Lucinda Hartley - Co-founder of Neighbourlytics

SheStarts

16 Apr 201901:05

Summary

TLDRThe speaker, a co-founder at Neither, a social analytics platform for neighborhoods, candidly shares their journey from having a basic idea to building a global business. Despite initial tech inexperience, acceptance into a program provided the impetus to learn and grow. A transformative trip to Silicon Valley expanded their vision, leading to a rapid expansion with customers across nine countries and a doubling of their team in just three months. The speaker encourages others without a tech background to apply and embark on their entrepreneurial journey.

Takeaways

🤖 The speaker initially thought an API was a type of 'bf' (possibly a typo or shorthand), which highlights a learning curve in technology.
🚀 The speaker is a co-founder at Neither, a social analytics platform for neighborhoods aiming to create data for human-centered cities.
💡 The co-founders had business experience but were not tech-savvy initially, emphasizing the importance of an idea over technical expertise at the start.
🏆 Getting accepted into a program provided the motivation and push needed to pursue the idea and turn it into a business.
🌟 A visit to Silicon Valley with the cohort opened up perspectives, inspiring thoughts of scaling the business globally.
📈 The business has grown significantly, with customers in nine countries and a team that has doubled in size in the last three months.
🌍 The script suggests that the business has international reach and is thinking on a global scale.
🔑 The speaker encourages others who may not see themselves as tech founders to apply and start their entrepreneurial journey.
🎶 Background music is present, indicating the video transcript may be from a promotional or motivational video.
📚 The transcript provides insights into the journey of a non-tech founder and the transformative impact of external influences and experiences.
🛠️ The story illustrates the power of an idea and the ability to learn and adapt in the tech industry, even for those without a technical background.

Q & A

What was the initial perception of the API in the context of the speaker's technology?
-The speaker initially thought that the API, which is the foundation of their technology, was a type of 'bf' (possibly a misunderstanding or miscommunication), and would be an IPA, which seems to be a term they found embarrassing to mention.
What is the main focus of the company co-founded by the speaker?
-The company, neither lytx, is a social analytics platform for neighborhoods, aiming to create data for human-centered cities.
How did the speaker and their co-founder approach the tech industry with their business idea?
-The speaker and their co-founder had significant business experience but lacked technical expertise. They started with just an idea and used the acceptance into a program as motivation to pursue their venture.
What impact did visiting Silicon Valley have on the speaker's perspective?
-Visiting Silicon Valley with their cohort allowed the speaker to think on a larger scale and consider the potential for their business to become global.
How has the company grown in terms of customer base and team size?
-The company now has customers in nine countries and has doubled its team size in the last three months.
What advice does the speaker give to people who don't see themselves as tech founders?
-The speaker encourages such individuals to apply and get started, implying that even without a tech background, one can successfully build a tech-related business.
What was the initial challenge the speaker faced in understanding their technology's API?
-The speaker faced an embarrassing moment due to a lack of clarity on what an API was and its role in their technology.
What is the significance of the speaker's visit to Silicon Valley?
-The visit was a turning point that expanded their vision, making them realize the global potential of their business.
How did the acceptance into a program influence the speaker's decision to pursue their business idea?
-The acceptance provided the necessary drive and push for the speaker and their co-founder to commit to developing their business idea.
What is the nature of the data created by neither lytx for human-centered cities?
-The data created by neither lytx is social analytics focused on neighborhoods, aiming to enhance the understanding and development of human-centered cities.
What is the current scope of the speaker's business in terms of geographical reach?
-The business has expanded to have customers in nine different countries, indicating a significant geographical reach.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Startup Journey and Growth

The speaker, a co-founder at Neither Lytx, reflects on the early days of their social analytics platform for neighborhoods. Initially, they had little technical knowledge but were driven by the opportunity to create an API-based technology. The journey included a transformative visit to Silicon Valley, which expanded their vision to a global scale. The company has since grown rapidly, with customers in nine countries and a team that has doubled in size over the past three months. The speaker encourages others without a tech background to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡API

API stands for Application Programming Interface, which is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. In the context of the video, the speaker initially misunderstood the significance of an API for their technology. It is a crucial component that forms the basis of their platform, indicating the importance of APIs in building interconnected systems.

