Digital Influencer – August 2017

By DigitalScopeDigital Voices

Digital Entrepreneur – Jo Li TAY

In the first-ever issue of our “Influencer of the Month”, we will be looking into the fascinating world of the mobile application industry with an estimated value that will exceed $180 billion USD by 2020.

 

 

No charts, no data analysis and definitely no high-level schematic diagrams. What you will find instead is “Real Voice” and “Real Insight” from our special guest.

 

Besides sharing with us some of the highlights in her entrepreneurship journey, Jo Li will also talk about her view on digitalization. And for those who still think digitalization is just another buzzword, have a read.

#1: Who Are You?

I am one of the two co-founders of Flock2go, the company behind the app Ketchup Social. We are based in Perth, Western Australia. My co-founder Trevor Pugh and I started Flock2go together in 2015. Our company name was also the name of the first app we released. Ironically, the reason we created this app was so people could spend less time online! We wanted to create an app that put the power back into the hands of the users and would also be fair and beneficial for all those who used it – users, news sources, and advertisers alike. Having studied and worked in design and advertising, I find myself less than keen to engage in self-promotion – which is why Trevor does most of the VC pitches – so I haven’t really done any interviews up until now. However, I am always excited to talk about Ketchup Social to those who are interested, such as yourself.

#2: Why Did You Decide To Be A Digital Entrepreneur?

I suppose to some extent I am not what you would call a die-hard entrepreneur. What drew me to the app development space was the challenge and fun of coming up with solutions to problems – I am definitely an ideas person. I am much less enthused about sales aspect and the day-to-day running of the show – luckily, Trevor is much better those than I am! I think as a young female entrepreneur I have been lucky so far in that my experiences have been mostly good ones. In my experience the most difficult part of app development is getting your app to gain traction, even if you think you have thought of and planned for everything, you cannot always predict how it will turn out and there is a lot of learning to be had in the process.

 

If you are scratching your head wondering “what is a digital entrepreneur?”

Here is the definition:

  • It refers to a businessperson who uses the Internet as a tool for commercial opportunities
  • It focuses on digital commerce
  • It can be anything under the sun so as long it is created, marketed, delivered and supported 100% via the online system
 
 

#3: How Is Ketchup Social Created?

Ketchup Social is a content aggregation app – based on interests the user chooses, it suggests a list of quality information sources (from news media, blogs, and brands) that have been handpicked by us that the user can follow. There is another component to the app that we have not added yet, and we will reveal more about this in time. For the moment we will be working on improving Ketchup Social, but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that we will produce more apps in future. Check out their website to find out more: http://ketchup.social

Q4) What Is Your View on Digitalization?

The whole reason Ketchup Social exists is that we believe that the digital world should never replace or supersede the real world. We think that there needs to be a balance and that as app developers it is our moral responsibility to keep that balance. Unfortunately, the way most apps are monetized, users are required to be kept on for as long as possible. We have planned how we will monetize Ketchup Social right from the beginning, so we do not have to do the same thing. This has made it difficult to get users on and keep them on because we are actively choosing not to use tactics that will keep users hooked on using the app, even though that is what we need to do to gain traction quickly. It may take us longer and require more effort, but we believe it is necessary, and it is worth it.

 

#5: Any great advice for those that are interested in making a mobile App?

Find a business partner who shares your values, and whose skills complement yours. Be honest and stay true to your vision.

Share with us your thoughts below !!