I am the Co-Founder of SampleLah!, a company that focuses on providing free samples to our users who are mature adults above 40 years old, in exchange for their social posting. The nature of this company would mean that we would target nano-influencers. Due to the recent generation of higher engagement rates among the nano-influencers as compared to macro-influencers, this idea came to life and we decided to explore this route rather than the norm of engaging macro-influencers. Starting up a company in the midst of a pandemic did not come shy of its challenges. There were many challenges such as lack of human touchpoint where it's exceptionally precious for early-stage founders to discover the behaviours of their users. My main motivation stems from my grandparents where I witnessed them idling at home and unable to be engaged with their social circle.
My major in marketing has equipped me with the knowledge and skills to kickstart the startup. One instance would be growth marketing which is essential in acquiring users in the early stages; the understanding of the digital involvement cycle and data from my various marketing modules has helped immensely! My minor in entrepreneurship has given me practical experience in running a startup, especially in the soft skill department; communications with stakeholders, understanding product-market fit, etc. A special memory that stuck with me from SUSS would be when I participated in the SUSS Impact Startup Challenge at Shenzhen and walked away with the first prize. It was a really good experience as it was my first overseas experience with my fellow schoolmates. I was exposed to the startup ecosystem overseas and made many new friends during the trip. That trip was also what got me into entrepreneurship!
For those starting up their own business and empire, I would recommend them to consume more content about startups such as Y-combinator on Youtube, or they could simply join a venture builder to be formally introduced to the whole ecosystem!
Zavier Chan
BSc Marketing
Class of 2021