Through the internet, you can almost access anything you want. Everything is at your fingertips. Your decor design projects are no different. I was checking out some new startups recently and I ran across this one… CoContest, It’s a really cool concept that makes it easier to handle any interior design project you want to undertake. I reached out to one of the cofounders to get his perspective on what it’s like building a new startup.
Check out what Fedrico Schiano di Pepe had to share about his journey and CoContest…
Please describe your position at your company.
Cofounder of CoContest. Marketing Manager and Head of Business Development
How long have you known you wanted to do what you are currently working on?
3 years, but started last year when things got off the ground in an Italian Tech Crunch event. I started pursuing a career as an entrepreneur with CoContest to challenge the status quo of interior design and to escape the monotony of everyday white collar business life.
Why are you passionate about what you do?
Because I love chasing challenges and creating new ideas that can help people. I love the feeling of responsibility that comes with starting your own company, where every decision I make, has to be in the context of the future of my vision.
How did you overcome your own doubts and the doubts of other people?
Perseverance. By proving to myself and others through my hard work and dedication that even if the pieces don’t come together naturally, with enough hard work there is always an opportunity on the horizon.
What were some bumps you hit to get where you’re at now?
Trying to get the first customer, proved to be much more difficult than we had originally thought. As well assembling the right team of motivated and interested individuals. Starting in Italy where Internet businesses are not easy means of well being due to bureaucracy and culture, we have come a long ways to expand internationally into South America and the U.S., having had to take time and expend resources to travel and develop contacts.
What is one thing you did wrong in the past that you can share with people?
It took us a long time to discover who our ultimate customer is. Ultimately we are best marketed to other businesses, rather than individual end users, and so we wasted a fair amount of time trying to find the appropriate sales channel.
What is a way you got your name out there?
Posting on social media, partnering with magazines and blogs, advertising directly with businesses, sending out brochures, offerings, email spamming. etc. etc. etc.
Is there anything that almost stopped you from doing this?
No, nothing. We had the utmost confidence in the idea and the feasibility/utility of our business model.
Is there anyone in your profession that you admire and/or model yourself after?
I love TED talks, and my favorite is the talk by Simon Sinek and his Golden Circle theory that describes what sets successful innovative businesses apart and ahead of others. He says “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” Therefore we always make a point to communicate our vision to our customers and partners
How do you continue to perfect your craft?
We improve everyday our website, our marketing techniques, and our service offerings thanks to the feedback from our clients. We improve internally the strength of our team through seminars and team sharing activities. We seek to form a diverse team to conquer the task of facing diverse markets where we hope to expand.
How do you envision the future of your product/services?
We envision the future of our service as conjoined with large online providers of interior design and architectural resources. Companies such as Houzz, Trulia, Zillow etc. can offer our unique online, streamlined service on their websites, giving their customers more options and following down the inevitable path of cyber solutions.
What’s some advice you can share for anyone who wants to pursue what you are doing?
Don’t rush your ideas, to be truly successful, you need to be detail oriented and methodical in your approach and you will find the greatest returns in all aspects. Sometimes it is important to break the rules, and go against what people might be saying against your idea. Don’t be afraid!
We can tell you spent a lot of time and recourses on the website. How much of your business is driven by online buyers/clients?
Incredibly, it is everything for us, the foundation of our business. Since we are an online based business, having a user friendly, modern website is key in attracting and retaining customers. We were inspired by the concept of 99designs and ran with their business paradigm in our direction.
Where can people go to find out more about your awesome products/services?
Follow us on:
Thanks Fedrico!
“Live life with passion!”
-7 Days Theory
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