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Episode Summary

Olivya Munro, founder of Zello Studio, is on a mission to transform fitting rooms with smart tech. She shares how a frustrating shopping experience sparked the idea for Zello, how she turned that idea into a startup, and why retailers are eager to get on board. Alan puts her pitch to the test, offering advice on storytelling, investor questions, and scaling in a tech-resistant industry. Whether you’re a founder refining your pitch or just love a good startup origin story, this episode is packed with insights.

Time Stamps

1:33 – From fashion dreams to startup founder: Olivya’s unexpected career shift

3:32 – The moment that sparked Zello: a broken fitting room experience

4:22 – 91% of shoppers are dissatisfied—why retailers should care

5:58 – How Zello works: tablets, real-time requests, and upselling

7:14 – The “boyfriend seat” and retail design realities

9:28 – Addressing privacy concerns in the changing room

11:07 – First in-store launch and landing major retailers

13:00 – What makes a great startup pitch?

15:15 – The #1 investor question: progress toward commercialisation

18:41 – Hiring for growth: Who’s the first key hire?

Resources

Olivya Munro's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olyvia-munro-2038a6218/

Zello Studio – Learn more about Olivya’s smart fitting room assistant. https://www.zellostudio.co/

Startmate – The accelerator where Olivya pitched Zello. https://www.startmate.com/writing/gen-z-startup-zello-is-transforming-the-140-year-old-fitting-room-experience

How to Pitch to Investors – A collection of pitching tips from Y Combinator. https://www.ycombinator.com/library/4b-how-to-pitch-your-company

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