Startup Spotlight - MyFlag

The RookieOven Startup Spotlight highlights a member of the Scottish tech startup community, looking at who they are, what they do and where they do it. Scotland is home to some incredible startup talent, and here at RookieOven we want to shout about them from the rooftops. This time, the spotlight falls on RookieOven tenant Haseeb, co-founder of MyFlag, his third startup - if you include two toddlers.

Tell us a bit about MyFlag and what you do...

I was formerly involved in the music events industry. Did everything from running events, Dj’in to Audio Equipment Hire. My business partner and friend introduced me to his father, who invented the LED manipulation technology we use in MyFlag. This led me down the rabbit hole of electronics and product development. Not having any formal education in engineering, my role was customer and sales focused.

However, that changed, when we lost Sandeep’s father to a heart attack 5 years ago. He was our mentor and technical expert, so this meant we had to widen our skill set in order to keep the company going.

We developed a miniature LED display for shop front businesses to use for targeting passing trade. Once we got it to prototype stage and tested it on the market, we realised it would need much more money to get it to market. So we decided to shelf the idea and create something more primitive with the tech that would be cheaper to develop, manufacture and sell.

Enter Myflag, a new concept that is unlike anything else on the market today. We put it into development over 2 years ago, and it went live as of April this year. It gives users a brand new way to interact with the event they are visiting - be it music or sports. The device is 104 Full colour LED display that fits into the palm of your hand. You can change, animate and boost the display to engage with event activity.

What was the inspiration behind MyFlag?

The inspiration behind the idea was seeing people using lighters, cameras and phones as part of a crowd illumination ritual. We wanted to take that to the next level with a dedicated device that can offer greater impact, colour and light up for the entire length of an event.

Did you always see yourself running your own company?

I’ve been self employed for the last 10 years, and ever since I learned to DJ I knew I wanted to spend my time doing something I love - no matter the cost. I did always fancy myself as a bit of a creative and innovator, music gave me an outlet to express that before, now I do it through product development.

What are the biggest challenges you face having your own business?

The biggest challenges of having your own business is keeping your family and friends on side with your vision. Most people will not understand the time it takes to make a start up successful, the daily challenges you encounter and the likelihood of things going wrong. There is a mindset all entrepreneurs need to adopt, especially when your carving a path into unknown territory - the only way I can describe it is idealist optimism with unrelenting determination to overcome. Being able to look at 6 failures and still remember you have only increased your chances of a success.

If you could tell your past self one thing, what would it be?

If I could tell my past self one thing, it would be that real world practice is a far superior teacher than theory. If you want to learn anything, get stuck in, don’t be afraid of failure, invest the time and be patient.

What’s your favourite thing about working in Rookie Oven?

My favourite thing about working in RookieOven is the environment, the beautiful space and people that understand the struggles of start ups.

Do you have one piece of advice you’d give to people looking to make the jump to self-employed?

The reason I personally wasn’t afraid of making the jump to self employment all those years ago; my favourite job I ever did was delivering pizza on a scooter. For me, even today, that is the fall back that I could happily do and be content. So why wouldn’t I risk it all to explore the bigger ideas today?