Leaders Perception Magazine is currently running an interview series called – What Are The Top 5 Mistakes People Make When Starting A New Business?
Today, we had the opportunity to interview Sneha Saigal who is a Co-founder and CEO at Geeks and Experts.
Interviewee Name: Sneha Saigal
Company: Geeks and Experts
Sneha Saigal’s favourite quote: “Don’t make permanent decisions on temporary emotions.”
The Interview
Thank you so much for joining us today! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your backstory?
Sneha Saigal : Born and raised in Mumbai, I earned my MBA at IESE Business School in Barcelona
where I also became a WSET Level 2 wine sommelier. I am the co-founder & CEO of
Geeks and Experts, a micro-consulting platform to connect with domain experts via 1:1
audio/video calls, which I started with my husband VB, who is the co-founder & CTO.
A management professional, my non-linear career path spans social impact consulting
to tech growth marketing. I strongly believe in positively impacting communities; right
from my college days of piloting prison programs in Grinnell, Iowa to my fundraising efforts
at non-profits in Mumbai, India.
In your opinion, what makes your company stand out? Any examples?
Sneha Saigal : Geeks and Experts was born out of the need to make social capital available to everyone no
matter where they’re from or whom they know. Independent professionals and small
business owners, especially, first-generation, immigrants or underrepresented groups spend
too much time looking for or don’t have direct access to expertise. At G&E they can search for verified experts, find one that suits their budget, and get 1:1 advice from them.
During our problem-finding research, we found that 89% of users don’t get advice due to
access or availability constraints. We’re changing that. We want to make these
conversations contextual and easy so that you’re not relying on warm intros or cold DMs.
What are the TOP 5 mistakes people make when starting a new business? Please share advice/examples for all of them.
Sneha Saigal : 1) Not talking to enough users soon enough. Validating a business problem is very overlooked by founders often and the rush is to build a product first.
2) Not niching down on an audience fast enough. If you are talking to everybody it means you are not talking to anybody. It is also easier marketing wise to niche down.
3) Not shipping content/products early enough. The sooner the product is shipped the sooner you will get feedback from early stage users about what they love, hate or want.
4) Not keeping tech and development in-house at the earlier stages. Outsourcing reduces your speed and agility. The feedback loops close faster if you have everything in house.
5) Not building a community or personal brand for my target audience. If you start building in public and sharing your journey more people can see your hurdles and wins and support you.
Leaders Perception magaizne would like to thank Sneha Saigal for the time dedicated to completing this interview and sharing their valuable insights with our readers!
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