Mentors are motivation – Shoppes I/O on JFDI Discover

Though he’s experienced and determined, Shoppes I/O founder Dean Marc still finds guidance from friends and mentors invaluable, writes Cui-Lyn Huang.

1. First off, how did you hear about JFDI Discover?

Initially we had applied to JFDI’s Accelerate 2015B batch, a little ahead of time. We were subsequently endorsed by Huang Chi-Kai, JFDI’s program manager, to partake in the JFDI Discover program in the meantime. Whilst we had a week late start, we made the most of our opportunity and learned as much as we could during the program.

2. Tell us about your startup and team – who are you, and what are you aiming to do?

We are Shoppes I/O. Our mission is to help home based, micro, and small businesses connect better with shoppers and local communities by near-casting new and recurring offers to potential customers for products and services which are made available in real-time.

Although Shoppes I/O is less than a quarter in active development, we are a team of dreamers and builders who have been working together for more than 7 years, through our current startup as well as with other companies in the past.

We aim to build with the principle that hidden gems of innovations are sometimes found not just through new and shiny inventions and products, but also through finding ways for technology to benefit the masses.

3. Why did you start this business? How has this impacted your life?

People often fixate on ideas and concepts to base their operations. In most cases, we agree. Ideas are powerful. But as a company, we live and breathe everyday situations, whether personal or visceral and vicarious experiences. We have dedicated ourselves to solving problems, rather than having ideas.

My life has been impacted in great ways with the birth of my startup. I personally grew up in challenging circumstances and have known living on the streets for years, scratching a living where I can. While having its own challenges (and I still complain sometimes), being part of the startup world is still a privilege. I constantly remind myself that even though there are 99% things that are lacking in my life, the 1% (like our dreams and our team and our mission) was once, only just a wish.

4. What were some of the challenges you faced before joining JFDI Discover?

Challenges? We had plenty. Not having the sufficient funding; constraints in pursuing ideas and solutions; navigating possibilities and user/prospect/customer engagement; political & business environment, infrastructure, financial, and other constraints; not having a repeatable model/method for tracking traction and market learning; not having a community to listen to and share ideas/stories with.

5. How did JFDI Discover help your startup?

The program’s community and support from the JFDI Discover team were of utmost help. It is often a lonely and difficult path to take when you commit to a startup, a road less taken.

It was not a sure shoe-in for us. Our only expectation, especially from ourselves, was to take in as much knowledge and wisdom from the program and the community.

6. What is the one lesson you took away from JFDI Discover that you think other founders should know too? 

With all the self-motivation and self-determination one or a team may have, it still matters to have friends/advisors/mentors to tell you that you going the right direction even if you have not reached it or more importantly, to tell you a cliff is looming near. Even if you still decide to dive into the deep end, the early advice gives you that extra bit of time to prepare.

7. Where is your team planning to go from here?

We have been self-funding and working together for this startup in the last 18 months and recently major rethink regarding our company. We have to just keep trying and persisting; but in a more intelligent and better informed manner.

When I first saw JFDI, I thought it only meant “Just F**king Do It”. It was cool. Cooler still, it turned a geek phrase into a joyful frog.

So we’ll J* keep F* D-ing I* and keep going till we get there.

8. Which resources do you look to for startup related advice? Have you read any books on startups?

Love to read; but always with a grain of salt and sensitivity to context and circumstances. What may work in some communities does not achieve the same results in others. That said, we’ve read Running Lean, Zero To One, Wikinomics, Macrowikinomics, The Signal and The Noise and other resources that have helped guide us in the right direction.

I think it helps to derive lessons from other industries and disciplines as well. The risk of being “in” or “into it” regarding an ecosystem or community is to fall into some rigid group thinking strategies.

—–

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”.

—–

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.