Paul Hodson, Cambridge Incubator Ecosystem Manager, speaks to Richard Hobson, a member of Cambridge Eagle Lab about his business, Herdsy and his plans for the future.
What have been your biggest challenges to get where you are today?
Our biggest challenges have been to keep hitting milestones and keep the company going even through setbacks and challenges, especially since we haven't raised any money yet and it has all come from bootstrapping by the founders. I think staying focused and sticking to your guns is vital, especially when the world is telling you that you're wrong. On a Friday after a hard week and having very little money in the bank to show for it sometimes you wonder, why am I doing this, Why don't I get a real job? Being an innovator can sometimes be a lonely place to find yourself. The Challenge is not how many punches you give but how many you can take and still get back up, metal resilience is key for an entrepreneur.
How has Eagle Labs supported you and your business?
Eagle labs have been an incredible base for us, through eagle labs network we have been able to meet other great and likeminded people, plus the staff are super friendly and nothing is ever too much trouble. The great thing about the lab is how freewheeling it is, you never know what is going to happen or who you will meet next. Being at Eagle Labs really put us on the map as a company and I don't think we would have been nominated as a Finalist for Cambridge Agtech Company of the Year had we not been in the labs. The Sweedish Philosopher Christian Morgenstern said "Home is not where you live but where you are understood" and this Eagle Labs for us.
What does the future hold for Herdsy – what are your plans and your next big challenge?
At Herdsy we have goals & a strategy to become the biggest firm in Beef Tech. We would want to create a global company that is regarded as one of the most profitable, most innovative and most respected companies in our industry. Our next big challenge is to raise enough funds to fund our expansion, we have proven our technology and proven that sales aren't an issue for us. So our next big challenge is to find visionary investors that will help us expand into Europe & North America. If you know any let us know, :)
As an Entrepreneur what tips do you have for founders starting out on their journey?
Wow, hard question, I think for me I would advise people not to beat up on themselves too much, as there are tonnes of people out there that are going to do that for you for free. One word I heard a lot from people was "That's Impossible" even from so-called experts and I knew they were wrong. So do your research before you start on the journey, so much that in fact you can go toe to toe with any "Expert" because most likely there will come a time when you will have to and you will need that sector knowledge, once you have that and you still think your right, stick to your guns because that way you'll always be outnumbered but never outgunned.
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