We spoke to Eunice Pew co-founder of The Morning Daily – a platform to find services related to the events industry. The team took part in the April JFDI Discover program and shared what they have learnt in the 21 days, writes Cui-lyn Huang
Tell us about your startup and team
The Morning Daily is made up of me – Eunice – and my co-founder, Fiona. The Morning Daily is an event industry community based platform. Both of us have experience in the events managing world, with a passion in the startup scene.
Why did you start this business? What’s your pain point?
Fiona and I realised that when someone we know is in need of event related services, their primary resource for contacts is word of mouth. Sometimes they would use Google if their needs are specific or they are looking for a particular vendor. But often enough, even organisers have either have no clue what they want or have run out of interesting ideas and concepts for their event. Therefore our initial idea was to create a marketplace to consolidate all vendors and other event related services onto one platform. This would allow for an easier means for patrons to find exactly what they need.
How did you find out about JFDI Discover?
I am a part-time barista at JFDI, and through my time there have learned about the JFDI Discover programme. The sense of culture and community is so strong at JFDI that I developed a passion for the startup world despite not knowing much about startups when I first came in. After seeing results from the JFDI Accelerate batches being taught by the JFDI team, I felt curious and motivated to see what it would be like for myself.
What were some of the challenges you faced before joining Discover? What seems like the biggest challenge now you have finished the program?
We didn’t have didn’t have enough time to conduct interviews needed to validate our start up idea as both of us have other jobs. After finishing the program, our biggest challenge now is refining the plan and direction that are headed towards using the data gathered through the program.
How did JFDI Discover help your startup?
JFDI Discover made us realise the importance of speaking to our customers. Despite having difficulties with time restraints, interviews helped us find problems that our customers faced which we hadn’t expected. With the tools and methods integrated into the JFDI Discover program, we were able to visualise our process and current stage, and therefore strategically plan the steps required in order to improve and carry on.
What is the one thing you learnt or did at JFDI Discover that you think other founders should know too? Why is it important that others know that?)
Do not fall in love with your original idea. This mistake is often made at the very beginning of the startup building process. Listening to your customer’s needs and solving their problems should be the main objective of your startup. The journey of starting up isn’t easy, the number of times you will experience failure is countless. However if your main objective is solving your customer’s needs, all you have to do is fail fast, get up faster, and repeat the cycle until your main objective is reached.
Who would you recommend to JFDI Discover? Tell us about other people you know who want to do a startup?
Anyone! I would recommend JFDI Discover to beginners are considering creating a startup. It might just be an idea that you are not sure what to do with, or not even sure works.
I would also recommend JFDI Discover to people who may already have established their business. It would be a good journey for a startup to go through, and will benefit them the same.
Where is your team planning to go from here? Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience?
The Morning Daily will be expanding our services to meet the needs of our customers. We will be more focused on developing a bonded community of the event industry.
We also like to take this chance to thank the staff and teams that have helped us in one way or another during the JFDI Discover program. Most importantly, we would like to thank JFDI for having this avenue. Our team has greatly benefitted from this program and we hope that others will participate and feel the same.
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.