Brad Scoble, 39, is from Sydney, Australia. He started his telecommunications business, Ownfone, in 2013. Ownfone is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) launching a unique mobile handset specifically designed for young children and the elderly. they believe in the importance of simplicity and good design, and want to bring some balance back to a world where complex smartphones dominate the market place. Ownfone is being launched today, April 9.
Starting the Business
Q: Where did the idea for your business come from? Where were you in your life and career?
A: My interest in this followed an incident at my niece’s school where an 8 year old with an iPhone took a photo under a toilet door of another student with the aim of embarrassing her.
It was clear that just because children can drive a smartphone, it doesn’t mean this is the best option for them. More particularly, parents needed to have the choice.
I started my first business at 16, selling prawns and mangos to boats on Sydney Harbour in a borrowed dinghy during school holidays. After university I worked in corporate life and resigned in 2012 as General Manager of Credit and Risk at Singtel Optus to bring Ownfone to Australia.
It was never a question of if, but when I would start a business. Since the age of 16 I have always seen it as the ultimate aim.
Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting out?
A: The greatest hurdle in any start up is just that – starting. Leaving a well-paid and secure corporate role, investing your savings in an uncertain venture and surviving with little or no income for months or longer is always the biggest challenge. Fear of failure then becomes a wonderful motivator.
Q: What is the one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started the business?
A: Everything takes longer than you expect! IT builds, contract negotiations, beta testing, all take vastly longer than forecast. You need to be exceedingly patient which is difficult for any start up where the outgoings are significant but you’re some way from launch, let alone at the point of breaking even.
It is also vital to surround yourself with the right skills – lawyer, accountant and IT consultants being key. In a start up you have to move quickly and you can’t wait for days for a query to be answered. Find people who understand the unique demands of a small business.
Q: What would you consider your first big success in the business?
A: Securing agreements to product rights.
Q: What is the toughest thing about getting to the top / staying on top in your industry specifically?
A: I think the key in telecommunications is to keep abreast of the constant technology change. Early in my career I worked for a large insurer where products remained largely unchanged, year after year. Only the brochures changed. Conversely, the pace of change in telecommunications is dramatic, with products hitting the shelves just weeks after being released at a technology fair like CES.
The Future
Q: Where do you see your industry heading in the next 5 years?
A: The big end of town are likely to follow the lead from Optus in paring back their retail and telesales distribution channels to reduce costs. This will allow more aggressive online pricing, which will reduce the ability for smaller players (usually virtual network operators) to differentiate themselves. More than ever they will need to have a unique product offering and avoid the mass market playing field to remain competitive.
Q: What do you plan on doing / changing in order to keep growing in this time period?
A: We have already started working on new markets for Ownfone (domestically and OS) as well as an entirely new product. That said, you have to survive today to prosper tomorrow so our main focus is on the fundamentals of getting it right for our customers right now.
Q: What does ultimate success look like to you? How will you know when you’ve achieved it?
A: Success is in establishing a viable brand/product in the marketplace and leveraging this experience and infrastructure across other niche markets in the same industry.
Q: What do you think will be the biggest challenge facing entrepreneurs in the near future?
A: The biggest challenge is in being sufficiently innovative to remain ahead of the dominant players in the market who can legally or financially run over a start up. Even in a period of rapid growth, focusing on your existing customer base remains the best way to acquire the customer you haven’t met yet. I firmly believe this loyalty to your customers is key to minimizing the impact of the big end of town.
Q: What one piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in your industry and wanting to make it to the top?
A: I would encourage any entrepreneur to become actively involved in the local start up community. Yes it does exist and it’s vastly more vibrant than you might expect.
Starting your own business can be a lonely place in which you question your ability, direction and prospects – and others in your life do too. Involvement in a local start up group provides validation for your approach as well as being a source of angel funding and suitable staff. Oh – and it’s cheaper than therapy!
This is not the first braille phone to the market.
I bought the Cenior phone with Braille for my mother who is blind in one eye and can only see partial in the the other. It also reads the numbers back to you and has a built in magnifier. As well as an SOS button. http://www.yippz.com/icemobile-cenior-black-unlocked-quadband-worldwide-gsm-cell-phone.html
Hi Heather, Hadn’t seen this handset before. You are entirely right, there have been other braille phones made before, however the difference is that OwnFone braille is custom made with 3D printing where every customer can add the names of friends and family to each button.