Reflections on building – Sarah Miselly, Databites
In this blog post, Startup Foundation grantee Sarah Miselly shares experiences in building Databites, a data platform that helps food companies expand faster and smarter through market analysis and personalized leads.
The grant we received in early 2024 has been crucial in allowing me to focus on building full-time and bringing our vision to life. This support enabled me to navigate several pivots and iterations, ultimately securing our first paying customer.
Idea 1
My co-founder and I started with the idea of VR Ecotherapy, where users can experience natural environments and sounds anywhere and at any time with VR glasses to help with stress and anxiety during stressful events. We knew for a fact that the product worked as we had tested our early MVP with some users and therapists. However, we struggled to gain traction, and potential customers showed little willingness to pay. Realizing we needed a new approach, I went back to the drawing board.
Idea 2
Driven by my passion for food, my attention shifted to agriculture. This led me to research the root of the problem and potential solutions. To gain a better understanding and identify patterns of problems, my co-founder and I spent months researching the market and interviewing over 40 stakeholders – including farmers, experts, supply chain professionals, and researchers – across the EU and UK.
Through these interactions, a clear picture showed the daily struggles farmers face, dealing with EU funding and complex regulations. We quickly proposed a solution to gauge interest. We wanted to build a tool to help farmers manage administration and regulations.
This time, we got higher traction than the previous idea. Several farmers expressed interest, and we began building the MVP together. However, as summer approached, we encountered a challenge. Our users became less responsive due to their busy farming schedules. Visiting each farm wasn't feasible, as users were located in three different countries and we faced financial constraints.
During this time, we joined the Ignite program by Aaltoes. Our mentor suggested we research a different angle of the food chain, which sent us back to the drawing board and research cycle. This time, however, we moved faster and were more familiar with the research phase. We targeted food companies, and within two weeks, we were asking about their biggest challenges and goals. At the same time, we proposed solutions and iterated based on each call. We reached out to decision-makers, leaders, and experts within the Finnish food industry. A common issue from these conversations: companies wanted to expand their business, but found it hard, time-consuming, and costly. They struggled to enter new markets, unsure where to go, whom to contact, and how to get into the market.
Back then, we stood at the crossroads of ideas between farmers and food companies. Our mentor's advice stuck with me: "The moment you're confident in one option, pivot quickly and don't look back." This shaped our planning process. My team and I closely analyzed each problem's pros and cons, potential solutions, and our collective skill set. We considered which idea had greater traction, allowed for faster product development, and ultimately, which one we were willing to invest time and money in.
Idea 3 and next steps
After discussion, we decided to move forward with expanding into food companies. I began selling the concept and looking for pilot customers. Within a week, we secured our first paying customer. I was excited and proud of the team. This success validated our idea and confirmed customers' willingness to invest in solving this problem.
We are currently building Databites, a data platform that helps food companies expand faster and smarter through market analysis and personalized leads. We're continuously developing and iterating the platform based on user feedback. Additionally, we're in discussions to close our second customer.
We're in the early stages, but we believe this challenge aligns with our passion, skills, and goals. If you're in the food industry and facing challenges with expansion, or you have a favorite food product that you think the world needs to discover, let us know here.
Cheers,
Sarah
