doqit, In Conversation with Catherine Ann, Founder

Catherine Ann, founder of doqit, invites us to explore her transformative journey through over 30 years in the communications industry to creating a solution aimed at simplifying the chaos of life administration tasks. Beginning her career working for a typesetter and evolving through various roles in design, advertising, and business development with FTSE 250 companies, Catherine Ann has garnered a wealth of experience that informs her entrepreneurial approach.

In this engaging conversation, Catherine Ann reflects on the invaluable lessons learned from her diverse career, the personal challenges that inspired the creation of doqit, and the importance of understanding one's purpose as an entrepreneur. She shares her insights on navigating the fundraising landscape, the significance of building a supportive network, and her vision for a future where technology alleviates the burdens of everyday tasks.

Join us as Catherine Ann discusses her passion for empowering individuals to regain control over their administrative lives and the exciting developments on the horizon for doqit.

FC: Could you summarise your professional background?

CA: Sure. My background is over 30 years in the communications industry. I started in typesetters, worked across design, advertising, video, and live events, and then moved into business development, always working with FTSE 250 companies. The goal was to help them figure out the best ways to communicate their messages, working across automotive, financial services, and pharma. This involved working closely with production teams—creatives, producers, project managers. That was my world for many years, until about six or seven years ago.

FC: It sounds like you’ve done everything you’d need to become an entrepreneur after that—covering all the bases!

CA: Yeah, I learned a lot. I started young, so I saw how things came together in an old-fashioned way. Today, you can do in Canva in 30 minutes what would’ve taken a team a week back in the day! It’s been fascinating to see that shift.

FC: Wow. I was looking at your website before the call, and I feel like I could really use doqit. Is that how you say it?

CA: Yes, doqit. What is it about it that appeals to you?

FC: For me, it’s the chaos of admin—bills, letters, software agreements. Everything’s on a different schedule, and it gets overwhelming. The idea of streamlining all that stuff just makes sense. It feels like a product that should already exist.

CA: Lots of people have tried and in this space and few have worked out, I feel that’s because the timing wasn’t right. Now people are much more reliant on technology and trust it. The key to doqit is simplicity—it needs to feel like a helpful friend in your pocket. If it’s too complicated, we’ll lose users.

FC: That’s really insightful. After reading your bio, I can see how your personal life might have inspired the business. Can you tell us more about that?

CA: Absolutely. My daughter Chloe is the inspiration behind doqit. Managing paperwork became overwhelming—property ownership, consultancy work, a divorce, and Chloe’s additional needs. I was drowning in documents, and I thought, “There has to be a better way.” Chloe has also taught me patience and resilience—things that have made me a better entrepreneur. She’s 22 now, and while she has her challenges, her determination is incredible. She inspires me daily.

FC: That’s so inspiring. Does Chloe know how much of an impact she’s had on your business and life?

CA: I don’t think she does. Chloe’s life is very simple and pure—she doesn’t use social media, so her reflections on life are always true and happy.

FC: That’s incredibly touching. When it comes to fundraising, what challenges have you faced, and how did you navigate them?

CA: The biggest challenge was not knowing what was involved. I had no idea what a cap table was, and I thought a data room was a physical place! There’s a whole new language to learn—SEIS, EIS, and understanding investors. You can waste a lot of time chasing investors who aren’t even in your sector. It’s like a sales process—you need to know who your customer is.

FC: You touched on something that resonates with me. Learning all the terminology can be overwhelming. Have you faced any barriers as a female founder?

CA: A little. I had one pitch where the investor was rude, and I thought, even if you offered me the money, I wouldn’t want you at my table. I’m very value-driven, and I want investors who share those values. I raised pre-product, which was helped by winning the Boost fund, which gave us ￡50,000. We then raised angel investment, and more recently, we won ￡50,000 from a Fintech Scotland / Smart Data Foundry Innovation Challenge. This is helping us launch to the App Store.

FC: It sounds like people believe in you as much as they believe in the product. Do you think that’s important?

CA: Absolutely. At the early stage, people are betting on the founder. They need to believe you have the integrity and grit to push through tough times.

FC: How has FounderCatalyst helped you on your journey?

CA: Sam is a lifesaver. The paperwork side of fundraising can be overwhelming, but Sam helped me understand what we had, what we needed, and got me ready for fundraising. FounderCatalyst is like a safety net—a trusted friend. The WhatsApp community is invaluable for advice and recommendations, and it’s affordable for early-stage founders. Plus, the peace of mind of having all your documents in one place is huge.

FC: Are there any exciting developments coming up for doqit?

CA: Yes! We’ll be on the App Store soon, with facial recognition integrated. We’re also working with an agency on an ad campaign. The opportunities in the UK and the US are massive.

FC: Are you planning to take doqit international?

CA: Yes, eventually. We’ll regionalise it as we grow, but for now, we’re focusing on the UK, the US, and countries with similar systems, like Australia.

FC: Do you have any advice for younger female founders or aspiring entrepreneurs?

CA: Know your why. If you’re doing it for money, go work in the city. Being a founder is hard, and you need to be driven by something deeper. Also, ask for help—people are generally kind. And be careful who you listen to. Founders understand the journey better than people from corporate backgrounds.

FC: I’ve absolutely loved this interview, Catherine Ann. Thank you.

Thanks to Catherine Ann for contributing to Female Founders Friday and we'll be on hand to guide her if needs be throughout her fundraising process.

The doqit website is here if you'd like to learn more about it. And the LinkedIn page is here.

Click this link to let us guide you on your fundraising journey.

Author:Gideon Stott, Digital Marketing Executive at FounderCatalyst