Lucinda Hartley - Co-founder of Neighbourlytics

Summary

The 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.