Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in payment services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Geoffrey See, CEO and co-founder of Poko, located in Singapore, Singapore.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We serve web3 game studios, wallets, and exchanges by providing them with local payment options in 120+ countries with 100+ local payment methods. We enable them to check out NFTs or top-up wallets with significantly higher transaction success rates and lower costs.
Tell us about yourself
Since 2013, when I first learned about bitcoin, I have always believed that we can build a better payment system on blockchain rails. I also saw how hard it is to roll out services or games across Latin America and Southeast Asia, where payment systems are fragmented. When web3 games like Axie Infinity took off, we saw how they were able to go to market much faster through using crypto as payment rails and as a community acquisition method and how more accessible payments enabled a common gamer market in these two regions.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We had an incredibly tough year as an industry with FTX, Terra, and other challenges. I am glad we built a team that is still willing to believe in the sector and act with integrity in the interest of our merchants/game studios. We were able to come through all these industry issues without any direct impact and successfully raised funds through a major downturn. We are also glad to earn the support of Y Combinator.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
- Finding and persuading great talent to join the team.
- Finding product market fit.
- Maintaining emotional health and persevering through the ups and downs of building a business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Build a good network with engineers and learn to work with technical talent.
- Test, try, and prepare to pivot.
- Great people willing to risk it building a new business are rare. Cherish those fellow adventurers.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.pokoapp.xyz/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/geoffrey_see
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreysee/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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