Start-ups + (lots of) Risk
What risk would you take for something you really want to do? Risk is a huge part of starting your own business. You really need to want to do it and believe in it to veer away from the mainstream lifestyle of going through university followed by a 9-5 cubicle job. Today, I would like to introduce you to Ben, Founder of Elovore, who has done just that.
Ben moved from Vancouver and started his university journey in Toronto. He had a difficult time finding what he really wanted to study, switching from management, to urban studies, to semiotics, and then economics and stats. He then found an interest in starting Elovore, an app for food. He weighed his pros and cons and realised it was time he took a break from school and work on something he found a lot of passion in.
And the app journey began. He registered his company in January and started working on the app in February. To date, I’ve blogged about already successful start-ups that have been established for over a year, but it is important not to discount how much time and effort that has gone to get there. In such an early phase, Ben is realising the challenges and energy it takes to start an app. He noted a huge challenge is finding the right people to hire. Lucky for him, he found 2 great designers. He also noted you have to really manage your time and get used to spending time by yourself.
Elovore’s idea is an iteration of an idea he came up with in a high school competition. This idea was to create a survey that customers would fill-out after every meal to show restaurants how they were perceived by the consumer. Instead, Elovore focuses on changing your expectation to the food you eat, not so much the restaurant. Ben went on to explain that when picking a restaurant, you may be scared to try something new and you don’t really want to pay for a bad experience. However, it’s not necessarily the restaurant, it’s the dish, but you may have picked the wrong dish—the worst dish—at a fantastic restaurant. This app will essentially show you what dish might fit your taste and you will be able to follow the taste of others that you think share a similar palate to you on social media—how cool! The launch date is planned for early September—stay tuned!
Ben mentioned a personal anecdote where this app would have come in handy. One evening he was starving and decided steak would be a great choice after a good, hard work-out at the gym. He walked into the restaurant with the expectation of a Keg steak, but when it came, it was nothing like this and he walked out unhappy. With the app, he will know walking into the restaurant that the steak may not be the best option or that the steak will be different from other steaks he has eaten at other restaurants.
Ben’s advice for other early founders and dreamers: Dream big. Follow through. Work for it. Learn to take reasonable risk, but know your limit. Know how far you want to go.
I look forward to checking-out Elovore’s app soon! If you have any questions or feedback, please reach me here!
