In this week’s Ask Me Anything (AMA) session, CollPoll’s very own alumni Siddharth Das, Aliasgar Murtaza, and Arpit Jain had a fantastic session with the team which led to some super constructive conversations around startups, success stories, product development, past life lessons, etc. that helped the team to know the journey of CollPoll much better and take a lot of insights from the experiences of our guests.
About Our Guests!
Siddhart Das is the Founding Member and Advisor to CollPoll. He was previously associated with CollPoll, a comprehensive enterprise technology for higher education institutions, as the Engineering Lead. He is also the Co-Founder and Developer at Campusbin and is currently working towards achieving his future goals.
Aliasgar Murtaza is the Founder of CleverFlow, a tool for managing workflows. He was previously associated with CollPoll as a Product Engineer and holds an interest in causes related to education, environment, health, science & technology.
Arpit Jain is Co-Founder and CEO of Wyshlist, a tool that helps consumers to buy products that their favourite influencers endorse. He worked with CollPoll as a Product Manager and later worked towards his own startup GOInfuencer.
Key Takeaways From AMA Session!
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Always Validate Your Ideas in the Market
Besides going with the hunch you have for the product, you should also consider validating your plan in the market. Although a strong gut feeling works well in a lot of circumstances, validation is also necessary.
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Think of the Right Way to Approach Uncertainties
The first step should be listing down your assumptions about the business you are working with. Then experiment with those assumptions, for instance, take a survey, talk to customers, etc. The more you validate the assumptions and get them resolved, the less likely you are to fail in a business venture.
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Serendipity Is the Key
Sometimes using random algorithms, minimum software, and better configurations helps to keep the application more understandable. Thus, keeping the application as simple as possible is always better.
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Always Adhere to Your Ideas & Planning
Many times in a startup, you’ll go through ups and downs but sticking to your ideas and goals is the key to handling them. To sail through different phases, you should focus on solving one problem at a time, work unitedly in the team, and get efficient solutions for every issue.
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Get a Variety of Experiences
While in a startup, it’s important to add variety to your work rather than getting stuck in the same loop. For instance, you can be a part of the hiring process, help in building a team, and a lot more. Besides this, you should also talk to the users to get a clear understanding of products and processes.
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It’s Always The Right Time!
Sometimes, we do not achieve things as we plan. So, rather than getting stuck on the idea front, focus on the problem. Working in a startup gives you the opportunity to experience different possibilities and situations. This helps you grow as a team, learn new things, and eventually gain a better experience.
Even if you feel it’s not the right time, remember that it is always the right time to get things started!
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Clean Your Code as You Build New Features
Instead of allocating separate time for cleaning a code, you should clean it immediately while you aim at building something new. Spend some time and you’ll notice tremendous benefits. Additionally, for the first step build whatever comes to your mind and for the next step, when you are updating/adding a new enhancement, spend a few minutes cleaning it up too.
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Use Data Effectively
Visualizing data and using it to build a product or service is quite imperative. The true magic lies in – how you can use data to design features, solve problems, and generate user attraction. You need to plan a good business funnel to convert visitors into paid users/customers.
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Startups Give a Great Exposure
Besides a good team culture, you get independence in startups to manage things on your own, which opens a plethora of opportunities. You get to learn on different platforms, know an array of departments, and use a variety of tools and software.
This AMA session with CollPoll’s alumni – Siddharth Das, Aliasgar Murtaza, and Arpit Jain was quite insightful and full of personal and professional experiences. Thank You team for such a wonderful session, we look forward to more such team sessions ahead!
