How to start a startup in 10 months? Is it even possible?
Tap To Speak is a browser-based tool that allows the presenter to communicate with meeting attendees. It turns their smartphone into a microphone so you don’t have to hand it to the audience. Learn about the journey we took to build our MVP.
The beginnings of our project
Together with Mark, co-founder of Tap To Speak and my long-time business partner, we have long wanted to create something completely different from what we do for a living. We had no idea how interesting things can be when you get involved in something that really inspires and motivates you. Then work stops being a chore and becomes a passion.
The idea for this tool was born during one of our conferences. We wanted to solve the logistical problem of passing the microphone between participants. We all know how frustrating it can be to be running around the room with a microphone or yelling at each other when there is no access to it. And then we thought – we all have a phone. Why not put it to good use?
Full of enthusiasm and hope, we went to work. From the beginning, our goal was to create something new and better that would break the old, established patterns.
How to start a startup – key aspects
One of the most important aspects of your startup is a thorough analysis of the competition. If your product or service is truly innovative and has no direct counterpart in the market, you may feel like you’ve found the perfect situation. But not everything is as simple as it seems. That’s why it’s so important to thoroughly research who you’re competing with. It’s not enough to type phrases into Google, look at the first two pages of results, and think you have the full picture. You need to do a thorough reconnaissance to know where you stand.
Once you’ve identified your “competition” and gathered solid information about their business, products and services, ask yourself if you can – and more importantly, if you want to – do the same thing, but better and faster. Define your strengths and remember: never imitate others. You have to act on your own way of doing business, because you don’t really know what factors have influenced a particular company’s success or position at this point in time.
We were lucky. We found only one company on the market that was solving a problem we were interested in. This company used a special application and a special audio transmission device that had to be present in the room. With years of experience as a software house owner and Marek running an interactive agency, we knew that simplifying the process of getting into a solution was key.
We chose empathy and took on the role of both speaker and conference attendee. We realized that dedicated applications were a dead end. The tool had to be simple, available out-of-the-box, with nothing to install during the event.
Start by building a prototype
We decided to start by building a prototype. You don’t start by saying you’re going to build the biggest, best, most beautiful wall ever. It doesn’t work that way. You start with one brick – and you lay it as perfectly as you can. You repeat this every day, and soon you have a solid wall in front of you. I always had Will Smith’s words and his recipe for success in my head:
When others sleep, I work. When others eat, I work. No matter how talented you are, talent can fail if you don’t have the skills. If you don’t develop yourself, if you don’t work really hard and if you don’t set yourself the goal of getting better every day, you will never achieve what you set out to do.
From November 2015 to March 2016, I worked at full capacity, averaging 16 to 18 hours a day, every day of the week. On the weekends, I tried to find time for my family, but once everyone was asleep, I would go back to work and write code after the night.
In January we had our first MVP, which we immediately won in a start-up competition at Business Link in Lodz, Poland.
Enjoy the anonymity
Fortunately, at the beginning of a project you are still anonymous, which gives you room to learn and make mistakes. In the future, like everyone else, you can’t completely avoid making mistakes. But for companies that have established themselves in the marketplace, the cost of bad decisions is much higher.
Bet on networking
Marek had something I didn’t – a network of contacts. He had lived and worked in the States for years, and thanks to his connections in the industry, we quickly filled the base with first-time users. They spent January and February testing our solution. Meanwhile, we had conversations with event organizers, and news of our application spread quickly through the community.
In March, we released the first closed beta, and more than 100 companies and organizations signed up, including Microsoft, Disney, Toshiba, and Harvard. I remember the positive surprise – we couldn’t get it out of our heads for a long time.
Early adopters
It was then that I realized how important the people who first tested our application were. I had never seen such an outpouring of support at such an early stage of a project. We received hundreds of messages with problem descriptions, log dumps, videos, and detailed information. In fact, our project management system was flooded with data. Hundreds of phone calls, conversations with people in the industry – everyone sharing their insights, pointing out what was important to them and what product they really needed.
That’s why it’s a good idea to think carefully about who you choose for this role – first-time users and companies.
Listen to your customers
Chances are, as you implement your idea, you will discover that the problem you thought you were solving is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s not worth insisting on a vision – it’s better to talk to people and listen to what they really need. By baking gluten-free bread, you’re solving the problem of people with allergies, and by sewing clothes, you’re making sure people don’t freeze on windy autumn walks.
These are just a few examples, but it’s worth thinking carefully about what problem YOU can solve. The greater the need, the more likely people or companies will be willing to pay for it.
Much is said about the importance of pivots and constantly adapting to changing situations. This was the case for us. By talking to people, we realized that event companies worldwide spend more than $565 billion a year organizing events, and one of their biggest problems is low attendee engagement, which translates into dissatisfaction with the event experience.
Our solution introduced an element of interaction, but it didn’t fully address their biggest challenge.
Don’t be afraid to change direction
We took an audio streaming tool and created a powerful solution that dramatically increases audience engagement. Tap To Speak turns attendees’ smartphones into microphones, eliminating the need to pass microphones between audience members. We also provide audio and text communication, polling and survey capabilities, and most importantly, attendee identification.
With our solutions, our customers report engagement increases of 300% to 800%, with many noting that their lectures are now more interactive and engaging than ever before.
For example, one of our customers, a conference organizer in the pharmaceutical industry, told us that he collected about 900 questions from attendees at an event in London. As a result, he learned what they really wanted, which allowed him to better prepare for future events.
Listening to the needs of our customers, the project entered the commercialization phase in September.
On the day of the launch, Onet, InnPoland and Polish Radio, among others, wrote and talked about us. This was the culmination of our efforts and proof that hard work really does pay off.
Our immediate plans are simple – we want to get some sleep 🙂 Rested and with renewed energy, we plan to expand our sales team and enter the Chinese and European markets. We expect the company to start generating revenue in mid-2017.
Bet on the team
While talking about the whole idea, I left out one key aspect, which is the team and its selection. You must remember that this is one of the most important factors in the success of your business. The team is the people you will spend at least 1/3 of your day with. It is important for you to know that you can rely on each other, that you are one. There is no room for confusion or conflict. If you struggle with complaining and negativity every day, sooner or later you will absorb it and lose faith in the purpose of what you are doing.
Summary
There is no complicated formula for launching a startup – everything is simple. What matters is action, learning, and being willing to adapt. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or where you are now. What matters is where you are going and how determined you are to get there. Every step, every decision brings you closer to your vision – it’s that relentless drive that counts. With the right team, perseverance, and passion, you can create something special, no matter what the challenges.
