Talio
The Beginning: Finding Our Fit at Founders
Embarking on the entrepreneurial journey often starts with a great opportunity and a bit of serendipity. For us, it was being accepted into the Founders talent accelerator in Ireland. With over 500 applicants, Founders chose only 42 participants, split evenly between technical experts and commercial savants. It was here, in this melting pot of talent, that I met my co-founder. We connected during a dynamic 'speed dating' session designed to forge powerful partnerships, and it didn't take long for us to realise we were an ideal match.
Guidance from Giants: Mentors and Speakers
The initial weeks were a whirlwind of learning and networking. We had the privilege of accessing a cadre of mentors and industry leaders who have walked the path we were just beginning to tread. Speakers like Des Traynor from Intercom and Bobby Healy from Manna not only inspired us but also provided practical insights that would soon prove invaluable in shaping our business approach.
Ideation and Validation: Discovering Market Needs
One of the core principles of Founders was not just to ideate, but to validate those ideas rigorously. We engaged in extensive discussions with numerous potential users to grasp their challenges and goals. Through these conversations, it became evident that successful companies lean heavily on market research and consumer insights. We identified that market research agencies, which conduct a substantial portion of this research, were urgently in need of more advanced tools to extract valuable consumer insights—vital components in the data-driven landscape of today's market.
Securing the Seed: Pitching for Investment
Armed with a validated idea, our next challenge was funding. We pitched our vision for what would become Talio to an investment committee, competing against other formidable teams for crucial seed money. Winning one of the eight investments of €100,000 was a milestone that propelled us into the next phase of the accelerator.
Building the Foundation: Developing Our MVP
With funding secured, our focus shifted to building. We began developing our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in collaboration with our design partners. This phase was all about translating the validated needs into a tangible product that could start making a difference in the way market research companies operate.
Looking Ahead: Demo Day and Beyond
As we approach Demo Day, our excitement for the future of Talio is immense. This event isn’t just a milestone; it’s a launchpad that will propel our product into the marketplace and, hopefully, into the hands of many more customers who believe in our vision as much as we do.
The Road Ahead
The journey of building Talio has been exhilarating, educational, and truly transformative. From finding the perfect co-founder in a unique accelerator environment, benefiting from the wisdom of industry giants, validating a crucial market need, to securing funding and building our product—the path has been paved with invaluable experiences that have prepared us for the next stages of our growth.
As we continue to develop and refine Talio, we remain committed to our mission: to empower market research companies with AI-driven insights that are not just robust but also actionable. We're excited to see where our continued efforts and the support of our partners will take us.
Stay tuned for more updates as we journey forward, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in market research technology. Here’s to a future where insights lead to impact, powered by Talio.
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Author: Ciarán O'Connor & Oran O'Flynn
Co-Founders, Talio