Software is an attractive industry for would-be entrepreneurs given its minimal product overheads and the potential to reach global markets.
However it is important that startup founders are not faking an interest in tech which will ultimately become a detriment to the business.
“You have to make sure you have a true passion for technology,” warns Alistair Sergeant, CEO of AI and automation specialist Equantiis, when asked for tips by TechBlast.
He adds: “If you’re just starting out, pick a niche – for instance, cloud security or CRM data. Once you’ve earned your stripes in one area and had successful experiences, this will allow you to expand your knowledge network and generate further opportunities.”
Difficult decisions
Like any entrepreneur, Sergeant has faced difficult decisions since founding the London digital consultancy in 2013.
“We’ve had our challenges along the way. One of the toughest decisions I’ve faced is having to restructure the business to meet customer demands and to remain competitive,” he says of the rebranding from previous name Purple in 2020.
“A lesson I learned along the way is to take the time to hire the right people: it’s easy to get staff into the business, but getting the right staff and retaining them so your business scales is a real skill and can take a lot of effort.”
However his original vision for Equantiis, which counts Manchester Metropolitan University and the Royal Institute of British Architects among its clients, has remained consistent.
“Our vision has always been to help organisations use technology in better ways: I love leading a business that is tech agnostic and focused on attainable business outcomes,” he says.
“Many digital strategies fail so I believe it’s important to be realistic in approach but also not to be afraid to innovate so as to tackle an existing problem in a new way.”
Niico
Equantiis’s AI platform, Niico, is a software ‘bot’ programmed to interact with an organisation’s core applications as if they were human and trained to perform routine, repetitive work.
Sergeant says Niico will be focused on three core markets next year – financial services, not-for-profit and education – and prove a “game-changer” for the business over the long-term.
“It will be key to our future growth – of that I’m certain,” he says. “The feedback we’ve received regarding it has been fantastic and a game-changer for us.
“We are widely becoming known as the go-to partner for driving digital change in the industries that we operate in. It’s an exciting time as we have a number of external organisations circling us, watching what we’re doing in regards to the advisory and intelligent automation space.
“The success we’ve seen, particularly with some of the large brands that we’ve attracted, is cementing our credibility and capability within the marketplace.”