Solar energy could revolutionise the food dehydrating industry, says Samuel Coronado of JFDI Discover startup Global TREE.
1.Tell us about your startup and team – who are you, and what are you aiming to do?
Our startup is called Global TREE Company. It is composed of 2 very clean-tech engineers from Guatemala – Sam (myself) and Rodrigo – who are both very passionate about energy and technology. We are aiming to design a way to dehydrate food using solar thermal energy.
2. What brought you to JFDI Discover?
My wife and I decided to relocate to Singapore for a better quality of living and both professional and personal growth. I have been immersed in the entrepreneurship world for many years now, so I immediately got to researching the most prestigious and fun business accelerator in the country which brought me to JFDI.
3. Why did you start this business?
I started Global TREE because I was looking for a new professional challenge that would allow me to use my skills for something meaningful and scalable. I have worked with the food industry in the past and found the process of dehydrating food is very costly using conventional methods such as oil and wood burning. That’s when I thought about using solar power, because it’s out there for everyone to harness.
4. What were some of the challenges you faced before joining JFDI Discover?
As I am a newcomer to the ASEAN region, I had little knowledge of the business trends, tools and structures in place before joining JFDI Discover. I knew I was missing many pieces to my business puzzle but had no clue where to start. I also had no opportunity to learn from other people’s business experiences in this part of the world.
5. How did JFDI Discover help your startup?
JFDI Discover helped us with creating a business model structure and putting our ideas down to the ground. We are a very early stage startup and sometimes the brainstorming takes you far away from what is achievable in a short period of time.
6. What was your favorite and least favorite aspect of JFDI Discover?
My favourite part of JFDI Discover was the pace. I think the time frame of the program makes you run lean on your business model and execute fast; we have moved 3X faster since joining JFDI Discover and most importantly have a clearer path for our business.
My least favourite part was probably the lack of human touch. I think all the participants were busy running many tasks at the same time (I know I was) but it would have been nice to be able to discuss the industry with other entrepreneurs who probably know less in my given field (and vice versa), and learn from their experience and critique.
7. What is the one lesson you took away from JFDI Discover that you think other founders should know too? (Why is it important?)
The one lesson we took away is that your business idea has to be flexible. You can’t say, “This is what I’m going to do, nothing more, nothing less,” because once you start taking other perspectives into account you’re left with a very different solution from what you first envisioned.
8. Where is your team planning to go from here? (Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience?)
We are going everywhere – the sky is the limit. We are going to evaluate and improve our business model idea with potential customers around the ASEAN region before we tune-up our final solution, and after this we plan to participate in JFDI Accelerate in 2016.
9. Which resources do you look to for startup related advice? Have you read any books on startups?
Lately, I have read 2 books that I found useful: Getting to Yes by Bruce Patton, Roger Fisher, and William Ury (3 Harvard Negotiation Project Professors) gives you a very human perspective in the way negotiations are carried out; and The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer. I found it empowering and useful to be able to sell anything.
110. Who would you recommend to Discover?
Anyone with an idea. I know people that have great ideas and haven’t considered its potential as a good business idea. Everyone should give it a try, even if it doesn’t turn out to be feasible it’s a fun and enriching experience.
12. ‘What was the biggest surprise for you coming out of the program?
It was a surprise to discover the amount of ideas that young people have. I was blown away being in the same conference call with people that were working in health, tech, conservation, finances, and world languages.
13. How has doing a startup impacted your life?
It has made me feel like a more active part of the world. I like to believe everyone can contribute something meaningful during their lifetime. The startup experience is creating something out of nothing and you set the rules, the colors and the times, and that freedom and responsibility are some of the most enjoyable parts of your own “job.”
Thinking of starting your own business? JFDI Discover will help you find out if you really want to be an entrepreneur. It will reveal if your team is aligned to deliver results. And it will show you how to solve a real problem for customers who are willing to pay thus moving closer to a “problem-solution fit”.
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Cui-Lyn Huang is on the Editorial team for JFDI Asia. Currently pursuing a combined major in Computer Science & Journalism at Northeastern University in Boston, and after growing up on the little red dot. She loves to write, she loves to eat, and loves to write about eating.