Startup Climb

In this episode of Startup Climb, we have Nicholas, CEO and Co-Founder, Outside. On the podcast, we discuss qualities to look for in an investor, managing customer reviews, and how to build on traction.

To find out more about Outside:

https://www.outsideapp.co/

Disclaimer: 

Any views/opinions made by the guest is the guest's opinion. It does not represent the views/opinions of the host or the podcast. The podcast is not intended to constitute or be relied upon as professional advice. You should consult a qualified professional for any professional advice.  

Timestamp:

00:35 Introduction to Outside.

02:30 How long into starting Outside before you make your first hire and what was the function that you hire for?

03:53 What were the qualities that you look for in your first hire?

06:00 How do you handle conflicts that might arise due to differing opinions?

09:15 How do you prioritize resource allocation?

11:10 Would venture capital funding be something that you consider in the future?

12:40 What do you look for in an investor?

14:30 What will be a quality that you prioritize in an investor?

17:15 What was COVID's impact on the business?

20:00 How do you ensure the security and safety of the orders on the app?

22:00 How do you handle mitigate bad reviews?

23:45 How do you build on traction?

25:15 How to handle potential user dropoff after the promotion period?

27:00 How do you prevent users from being on multiple apps and incentivize them to be on your app?

29:00 Do you view gamification as a unique selling point?

30:30 Do you have any plans to expand overseas?

32:00 Will you be concerned about bigger players coming into the market?

36:00 How would you envision Outside to grow?

37:00 What was the biggest learning from your journey thus far as an entrepreneur?

39:00 How to work with friends?

Socials: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startupclimb/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupclimbpodcast/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZhb7TW07ORyW3wLROEvo0A

For any feedback or inquiries, please email here:

[email protected]

In the third episode of Startup Climb,  Alwyn Lee, Founder and CEO, Daylight Studios, sheds light on what it takes to develop a game in Singapore. Daylight Studios is the game studio behind the popular game Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?!  

To find out more about Daylight Studios:

https://www.day-lightstudios.com/

Timestamps: 

 0:33 Introduction to Daylight Studios  

1:25 Why come into game development?  

3:12 Why games instead of apps?  

4:37 How to bootstrap to fund your passion?  

06:48 Cost of building an app?  

08:32 Is the industry cash-intensive to get into? 

10:50 Microtransactions?  

12:25 How to ensure continued support for your game? 

16:06 Do you feel that being a game developer in Singapore is a disadvantage vis a vis other countries with bigger markets?  

18:40 How did the team choose the character of a potato?  

20:00 How far into starting Daylight Studios before you make your first hire and what was the function? 

23:05 How big of an impact does an investor have on a business?  

25:45 DaylightX  

28:30 Story-based games?  

31:07 Disruption due to current events and how to ensure smooth operations?  

33:54 How do you differentiate a constructive review from other reviews?  

37:03 Greatest achievement so far running Daylight Studios?  

40:05 What is your most impactful learning experience that changes the way you view the business?  

43:45 One advice that you will give to aspiring entrepreneurs in the game development scene?  

Socials:  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startupclimb/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupclimbpodcast/  

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZhb7TW07ORyW3wLROEvo0A   

For any feedback or inquiries, please email here: [email protected]

In the second episode of Startup Climb, Linus Tan, founder and CEO of District, shares the impact of COVID on his retail business and what he thinks will be the new normal in retail.

To find out more about District:

https://district.sg/

Disclaimer:

Any views/opinions made by the guest is the guest's opinion. It does not represent the views/opinions of the host or the podcast. The podcast is not intended to constitute or be relied upon as professional advice. You should consult a qualified professional for any professional advice.

Timestamps:

00:36 Introduction to District. 

01:45 Size of the team. 

03:14 Why did you choose to go into retail? 

07:10 Selection of product category. 

09:45 COVID-19's impact on the business. 

15:20 Discussion of consumer behavior.

 21:00 Discussion on the customer journey.

 24:33 How do you select the tech brands that you work with? 

27:20 Shipping cost from upkeeping the various products? 

29:14 Fundraising discussion for District. 

32:55 What is the most essential quality that you look for in an investor? 

35:33 If you could do something different, is there anything you will change and why? 

38:20 One piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startupclimb/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupclimbpodcast/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZhb7TW07ORyW3wLROEvo0A

For any feedback or enquiries, please email here:

[email protected]

On the first episode of Startup Climb, Ned Phillips, founder and CEO of Bambu, shares what makes a successful startup, the impact of investors and how to get product validation.

To find out more about Bambu:

https://bambu.co/

Disclaimer: 

Any views/opinions made by the guest is the guest's opinion. It does not represent the views/opinions of the host or the podcast. The podcast is not intended to constitute or be relied upon as professional advice. You should consult a qualified professional for any professional advice.  

Timestamps: 

00:30 Introduction to Bambu 

01:40 Why B2B and not B2C? 

03:43 What makes a startup successful? 

06:10 First hire and the qualities you look for? 

09:10 Can you reverse engineer luck? 

12:45 More discussion on hiring. 

16:15 Impact of investors? Is it essential to raise funds in fintech? 

19:20 Fund size versus control over direction. 

21:50 More discussion on qualities to look for in an investor. 

24:20 Most important thing to do when you first start your start-up? 

27:20 How to get product validation? 

30:20 What was the biggest struggle thus far running Bambu? 

35:00 Discussion on overseas expansion. 

40:10 How to handle working in different countries? 

44:20 COVID-19's impact on the business and how to pivot? 

47:20 Discussion on work-life balance. 

52:00 One advice for an aspiring startup founder?  

Socials: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startupclimb/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupclimbpodcast/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZhb7TW07ORyW3wLROEvo0A

For any feedback or enquiries, please email here:

[email protected]

Startup Climb is a weekly podcast show hosted by E Hueen. We will be interviewing startup founders to find out more about their journey, their struggles and how they overcome adversity to build their start-ups.

For any queries or suggestions, please reach out at:

[email protected]