💡Co-founder

A co-founder is an individual who is one of the people who establish a company or organization together. The speaker mentions being a co-founder at Neither Lytx, which highlights their role in the creation and development of the company, emphasizing the collaborative nature of entrepreneurship.

💡Social Analytics Platform

A social analytics platform is a type of software that analyzes social interactions and data to provide insights into human behavior and societal trends. The speaker describes their company as a social analytics platform for neighborhoods, which underscores their focus on understanding and improving community dynamics through data analysis.

💡Human-Centered Cities

Human-centered cities refer to urban environments designed with the needs, well-being, and experiences of people at the forefront. The speaker mentions creating data for human-centered cities, indicating their goal to use data to inform city planning and development that prioritizes the residents' quality of life.

💡Business Experience

Business experience refers to the knowledge, skills, and understanding one gains from working in a business environment. The speaker and their co-founder had business experience, which provided them with a foundation to build their company, even though they lacked technical expertise initially.

💡Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is a region in California known for its high concentration of technology companies and startups. The speaker mentions a visit to Silicon Valley, which served as an inspiration for thinking big and considering the global potential of their business, highlighting the influence of this tech hub on entrepreneurial aspirations.

💡Global Business

A global business is a company that operates internationally, often with a presence in multiple countries. The speaker reflects on how their business has grown to have customers in nine countries, demonstrating the expansion from a local idea to a business with a worldwide reach.

💡Team Growth

Team growth refers to the increase in the number of employees or members within an organization. The speaker notes that their team has doubled in size over the last three months, which is an indicator of the company's rapid expansion and the need for more personnel to support their growth.

💡Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the process of designing, launching, and running a new business, which typically involves risk-taking and innovation. The speaker encourages others who may not see themselves as tech founders to apply and start their entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the dynamic and accessible nature of starting a business.

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the introduction of new methods, ideas, or products. The video's narrative revolves around the innovation of a social analytics platform, which is a novel approach to understanding and enhancing community life through technology.

💡Expansion

Expansion in a business context refers to the increase in size, scope, or reach of a company. The speaker's mention of customer base growth and team doubling illustrates the company's expansion, which is a key aspect of their success story.

Highlights

The speaker initially thought that an API, which is the foundation of their technology, was a type of 'bf' (possibly a term they misunderstood or misheard).

The speaker is a co-founder at Neither, a social analytics platform for neighborhoods that creates data for human-centered cities.

The co-founders had extensive business experience but were not well-versed in technology, starting with just an idea.

Admission to a program provided the motivation and push needed to pursue the idea of Neither.

A pivotal moment was the opportunity to visit Silicon Valley with their cohort, which broadened their perspective and ambition.

Exposure to Silicon Valley organizations inspired the thought of scaling Neither into a global business.

The company has come a long way, now having customers in nine countries.

The team at Neither has doubled in size over the past three months, indicating rapid growth and development.

The speaker encourages individuals who do not identify as tech founders to apply and start their entrepreneurial journey.

The transcript reflects an inspiring story of non-tech founders successfully building a tech-based company.

The journey of Neither demonstrates the importance of seizing opportunities and learning from experiences.

The company's growth is a testament to the founders' adaptability and willingness to learn new skills.

Neither's mission is to enhance cities by providing social analytics that focus on human-centered design.

The founders' lack of initial technical knowledge did not hinder their ability to innovate and create a successful platform.

The story highlights the value of networking and exposure to influential tech hubs like Silicon Valley.

Neither's expansion to nine countries showcases the potential of a globally-minded approach from the outset.

The doubling of the team signifies the company's commitment to scaling and meeting the demands of a growing business.

The transcript serves as a call to action for non-tech individuals to explore the possibilities of tech entrepreneurship.