[How TechCircle Startups Stay Nimble During COVID-19 Times] – Girlsourced Tech
Name: Jessie Imakoji, Co-founder & CFO, 39yo, Singaporean
Technopreneur Circle member: Since August 2019
Company: Girlsourced Tech Pte Ltd (Fashion & Beauty)
Website: https://girlsourced.com
The company under 20 words:
Girlsourced is a data-driven fashion recommendations mobile app connecting users to professional stylists and a fashion community for styling advice.
How has COVID-19 impacted the company / business?
COVID-19 came at the onset of our launch efforts. Lockdowns during this period of the pandemic crisis impeded access to facilities where our developers were working out from and delayed our technical developments. Furthermore, we could not go ahead with some partnerships which we had initially planned as they were hard hit by the quarantine measures.
What are some of the adjustments you had to make in order to minimize disruptions?
My business partners Alyssa, Daryl and myself had to think on our feet and “COVID-proof” our approach to launch. We were determined to forge ahead but at the same time we want to be mindful of the current struggles that people are facing. Having a remote workforce allowed us to rally our stylists from different countries to participate in our online CSR efforts #makeamaskgiveamask.
In the meantime, we have been conducting video call check-ins on our stylists to have them focus on what they can do before we launch and when things eventually get better. To minimise disruptions, we channelled our resources to online activities e.g virtual styling campaigns that could engage the online community while people are staying at home.
Even our messages to our potential customers on social media channels take on a sensitive tone as we play our part to lift others up during this pandemic crisis. Fashion technology won’t save lives, but we know we can help ladies build their confidence and be mentally healthy through innovative ways of style-discovery and self-care.
Name one technology / platform which you find useful in these times and why?
Microsoft Teams. It allows remote teams to share confidential files and contribute to forum discussions in a private environment. Its video call features are comprehensive enough to share screens and record sessions if necessary. It is also easy to schedule video calls via the Teams calendar.
Are you currently working from home? If so, how has it been in terms of efficiency?
Yes – it’s equally efficient (no impact!)! Before COVID-19 surfaced, my business partners and I were already working remotely from different countries and it worked well despite having time zone differences. Remote working and using video calls for most of our discussions have prepared us for a time like this.
Any shout-outs / rants you would like to add on:
The wait for getting Girlsourced is ALMOST over. You can now pre-order the Girlsourced app on both iOS and Android! Spend lesser time on deciding what to wear and gain confidence from finding the style that is truly YOU.
Technopreneur Circle is a member-based community platform funded by Vertex Ventures for tech startups to connect, communicate, and collaborate. More information available at www.technopreneurcircle.com.
Contact us: techcircle@vertexholdings.com
** This article first appeared on TechCircle’s Medium page **