Power Up: files, piles and clouds

The Journey of Doqit: From Idea to Impactful Solution

Launching a startup is never a straight path. It’s an exciting, unpredictable journey filled with learning curves, adjustments, and pivotal moments.

This rings especially true for Catherine Ann Reid, the visionary behind Doqit, who transformed a personal struggle into a solution that simplifies life admin for countless others.

Here’s what we learnt:

Files, Piles and Clouds

Catherine Ann’s journey began from a place of necessity.

As a B2B sales and marketing professional, she was already navigating a demanding career.

However, it was her experience managing the overwhelming paperwork associated with her daughter Chloe’s complex medical needs, as well as her divorce, that sparked the initial idea for Doqit.

The incessant influx of documents—both physical and digital—left her feeling like she was swimming through treacle.

The tipping point came after paying yet another late fee for filing her tax return late, spending money she didn’t feel she could afford.

So she decided it was time to fix it.

Validating the idea

One of Catherine Ann’s first steps was to ensure that her experience wasn't unique.

Through extensive research and conversations, she discovered that many people faced similar struggles.

Everyone she spoke to had their own story of the same problem.

And although there are loads of products out there that helped to do bits of what was needed, they were fragmented, complicated and clunky.

This validation was crucial in confirming that there was a real market need for a product like Doqit.

Going from idea to reality

Transitioning from a sales expert to a tech startup founder came with its fair share of challenges.

Notably, Catherine Ann knew she needed a capable tech partner to bring her vision to life. She decided to partner with a venture builder that could provide a comprehensive mix of product development skills - product, FE design and QA.

This decision allowed her to focus on what she knew best—understanding customer needs and translating those into a clear product vision.

The discovery phase with the venture builder was eye-opening - this is essentially where the first pivot happened. Despite all the prior research Catherine Ann had done, the team conducted additional validation, which led to significant refinements in Doqit's design - making it even simpler!

The goal was always simplicity, ensuring that users could navigate the platform without needing a manual.

Pivoting and scaling

The initial go-to-market strategy was B2B2C.

But taking Doqit out of the box to businesses was hard - they didn’t have their ICP nailed yet and being so early on in their journey, didn’t meet a lot of the procurement requirements.

They launched with 5 SMEs and learnt a lot from that experience in terms of what the marketing effort would look like, and ultimately realised it would require resources - both time & money - that they didn’t have.

They also noticed that people were finding Doqit organically, signing up and paying for it.

So they decided to focus on direct-to-consumer (DTC) - a strategic move to build traction and validate the product further.

Moving from a web application to a downloadable app would be the next significant milestone.

The ultimate vision is for Doqit to be offered through businesses like banks and insurance providers, adding another layer of convenience for users.

“Doqit saved my marriage”

Engaging with users has been at the heart of Doqit's development. Catherine Ann believes in understanding the real-life challenges users face and how Doqit can alleviate these issues.

Through constant communication and feedback loops, the team continues to refine and enhance the product.

Catherine Ann recall’s one customer story from just last week, when a man she spoke with recalled needing to show ID at a club, so he had to wake up his wife with a late night phone call to request a photograph of his passport! The next day, with a bit of a sore head, he realised how convenient it would be to have such documents stored securely and accessible through Doqit.

Lessons learned

Catherine Ann’s journey has been filled with learning moments.

From the importance of patience and realistic timelines to the value of asking for help and filtering advice, her experience underscores the dynamic nature of building a startup.

She emphasises the need for resilience, continuous learning, and the ability to pivot when necessary. To those at the ideation stage, Catherine Ann offers key advice:

1. Ask for help: Don’t hesitate to reach out. The startup community is generally supportive and willing to offer guidance.
2. Filter advice: Be cautious of advice from those who haven’t walked the walk. Validate the relevance of the guidance to your specific stage and context.
3. Prepare for the long haul: Building a startup takes longer and costs more than initially expected. Stay resilient and keep focused on your vision.

The road ahead

Catherine Ann's journey with Doqit is a testament to the power of turning personal challenges into real-world solutions.

As Doqit continues to evolve, the focus remains on simplicity, user experience, and continuous improvement.

For those looking to learn more or join the Doqit community, visit https://www.doqit.io and start your free trial today. ???

Stay tuned for more inspiring founder stories and insights with The Pivot Sessions! ???

Lucy ??

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