Artem Semjanow is the founder and CEO of Neatsy, a B2B company that helps customers find their ideal shoe size using their smartphone’s camera. Artem previously led a machine learning team at Prisma Labs. This experience along with his background in economics empowered him to create Neatsy and change the future of online footwear retail.

Episode Notes 

How flat feet lead Artem and his brother to develop Neatsy [0:30]

The process of trying various business models before ultimately choosing a B2B (business to business) model [5:28]

Neatsy’s first major hurdle — finding tech precise enough to actually measure foot size [9:50]

Entrepreneurship can involve lots of trial and error, and Neatsy had numerous iterations while attempting to measure a shoe when its shape changes once its slipped onto a foot [14:32]

Using the Mom Test to take something that is difficult and complex and turn it into an easy-to-use product for everyone [17:02]

Using Neatsy’s tech to help people identify potential health concerns and track body changes with 3D body measurements [25:08]

Finding ways to stand out from competitors is important. Neatsy keeps your personal data in your phone allowing them to improve data security and get a leg up on competitors [30:55]

Determining pricing for your product or service based on analytics and the value you generate for clients [32:30]

Establishing initial partnerships can be difficult if you don’t find the right people willing to give it a try [37:33]

Finding initial funding can be challenging, and Artem leveraged his personal network to get the initial funds [41:25]

Artem’s biggest surprise — how difficult it can be to get others to buy and invest in your product [44:00]

“Start it and figure it out on the fly,” Artem’s advice to his younger self [48:34]

From an economist to a machine learning engineer and founder, our experiences allow us to further build our skill sets overtime [51:08]

The need to compartmentalize: Work hours are for work, and family hours are for family [57:52]

Do not sacrifice your own freetime. Starting a business is a marathon commitment not a sprint. [1:00:00]

Artem’s advice to entrepreneurs — if your business is growing, you will be inspired. Find something that scales, find product-market fit, and be a hype beast [1:01:36]

Download the Neatsy app to try it yourself [1:03:51]

Neatsy Links: 
https://neatsy.ai/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/neatsyai

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