepreneurs." In various LinkedIn posts. In the chit-chat at every startup business event this semester. Everywhere the same topic: Young, entrepreneurial people now want to buy and run established, medium-sized companies.

Some say it's an incredibly logical step. And it makes perfect sense: Germany's Mittelstand, the very backbone of the economy, has a massive succession problem. And it's presumably often quite outdated. So if committed young managers from outside come in and take over, bringing a fresh, new approach – that's a win-win situation!

But quieter voices can also be heard: What a stupid idea. Now all the Berlin bubble types, who have no ideas of their own, will come and buy their companies and top jobs. That can't possibly end well.