Employees spend 12 hours per week searching for information because they lack skills
Guest: Aleksandra Maravic, co-founder & CEO of Beyond the Box, a subscription based skills platform for enterprises based in Italy. Her vision is to eliminate the skills mismatch by 2030.
Frank Albert Coates
Could you tell me more about the company and where you're at?
Aleksandra Maravic
Although companies do invest in training, employees still lack specific skills to carry out their daily activities. So we found out that 80% of them get stuck at least four times per week, and they Google everything, they spend 12 hours per week googling things and searching for information.
…employees still lack specific skills to carry out their daily activities….80% of them get stuck at least four times per week, and … they spend 12 hours per week googling things and searching for information.
That's why we created Beyond the box. It's a subscription based skills platform for enterprises. We harness the power of artificial intelligence to match the professionals, at request of employees, with the right experts and connect them over one to one video calls of 20 or 40 minutes. They can get support for the daily challenges and they learn through interaction. So it's really every day on the job support. Now, we are generating the first revenues. We are on the market since last year and we have about 2500 experts in the platform. And now we are fundraising 1 million euro to invest in indirect sales distribution channel, new team members and of course technology as we are a young startup.
Frank Albert Coates
Wow, exciting times. And first revenues, which is obviously a big milestone. And I have one question in terms of the model. Talking to other founders, they often say Okay, shall we go down the B2C route or the B2B route? And here you chose the B2B route. Do you want to say a bit more about why?
Aleksandra Maravic
I think it's mainly because of my background, I always worked in companies as a business development manager. And I always felt I had a lack of skills. My manager was giving me new challenges, new tasks, the company was small, we were like 15-20 employees and no one was helping me. So I wanted to make a change. Build something that was really useful for companies and for people working in the companies. If people learn and grow, the company can grow. So that is the main reason.
If people learn and grow, the company can grow.
Frank Albert Coates
And another question around that. So it's essentially a marketplace you built where you bring together these experts with companies and individuals. And we've had a few other marketplace founders on the podcast. Any thing that you can share around marketplaces in particular, and how you were able to build that up from the start?
Aleksandra Maravic
It's not easy, because you have kind of double side customers. So you have experts on one side, and the other side, you have the companies. We are working a lot with attracting people that share our values and vision. So it's not just a way to be paid for your skills, for your competencies, but it's really embracing a new way of working. My suggestion is really to attract the people that you want to work with you even if they're just customers, but having the same values that you have.
…attract the people that you want to work with you even if they're just customers…
Frank Albert Coates
You came to market in the middle of COVID. Did you see a change from when you tested out the platform to today based on what's happening in the workplace now?
Aleksandra Maravic
Well, now, companies are more open to embracing an online platform. It was harder before, so COVID and the pandemic forced us to change our mindset. So on one hand it is very positive. On the other, I think now we are growing. But, I feel people need real connection in real life. So now that we are going back to events, you know, physical events, I see that they appreciate a lot being in touch with people again now.
…people need real connection in real life… they appreciate a lot being in touch with people again now.
It opened the door. It fastened the development of a EdTech startups, but we still have a long road to go.
COVID and the pandemic forced us to change our mindset… It fastened the development of a EdTech startups, but we still have a long road to go.
Frank Albert Coates
Let's take a step back and talk about how come you ended up in EdTech and started up the company. Do you want to tell a bit more on stepping out of corporate life and doing a startup?
Aleksandra Maravic
Well, I founded Beyond the box three years ago, and I had actually no idea that EdTech existed. I just wanted people to be able to share their skills on one side and on the other that companies get access to those skills. And everything became clear last year when we applied to this acceleration program in Italy, FuturED, sponsored by H-farm. They are focused on EdTech. I didn't know that initially, I just read the description. And I said, okay, this is me, I should apply to that. And then I finally found out what EdTech is and started to learn about that and read magazines and articles. And it was a wow moment for me, an Epiphany, because it really felt like we finally found our hope. It was really a super powerful moment. Because every word we were using now had a meaning not just for us, but for everyone. It felt great to find EdTech. And the more we are into that, the more we see amazing startups building something great for the future. I really think this is a beautiful place to be.
Frank Albert Coates
And do you think you would have started up or been able to do what you do without the accelerator?
Aleksandra Maravic
It would be much harder. It always helps to be surrounded by people that are in this vertical or with mentors that can help you see things from a different point of view.
It always helps to be surrounded by people that are in this vertical or with mentors that can help you see things from a different point of view.
When we are working in our startup, we are always head down and doing operations every day and sometimes it's good to lift your head and see what's happening around and share thoughts and moments and listen to what the market is saying. And this was possible only because of the accelerator program.
