It’s always incredibly exciting to meet young people who are motivated and in touch with what’s happening today. It’s also enthusing to see these people being supported by their elders and offered invaluable advise to nurture and develop their skill sets- as well as advance the technological community in Dublin.
Selfit is a fashion start-up app that has recently been accepted into Launchbox- the 26th best ‘incubator’ in the whole world for accelerating young business ideas. The app revolves around the concept that fashion is no longer top- down, but the inverse: it now begins ‘on the streets’. Selfit’s mandate is to ‘cut the crap’ from the high-end world of fashion and make it more approachable to the everyday man. Eventually, the founders predict that the app will enable the user to tap in to street fashion worldwide. Totally Dublin caught up with the four joint founders and directors, Nat Ogden, Jack Costigan, Edward Majekodunmi and Tom Guinness to talk about the ‘botton-up’ fashion revolution, the gap in the market they’re trying to fill, and how, with the help of Launchbox, they’re planning to get there.
Can you give us a brief overview of exactly what the app is all about?
Jack: It’s a social media app centred on street fashion. We want to create a mobile platform where people can go and scroll through stylish people who have been photographed on the street. There will be a little bio and maybe the inspiration behind the outfit under the photo.
Nat: What we’d like to do is build a community of users within social fashion hubs in different cities. Obviously we’re starting in Dublin, but we want to expand to other cities in Ireland, and then round the world.
Will the fashion be unique to each city, or are you expecting to see a more universal style?
N: With our app, users will be able to type in another city and immediately have access to style all round the world. The idea is that from this they can sculpt and mould their style on an international level and be inspired by global trends.
What inspired you to create the app? How did it develop from its initial stages?
J: We’d all previously worked in retail, and had little things that annoyed us within the industry- that was the inspiration, I suppose. Once we had come up with the idea for the app, we wanted to validate it, so we just went out and talked to loads of people on the street. One thing that came back was that people get their inspiration from the streets- just walking around and looking at other people. There are a lot of apps/blogs out there that suggest they’re authentic ‘street- style’, but it’s not what people are actually wearing in real life. It’s all staged. The more followers the blog gets, the more likely they are to become commercialised. Big fashion houses start sending them clothes to be featured on their blog- immediately that takes away from what they were initially trying to do. It’s no longer genuine.
N: Additionally, most of the people we spoke to when we were conducting our market research told us they found it hard to relate to high- end fashion. The models have been photo- shopped and the clothes are too expensive. The everyday person on the street knows that these types of clothes will look different on them, the real people. Our app counters this by providing raw fashion, as you see it on the streets.
Ed: We want to empower the everyday person walking down the street who doesn’t necessarily relate to the high- fashion model.
What exactly is Launchbox? What was the application process like, how were you picked, and what kind of funding are you receiving?
Tom: Launchbox is an incubator based in Dublin where loads of start-ups send in business plans. Initially, there are probably around 80 different groups, from which 12 are selected to pitch to the Trinity Angels (our mentors- big figures in the business world) and then 6 are picked to receive €10,000 as well as a weekly wage for the whole team. It’s an amazing start for us.
E: The aim of the incubator is to move every team to the next level, no matter at what stage they’re at. It’s only Launchbox’s second year, but it’s already been voted 26th best incubator in the whole world. It’s really exciting to be part of that.
What’s the atmosphere like in the incubator? Is it a dynamic place to work? What have the founders done to foster creativity and diligence?
T: You can see around you that it’s a very creative space, and we’re definitely given licence to do whatever we want to get our business to the next level. Each week we are introduced to hugely inspirational and impressive figures in the business world. Members of Microsoft, Paypal, Eventbrite, Goldman Sachs and more come in and give us advice. It’s incredible!
Do you think Dublin’s a good place for you to be setting up a tech app?
T: All the big tech companies have set up head quarters over here- you definitely feel like the tech start up scene is kicking off. The Web Summit is a brilliant example of this- we’re really trying hard to get involved with them this year. It’s really important to us to be around like- minded entrepreneurs. Just talking to people who have been in a similar place to us before makes everything we’re doing so much easier. We have access to insights we wouldn’t have got if we hadn’t been in this community they’ve created.
Do you have advice for people in a similar situation to you?
T: Talk to people. The more we talk the better picture we get- that’s why our idea has changed so much from its initial stages.
N: Anyone can think they have a great idea, but it’s only validated once they’ve talked to a lot of people about it. We thought our initial idea was bulletproof. We couldn’t believe that no one had come up with it before. It wasn’t until we spoke to loads of people that we started to see the loopholes in our idea.
T: Before you even think about creating a business in a certain industry, you really need to know almost everything about that industry. Or else you’re just walking down a tunnel without being able to see.
What are the main problems you’ve come up against?
J: At the start of the program, we had a certain idea, and you begin to start realising that you will have to adapt you idea and let it evolve. The problem is that you keep coming back to the initial idea, which isn’t the best thing when you’re trying to move forward.
N: Taking criticism is actually really tough. When you’ve invested so much time, money and effort into it, it’s hard when people (with the best intentions) tell you you’re idea isn’t viable. As the creator of the idea, you don’t want to believe that it’s not the best idea, and that people wouldn’t use it.
And what have you learnt from that?
T: To be more flexible. But also, once you’ve taken that first knock of criticism, everyone gets so motivated behind it and it feels like this huge rush of energy again, until, invariably, you’re knocked back again. It’s a bit of rollercoaster.
N: The most valuable thing we’ve learnt is to listen to people. Listen to the people who will use your business. To be honest people are intrinsically nice and want to help you out- it’s a very positive experience!
When will the website be up and running?
N: Within a week- watch this space!
To find out more about the Launchbox, go to www.launchbox.ie
Find Selfit on www.selfit.ie
The app will be launched at the end of the year
Words: Molly Rowan Hamilton
