StartUs Presents: DemoUp

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Charles Collet, co-founder of the SaaS startup DemoUp, talks about his most memorable moment as an entrepreneur and their strategy to stay ahead of competitors.

Describe DemoUp in 50 words or less.

We at DemoUp believe that the future of e-commerce is visual. That is why we have built a product video platform that takes out all the hassle and obstacles that prevented the video breakthrough in e-commerce until now.

Why did you decide to pursue your own dreams rather than someone else’s?

I like the freedom and the challenges that come with being an entrepreneur. Spending your day, working on a product that you build from scratch doesn’t feel like work, but extremely rewarding. I buy everything online and felt annoyed by not being able to easily find what I desire. It takes too much time and effort to inform yourself on products when most shops simply provide one image and a few specifications, which a lot of the time are outdated or even incorrect. I had to do something to tackle this issue. DemoUp is not my first company in the video area and I came to realize, how much better the shopping experience would be with video content.

7 years from now: How did your startup change the world?

The future of e-commerce is visual and online shoppers love to watch video content. We will provide the technologies for consumers to experience products online, like they are used to it in traditional retail shopping: Experiencing the products on different levels. Consumers will be able to fully understand how a product works, what benefits it provides and if it serves all needs (size, color, dimensions, usability and more). Simultaneously with the generated data, we are able to constantly provide content producers with feedback to optimize product presentation and meet consumer needs.

Describe your typical working day from coming to the office to leaving it.

It’s difficult to describe a typical working day at DemoUp. Every day is different and that makes working here exciting. From meeting clients, partners and investors, managing the team, or developing solutions to technical difficulties. What most days have in common, is that I look after and support our sales team and log everything we have done and achieved, to evaluate our performance and set priorities for the next day.

In what ways do you measure your success and how do you make sure you don’t lose track?

We are a data-driven company and this is not only reflected in our software service, but also in every area within the company. We make decisions based on data in every division of the company: Product-development and UI/UX, business development or marketing. Examples are the way videos are presented or where they are positioned on a product page in order to increase video view rates and ultimately the conversion rates of the online retailer.

Already pivoted? Did customers use the video service like you imagined it in the beginning?

Like most startups over time, we did a little. We started with producing video content and developing the corresponding e-commerce video solution. Nowadays, rather than producing video content by ourselves, we work with existing content and focus on providing the best video platform and technical solutions for video content in e-commerce.

Bootstrapped or financed: What fuels your startup now and what will in the future?

We are backed by Rheingau Founders, Mountain Partners, the German StartUp Group and some of Europe’s leading internet investors.

With ferocious competition and a booming trend to build new companies: How do you make sure you don’t get lost in the shuffle?

It is easy to get distracted and spend too much time on things, that are not important for you or the companies’ success. Stay focused!

What do you look for in team members?

Passion for the product. Experience in the respective field and commitment, that they see themselves with the company for a long time.

And since we are spending a lot of time together, the personal fit is very important too!

Why would a talent join your team?

At DemoUp you’ll have a steep learning curve and huge opportunities to grow from day one. We will guide you along your way with constant feedback and new challenges. We are an international team with some of the most talented people. There is no other place than a startup if you want to learn fast and want to be part of the overall company’s growth and success.

What was your most memorable moment so far?

The moment we went live, on the first client pages. Especially for a SAAS (software as a service) company, you have a longer development or time to market, which makes it even more special when you finally go live.

What advice would you give fellow founders for their startup?

Listen closely to your customers. You might have great ideas and still nobody buys. That is why we started talking to potential customers early in our development process and implemented their feedback in the development of our product and service.

 

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