There are so many things you learn with entrepreneurship that you can't really know without trying.
Tell us about your company: what is its name, what exactly do you do and when did you start it?
My company is called Fuse Robotics. We are a UK-based tech start-up, started in 2021 and by now have over 1,000 customers in more than 50 countries. We specialise in e-commerce and blockchain automation, so there are actually two big sides to our business. An example of what we do is making the checkout process much faster on all possible websites. If you want to buy something on a Shopify website - many websites run on that platform - you have to go through all kinds of steps, such as filling in your contact, invoice and shipping details. We make that process much simpler and make sure you can just click 'Buy Now', which automatically takes you through all that flow. So that makes the checkout process much more efficient and user-friendly.
What inspired you to develop that idea?
It actually grew out of our love of trainers. In fact, brands like Nike and Adidas all release limited pairs and my co-founder Lewis and I were very interested in those trainers. But because they are so limited, it is very difficult to buy them when they come out. We then went with our technical background in programming to see how we could solve that problem. The question was how to automate that process to still be able to buy the trainers. That idea then grew into something much bigger to make the checkout process much faster on all possible sites.
What do you find unique or atypical about your business?
When we started this, there were very few companies working in this space. It was a very niche space, where there were very few people experiencing the concrete problem, but there was a very large target audience that could enjoy a solution. When we started it, the focus was mainly on those trainers and other limited items, whereas now have moved more towards the blockchain and NFT space. However, now mainstream adoption is starting to come and there are other companies looking to solve it on a larger scale.
Initially, Fuse Robotics was a passion project. We were just two students starting to build a product for ourselves.
Of course, you don't just start a company overnight. How did you get funding?
Initially, it was just a passion project. We had no intention of taking this public and making other people buy it. We were two students and just started building the product for us. A little later in the development process, it became clear that we knew a lot of people who would all want to buy it. So that's how our business started. Of course, we then didn't have a lot of resources at all to start the business, so at the very beginning we started selling our licences to use the software for 1 Pound. That's almost nothing, but that did give us the financial resources to be able to take it further and buy the domain and so on.
What strategies did you use to market your business?
The trainer industry was actually a very small world. It was a pretty dense community that was mainly on Twitter. Everyone knew each other and so it was very easy to form partnerships. So initially we did mostly giveaways with people who were starting similar businesses and just with people we already knew. That's how we were able to grow quickly to something like 7,000 followers. That did make it easier to sell the product.
So do you have a fixed location from which you manage the business?
Our company is completely remote. I started this company when I was 16 years old, so it was not possible for me to start a business already in Belgium. My partner, on the other hand, lives in the UK, where the minimum age to start a business is 16. Hence, we made the choice to start it in the UK, which also gave us a lot of opportunities. They are a bit more progressive and flexible with startups there. I think back then it cost 12 Pounds to start the effective company, where here it costs a lot more to start a small limited company. So now we are still completely remote, but just have a lot of meetings and it works out.
Do you already have employees or are there plans to do so?
We are now on the cusp of a big pivot in our business. This is because we see a lot of potential in the dekstop productivity space - so mainly AI-based productivity apps - and so we are now scaling back our operations. Before this, we had a few contractors working for us, for customer support, for example, but now we have scaled all that back to focus on this new space. So now it's back to just my co-founder and me.
What do you like most about entrepreneurship?
I think it gives a lot of freedom and both a creative and technical outlet. You can basically just make anything you want. There are so many ways to improve a product that might not be worth your time in your spare time, but if you can make money from it in a fun way, it makes it worthwhile.
We focus on what we like and what we think is the future.
So is money your priority? And how have your priorities changed from when you were just starting out?
Making money is definitely not our priority. It started from a passion and it is in our philosophy that we will never do anything purely for financial gain. We focus on what we like and what we think is the future. Furthermore, our vision of the company has also changed to a more lean startup, as we now listen much more to our customers. Thus, we have also made many adjustments to adapt the direction of our business much faster.
What does a typical day look like for you now?
Studying does matter a lot to me. I - like probably most students - want to get my bachelor's degree within 3 years. That is definitely my priority and so I also go to all classes. Thus, I usually have classes in the morning. Furthermore, I also work for some other companies, usually for a few hours. Then, together with my co-founder of Fuse, I look at what has happened and still needs to be done and work for that. By then it's usually pretty late and so every day is pretty well filled.
Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were just starting out?
There are so many things you learn with entrepreneurship that you can't really know without trying. So there are definitely things I would do differently! I would spend a lot more time designing a comprehensive business model instead of just flying into it. I would also try much harder to figure out who our customers are just now and what exactly they want. I would do all that much more upfront.
I just really want to build something and have an impact on the world.
What motivates you to do all this?
I just really want to build something and have an impact on the world. I also realise that if I don't put in the time now, it might not happen later and I would be stuck in a job later. I think it's important to just get that start early and put in the time now. Not only for my own future, but also for the people around me.
It may not all be running smoothly either. How do you deal with feelings of doubt?
In the beginning, it was very hard figuring out how best to approach this, but we then came up with a more structured plan to solve problems within the company. We actually start asking ourselves repeatedly how something could have happened. Usually, after 3 'Why' questions, you know what the core problem is and how to tackle it. So a very methodical approach. Furthermore, we don't judge either. If something goes wrong, we just find a new strategy to prevent it from happening again in the future.
So what do you think are the qualities of a good entrepreneur?
I think there are a lot of qualities that can make a good entrepreneur, from creativity to technical skills. I don't think there are that many shared qualities between successful entrepreneurs. Just do what you are good at and don't give up.
My advice would be to just get started.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become an entrepreneur?
My advice would be to just get started. I think actually starting a business is the hardest part. Once you're up and running, it's much easier to move on. There are going to be challenges anyway, that is the case with any business, but if you don't start then you will never get there.
Finally, what are you working on now? Are there any future plans?
Personally, I am looking at leaving for America next year to live and work there. I think there are a lot of opportunities for high-tech jobs there and there is more flexibility there to start companies and get funding. So I'm definitely looking at going more international. For the company, we are also exploring new spaces. Artificial Intelligence is taking headlines every day these days, so we are looking at how to integrate AI products into our existing products and how to release new products with that power of AI.
Find out more about Fuse Robotics:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/flor-ronsmans-de-vry-832a171a1/?originalSubdomain=be
https://twitter.com/FuseRobotics