…it's good to lift your head and see what's happening around and share thoughts and moments and listen to what the market is saying. And this was possible only because of the accelerator program.
We made a promise that we will never close ourselves in the office. From now on, we will always go out meet new people and share our experience with other startups because this really gives us value.
Frank Albert Coates
And if we talk a bit about how you see the company, what's your secret source or edge? And what will make you succeed?
Aleksandra Maravic
That's a good one. Well, I think there are mainly two things. One, it's the passion. You really need to love what you're doing. It seems obvious, but you need to have a bigger why. Yeah, this is super important. Otherwise, the bad moments will make you frustrated. And the other one is perseverance because you know Rome wasn't built in a day so it really takes time to build a company. Sometimes we compare our day 1 with day 100 of someone else. Having your own startup is like running a marathon; it really takes time and perseverance because you need to build that growth mindset.
Frank Albert Coates
Is there a specific challenge that you have been able to overcome, thanks to maybe your passion, and that you were able to solve?
Aleksandra Maravic
I think it's the emotional shock I'm facing every day. At the beginning it was really, really hard with those ups and downs. Because when you're talking about problems you face during your startup journey, like go to market, customers, investors, timesheets, I'm prepared. I mean, I just sit there with my co founder, and we focus, we look for solutions. And if the problem is like a huge problem, we just split it into smaller ones, and solve them one by one. But , it's very difficult and it's very different when it's about the mindset. If you're a founder and the CEO, you actually feel lonely without actually being alone.
If you're a founder and the CEO, you actually feel lonely without actually being alone.
And I've learned that nothing lasts forever. So, when I have those bad moments, I actually embrace them. I maybe have a bath, a good glass of wine, I cry probably for a few hours. But, then the day after I start again, because you know, there is always a solution to everything, you just need to feel your emotions and embrace them.
Frank Albert Coates
Thank you for sharing that. And actually, that leads me on to another question. When you looked at the needs in the companies, you picked the area of expertise; to be able to help people with their expertise when they have a problem. Did you also think about coaching which is a separate area?
Aleksandra Maravic
We do have some psychologist as well in the platform for the employees, of course, because you have to also handle the stress. And we also have a set of soft skills, because sometimes you need to know how to give feedback to a colleague, or how to make a critique to a colleague. So there are some techniques that can actually help you to do that in a better way. So we of course, help also in this way.
Frank Albert Coates
So very complete from mentoring to coaching and with the psychological, let's say safety in there as well. And if you look forwards in the next 6 to 12 months, what's keeping you up at night?
Aleksandra Maravic
I would say the team. So having the right people is really crucial for us. And 40% of my time is dedicated to choose, retain and motivate talents for our startup.
40% of my time is dedicated to choose, retain and motivate talents for our startup.
We have four generations in our company starting from generation Z, millennials and generation X. And they are motivated by different things. And we need to really take care of all of them. If you have the right people, you can really face all the other challenges that are coming in the next months.
Frank Albert Coates
And any tips on how to manage such a diverse workforce?
Aleksandra Maravic
Well, they are motivated by again, different things. So the younger ones want to talk a lot about their personal life, and they need to have a sort of gamification at work. So being always challenged by new things. While let's say the older generation, they are more motivated by money; a career, bonus at the end of the year. So you choose a different approach. And you just succeed with that. They don't want to share personal things. But, they prefer to build their career and maybe earn a little bit more.
Frank Albert Coates
And if you look more broadly at everything you've experienced, since you created the startup, is there one piece of advice that you would give to other founders?
Aleksandra Maravic
I would say, build a product that people love. Because if you have a great go to market, but customers don't like your product, it will be a long and hard ride. And it can be really frustrating. But, if you create something that people really love, even if you're have a very small customer base, once you have a bad moment, you just turn around, see your customers, talk to them and you will remember why you did this and how people is happy by using your product. And you can always fix the go to market strategy with test, failures, experience. But, if you build a good product, it means that you're really obsessed by their problem, and you can make a difference. So yes, focusing a lot on building something people love.
…build a product that people love. Because if you have a great go to market, but customers don't like your product, it will be a long and hard ride. …you can always fix the go to market strategy with test, failures, experience. But, if you build a good product, it means that you're really obsessed by their problem, and you can make a difference.
Frank Albert Coates
What do you do to make sure that you build something that people love?
Aleksandra Maravic
I talk to them every single day. We all talk to our customers, randomly, also the developers, the marketing. We do the customer service every one of us because you really have to understand the issues and the good parts of our product. Because you have to listen to people, that's the only way to build something they like. So I'm forcing everyone from the team to do that every week.
…you have to listen to people, that's the only way to build something they like. So I'm forcing everyone from the team to do that every week.
