As part of our relentless pursuit to identify and share with our community some of the unique and compelling startup stories from the ecosystem, this week we spoke to Team Applify to understand more about their journey, their vision and the way forward. Let’s read their unique story!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with the team:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, tell us a little bit about your startup and the problems you guys are solving, please;
Applify is a tech company that enables startups, small businesses, and enterprise teams to achieve success via the design and development efforts we offer. Applify is here to help/support entrepreneurs get idea-stage funding ready with design + product strategy services. We also have pre-packaged apps that are helpful for small businesses, engineering teams, startups, and enterprises.
Applify has partnered with Tech platforms like Google, IBM, Stripe, Mixpanel, etc. to offer perks to our clients worth US$ 100K+. In times like these, we want to offer as much assistance and ease to our clients as possible. It’s money into their pockets, literally. Applify is working with global startups right from idea validation to product launch and growth.”
‘Applify’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving with the help of your startup?
Yes, we named our company Applify because back then there weren’t too many companies that were focused on Mobile Apps. We were solely working on developing world-class mobile apps.
It all started in 2013, my co-founder, Ojus and I wanted to develop a mobile app to solve a student counselling and enrollment problem. We were looking for a Mobile App agency but couldn’t find a company that could meet the global standards at that point. So, we decided to solve that problem first by starting our own agency to create world-class mobile app experiences for entrepreneurs and enterprises.
During this COVID-19 crisis, what are the measures you have undertaken to continue your business without disruption?
The pandemic has been heavy but it has made us realise our true potential. During the pandemic, we:
~ Went remote – We switched to remote working as soon as the pandemic started. We knew we have to make a swift change so we started hiring remote talent throughout India.
~ Adapted – With the changing circumstances, we changed our approach from a dev agency to an accelerator & digital transformation enabler.
~ Helped our customers – We helped SMEs in going digital quickly through our pre-packaged apps, which helped them by saving money and retaining their customers that could not physically visit them due to restrictions.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives the team?
The company culture is the core of any organization. We cannot do anything without the team and although there are different aspects of what drives individuals, there are some basic components that inspire the team to give best despite all the challenges:
1 – Competitive Salaries and Flexibility
2 – Recognizing the good work
3 – Career development and learning opportunities
4 – And most importantly, clear purpose
What has worked well for you so far?
One of the most important aspects of any business’s success is the team and we’ve really been lucky to have a strong team in place.
The acknowledgement and support from every single person in the team (especially those who are still working remotely) have been commendable. They stood to their responsibilities and worked their hearts out. It’s because of the team that we sailed through the testing times in 2020.
Our team is our family, everyone has played their part and that has worked well for us.
What is one strategy that you guys believe has helped you grow as a team/startup?
It’s extremely difficult to keep growing at the same speed. Usually, the growth is highest at the beginning but then starts to get stagnant. What works for businesses when they start out is not what keeps them growing.
We truly believe in constant innovation and adapting to the changing landscape. Change invites chaos and you have to be ok with it. This strategy has let us grow constantly, we are not where we were 6 months ago and we will continue to change.
In your opinion, what is more necessary: An idea or a good team for a successful startup?
Brilliant ideas without a good team to execute those, always fail.
Most of the time, average ideas with a strong vision and a good team to execute those to perfection beat the best ideas.”
We would love to know your advice for all those starting out?
I think a startup should focus on starting strong by investing time and money in getting the right business advice and creating strategies with an industry expert. Learn about product development and hire the right people to ensure you have the right team.
Applify works as your technical partner and specializes in creating UX strategies, mentoring startups, developing and scaling products (web, TV, wearable tech, or mobile apps). We also help you with best practices and creating fund-raising strategies.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
