Describe your company: “Tropic Labs is attempting to revolutionize the way that people take care of their animals. Through multiple tracking technologies all brought together by a custom-built software application, we believe we can provide a solution to the various needs of pet-owners and their pets.”
Why did you apply to Race to Revenue, and what are you hoping to get out of the experience? “I am eager to dedicate a full 10 weeks to pursuing my venture, because I haven't been able to in the past, due to being busy with schoolwork.”
How have you been helped so far in your venture, and what sort of mentoring are you looking for in the future? “John Henry has done a great job in providing me with the mentors and guidance that I need, and I can't forget Annalisa who shot me with fake dollar bills after a pitch, which turned into real dollar bills a couple of weeks later! Julie Campbell-Holmes has been a fantastic marketing mentor, and we are still working with her to create an efficient marketing plan. In addition, our new coach Jared Mrozinske has been assisting us with laying down some milestones and will continue to help us with branding.”
What do you want to learn more about, relating to business development in general or your own company/venture specifically? “I'm really looking forward to digging into UI/UX construction, mostly since it is so far outside of my comfort zone. I'm also eager to dig into some consumer research. The idea of developing a product and then seeing how consumers interact with it in fact vs. in theory has always been intriguing to me.”
Fun fact: “I am convinced that some of the best ideas come from pivots. If people tell me about their startup, but haven't changed anything about it, I'm always interested in following up to see when/how things change. I've never seen an idea go from brain to market without at least one major edit!”
Favorite place to get tacos: “I actually live on a fisherman’s island in Southwest Florida, so I feel obligated to say fish tacos at our local bar called The Blue Dog!”