Several weeks ago Renata wrote about one Brazilian startup called Audiolab and its founders. Recall what it was about? ?Who doesn?t have that special song that makes you dream? Happy? Hopeful? Sad? We all do. Music can bring the best or the worst of us?it can also make us feel unimaginable things like shop. Yes, shop.?Think about the last time you went to a store. Remember when you were sliding the wheels of the cart through the supermarket and how a soft and friendly music was playing in the background?! That music makes you happy and, almost without noticing it, you find yourself enjoying that experience, spending more time looking at the products and ultimately buying more? (you can read the full article?here). Yes, the music can pursuade you to stay in the shop and part with more cash.?The interest of our readers grew so intense, their questions were so thought-provoking and their wish to see Lucas or Carlos become so obvious that we could not stand still. Please welcome the startuper of the week Lucas Moreira!
What is Audiolab and which service you guys provide?
Audiolab is a sound-branding company that works with musical identity for brands. We provide the right music at the right time and volume to help to increase sales.
How did you come up with this idea?
Since I worked in the retail industry I had a dream of improving the shoppers? experience inside the stores. In the end of 2011 my business partner Carlos Costa came after me to talk about an idea of creating playlists for stores based on products they sell. As I came from this industry I saw an opportunity of creating playlists for brands, not for particular products. We made a 3 months research with store owners and franchising brands to understand what music they played inside the stores. After that research we created Audiolab.
What was your business plan and if any did you follow it?
Actually, we made ourself a BMG Canvas planning, that was the main structure that we followed. Today it?s really hard to rely on perfect business plan for launching your stuff so it?s better to follow a simple PDCA or lean method to get things done and enter the market soon. The thing here is that you have to be able to change as soon as you get a representative feedback.
How did you raise the initial capital for your startup?
Used my personal savings.
Where are you based? Was it hard to set up a business there in terms of legal procedures and time?
We?re based in the city of Florian?polis, South of Brazil. Our country has one of the worst bureaucratic system in the world. Opening a business is not that difficult, however the problem is innovating here, the laws in Brazil don?t follow the speed of innovation, so occasionally you get stuck and have to wait for days, weeks, months and years to do something.
How does your business model work?
We help store owners and brands to sell more through the music. Our job is analyzing, finding and playing the music strategically in order that the client will be taken to spend more. We built our own software to guarantee that the music that we select for specific client is really the one playing in his stores. All the development of this software was made based on several interviews that we made with store owners, basically asking what was their problem with the music inside the building.
What is your market and audience?
Retail brands, stores, restaurants, pubs, spas, beauty centers.
How do you charge your clients??Depending on performance, time spent, etc.?
They?re charged in two ways. First one is by project, when we study the music identity of the client and deliver a report with our musical guide of the place. This is a one time payment made as soon as the report is approved. The second one is a monthly fee that our client pays which supports the maintenance of the software and updates the playlists.
How many people are currently working in Audiolab?
Inside Audiolab is just me and Carlos. To each client me hire a specific creative group based on the client needs. This group includes DJs, retail specialists, psychologists, trending researchers, and more.
Are you looking for partners/investors/employees or someone else at the moment?
We are looking for agencies, brands and business owners interested in our job all over the world. We?re also looking for investors that could help us to prepare Audiolab for an expansion; and looking for other enterprises that do the same in some other places of the world to share experiences and develop new ideas together.
Are you profitable now?
Yes.
Being an entrepreneur ? what does it mean to you?
I think that being an entrepreneur means being free. Sometimes people are confused that freedom is about not having a boss but I think that freedom is related to following your heart. When you understand that you don?t do what you do just because that can make you rich (which certainly helps) but wake up every day with a purpose, knowing that you?ll make this happen!
Who is your favorite entrepreneur?
That?s hard?. I would like to use as a reference a Brazilian entrepreneur commander Rolim Amaro. He passed away in 2001 and was the owner of the flight company TAM during a time when Brazilian government ruled all the flight market with public enterprises. He was a visionary, he is the guy that started putting red carpets in the flights stairs to welcome the passengers. It might look foolish but he was the one that opened my eyes on innovation, I know now that changes are triggered by simple gestures. Sometimes we just see the big picture and forget about the real deal.
What are your favorite business books/podcasts/websites?
There?s a fantastic website in Brazil called Empreendemia, they make articles to help entrepreneurs get things done. I like Techcrunch as well.
What do you think a university student should do to succeed in business/life?
Try, try, try. Don?t be afraid of mistakes. The best lessons of your life will be those huuuuuuuuuuuuuge mistakes that you?ll laugh after some years have passed.
What media do you normally read/watch and why (magazines, channels, etc.)?
Brazilian business magazines, design and architecture blogs, startups online channels and economics news.
What?s your favorite social media and why?
I don?t have a favorite media, but I do have a favorite startup: Dropbox. They support a developing concept that I love: simplicity. Things that just work.
What is the next step for Audiolab?
Bringing more shopping experience of a new kind to our clients throughout our partners.
Source: http://www.in2up.com/startup-of-the-week/lucas-moreira-audiolab-in-the-business-of-sound-branding/
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