Day 1/30 : DATING THE IDEA
Ekta Tejwani
People & Teams | Talent Hedge Fund | Ex-Founder - Community Tech Matchmaking Mothers & Mother:Founders | Mentor@NUS Women In Business | Female Entrepreneur 2021 SEA Award | ALIBABA HK Top 10 Startup | Well Design Life
Gratitude fills my heart today as I reflect on the journey that started it all – with Lazysuitcase and the passion-driven evolution into MUMZ (now Mother/Founder - Meetmumz.
Lazysuitcase was my first stint into dipping my toes into entrepreneurship. Imagine having a "TravelGPT" 10 years ago. (ChatGPT should totally TM this) with the proprietary algorithm proudly designed by me, that would share a day-by-day, hour-by-hour itinerary based on choices, at a click-of-a-button! I will come back to this later, but if you want to enjoy and see an animated video of it, the link is below!
(Just found out, there is TravelGPT )
Later, Meetmumz wasn't just a business; it was born from a simple yet powerful idea to address the social needs of mothers - a space to connect, find playdates, share activities, and build lasting friendships.
The thrill of possibilities felt like a first swipe on Tinder - nerve-wracking, full of potential, and the thrill of the unknown. (Link to the App below)
Backed by my love for #technology, I was always driven to ideas that used #technology at its core and #worked creating a #service around it!
Dating My Idea for Mother/Founder - Meetmumz ( then MUMZ)
Walking in the lanes of Hong Kong, planning to have playdates with my then 10 month old child, I envisioned a community that would provide support to new mothers like me and a sense of belonging to trailing spouses, the journey began.
Started as a Free Facebook Group, with the tag line -" Life is about finding people who are your kind of crazy", Meetmumz hosted playdates, bookclubs in neighborhoods, children group activities, coffee catchups, and built a community of connections in a quaint little neighborhood called Kennedy Town in Hong Kong to fulfill a personal need. Eventually, as the group grew into a thousand people across Hong Kong in a short span of 6 months! ( before political unrest hit HK), it was important to understand the learnings from past experiences!
The First Cover Page Designed for the Facebook Group ???
The Right Direction: To see a business opportunity brewing within the community, and be able to make the right decisions it was key to know the direction I was headed. and thus my first move:
Step Back. Stepped Back to Review. ??
As the group grew, from late-night manual member approvals to 1200+ active members connecting, meeting, and Local Businesses reaching out to Partner and tap into this new-found community of Mothers super active in events, it became evident - there was a demand.
Despite challenges, the journey solidified my commitment to the "idealist" vision that was brewing. I had a few numbers, surveys, feedbacks, and critics ( like we always do). The second time around post Lazysuitcase, I had promised myself I shall first fully "Date my Idea," yet , honestly, internally I was already Married to it! (Alert)! ???
What Was Done Next: Manual Approvals: From approving members during 3 am feeding sessions, the group quickly surpassed 500 members (Alert, No boundaries).
No automatic systems in place: I was still testing, so whoever said yes, I said yes! (Building also requires a Space saying NO. Niche is Good).
Community Conversations: 30 events in the first 2-3 months. Collecting Surveys, Feedback, Conversations. (always Run Events as Campaigns. Always have a CTA)
Fire in the belly: I took advantage of the adrenaline rush of pursuing the idea. I was on a roll to find a hidden gem. It was like an engine for firing up to move! Created a Logo, Bought a domain, Randomly Choose the Colors that felt nice) (ALERT!!) - (Don't print a marriage invitation card while dating) ??
I dated the idea for 4-6 months, Full Time!! slowly building onto the scope of it, Before I decided It was time for the next step! Vet it further! ( or rather use it as a Launchpad) BUT ?? Wish I knew the following things better then:
Cherish the initial spark, but treat your idea like a cherished date. something that you have to work on it in phases, because iterations happen and pivots take place while the scope is being built. Business plans may be fixed but Externational circumstances constantly change. Keeping Scope of how your customer reacts to your offers ( that you think may work), would have been a smarter way to approach things! So yes, You may fall in love with your idea, just do not marry it yet. Nurture it. Take grassroots actions, water it with research, and test it to see if it grows organically. Today's generation of startups is not just about having a unique idea. It's how differently can you take the same old idea, and build for your audience systematically and effectively that it ends up helping them solve the way they wish for it to be solved! Growing with the right offer, and fulfilling the growing needs of your audience comes only and only if you at all levels KYC.
领英推荐
Know Your Customer. and No Not just their name! Start to build a support system: Share your idea, voice it, and embrace the journey with mentors and guides. (You still don't need a website or logo at this stage) ?? . Your idea is as good as the audience your are talking to... So based on feedback, either work on the idea further, or CHANGE YOUR AUDIENCE!
Some Pictures From Previous Events!!
The First Coffee Catchup!!
The First Pain Workshop For Toddlers
The First Yoga For Young Babies
The Kindermusic Sessions
Do you have an idea, did you pursue it, Is there something that you know now, that you wish you had done differently then? Join the conversation, share your "first date" stories with your ideas in the comments, and let's celebrate the journey and learning together.
Your journey begins with an idea; now let's turn it into something extraordinary. ??? Links #idea1 - Lazysuitcase The Lazysuitcase Facebook Page Lazysuitcase
Animated Video as shared on the Lazysuitcase
Facebook page I started with my Co-Founder.
#idea2 - Meetmumz - The Meetmumz Facebook Page
Pivotted to Mother/Founder : More About it later!!
Day 2/30: Crowdfunding- Link to Post: https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/ekta-tejwani_crowdfundingjourney-entrepreneurship-lessonslearned-activity-7148130852583948288-jsvS?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
#Entrepreneurship #Startups #MumzCommunity #DatingYourIdea