This week, the spotlight shifts to AIRO, where Ryan Chin is the product developer. AIRO is a project focusing on the usage of UVC lamps as a disinfectant.
5 months into the VB18 venture-building programme, Ryan shares with us key learning points from his journey thus far.
Ryan recollects the hurdles faced in the past project (Enso) he was involved in.
I was originally from Enso , the facial sheet mask project under NTUitive’s Venture Builder programme. We started from an idea of ‘ let’s sell facial sheets ‘. The past 3 months were jammed packed, intense and rabak.
While the supply chain for Enso was ready, the project encountered financial constraints. The team was also unable to find a differentiating factor that would set Enso apart from the other players in the market.
From sourcing industry leaders, advisors, suppliers, manufacturers. The supply chain was ready. But our bank accounts just weren’t. We were under-funded, and just didnt have enough credit to go through the entirety of the project. We couldn’t find an innovation thats different and special enough to set us apart from the other ‘big boys’ ( or should i say, girls — as a female dominated market, and we’re just guy founders ).
After much consideration with their mentor, Ann Chai, the team decided to shelve the project.
Too many variables, too many unanswered question on a product that needs to be funded to manage. The only way to test any innovation with our research is to get initial funding to kickstart the product development. But in order to get funding, we need to prove that we have an innovation. Just a really tough question revolving around the chicken or the egg. I had to manage everything from supply chain, down to network, to product development, to market. Through much thorough discussion with my mentor, Ann Chai, we decided to shelf the project aside.
Ryan, who has a Degree in Industrial and Product Design, was then tasked to pivot to another project — to take on the role of product developer of AIRO. Leveraging the training received during his time in university, he found the task to be a lot easier, as product development is something he is good at.
My skills as a product, graphic and experience designers were not wasted though. I was put in a project under Boon Chao and Yee Loon. A new project focusing on the usage of UVC lamps as a disinfectant. My only job there was a focused product development role. Something that I was trained in at college. Something that I am good at.
AIRO V1
In addition, the AIRO product already has a very strong differentiating factor, and was thus considered to be innovative. This also helped bring down many barriers that were present when Ryan was working on Enso.
This took a totally different turn. I had entered the project when a seed has been planted — the technical specifications of the product had been established. I was there to produce and redesign it to something desirable for the market.
The meetings with Yee Loon and Boon Chao was packed full of innovation. We could literally scale the UVC concept to the household, to the sea, to the air. The world was our oyster.
Ryan reflects that the Venture Builder programme is a tough journey. One is thrown into the deep end — with mentors and projects from different industries that one might not be familiar with. They hit roadblocks and would feel helpless when things do not go according to plan; but they must remember that when one door closes, another opens.
Ryan’s full account of his journey can be found here.
That’s all for now. Next week, we will be hearing from another Venture Builder. Till then, stay safe!
