Listen, Learn, Thrive: The Growth Hack Powering SMACE’s Journey
Founders Espresso Shots: featuring shot-size inspiring stories, key lessons, and practical tips from Hidden Champion Founders to boost their entrepreneurial journey.
🚀 Growth Hack
Customer-Centric Development
SMACE thrives by focusing its tech development on direct customer feedback. By offering a demo-centric onboarding experience, they observe customer interactions to fine-tune features, ensuring usability and efficiency. Automated surveys for both corporate clients and service partners (like venues and team-building providers) provide ongoing insights that shape their offerings.
"We let customers interact with the product as if they were on their own, which helps us refine and improve based on real-world use."
Advice: Build features based on customer needs and create feedback loops to optimize development.
Hello! Did you know you can also listen to the podcast(ITA) on Spotify?
💡 Founder Spotlight
From Remote Work to Corporate Events
Andrea and his co-founder, Marta, started SMACE in 2021 with a modest budget of €10K, initially focused on individual remote workstations. However, they quickly pivoted when corporate clients showed more interest in team-oriented solutions. Today, SMACE simplifies corporate offsite planning, offering modular options tailored to specific team needs.
"We started with workstations, but corporates wanted team solutions. That's how SMACE became a corporate events platform."
Advice: Start lean, listen to your market, and pivot when necessary.
🗝 Founder Tips
Data-Driven Decisions with a Gut-Feeling Edge
Andrea highlights the importance of gathering and organizing as much data as possible to reduce uncertainty, acknowledging that complete clarity is unattainable. The remaining gaps are addressed with instinct, a crucial tool honed through industry experience and subconscious problem-solving.
"You can't cancel uncertainty; data reduces it, and instinct fills the rest."
Advice: Combine data analysis with intuitive insights to navigate uncertainty and uncover effective solutions.
🛠 Startup Tools
Streamlining Operations with AI
AI tools like Copilot have been transformative for SMACE, drastically reducing development time by automating bug fixes and copywriting tasks. Their platform’s ability to deliver event solutions in under a minute demonstrates a commitment to ease of use for customers.
"Our platform saves hours of planning by delivering solutions in just 40 seconds."
Advice: Invest in tools that enhance efficiency and scale with your operations.
☕ Cup of Founders Wisdom
Lessons from Early Mistakes
Andrea reflects on the early mistake of building features without signed customer commitments. He now prioritizes validating demand before committing resources.
"The biggest lesson is that customer interest only matters when backed by payment or a contract."
Advice: Validate rigorously before investing time or resources.
🔋 Boost of Inspiration
Happier Teams, Stronger Communities
SMACE's mission is to enhance workplace happiness and productivity by simplifying offsite planning. Andrea envisions a future where decentralized workforces drive economic and social value to less-centralized regions.
"Happier, more productive teams can spread value beyond major cities, uplifting communities everywhere."
Advice: Anchor your startup for a purpose that drives long-term impact.
Stay tuned for more founder stories and actionable insights in the next Founders Espresso Shots!
Sip up, and Scale up together.
Andrea Marino - Founders Espresso
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