Initial Startups: Behind the Scenes - Flocations

When we travel, of course, we want to look for the best price package possible. With the various websites for air tickets, accommodations, what kind of activities you can do over there and we have more than perhaps 10 tabs opened.   

Can it be simpler? 

Yes! That is why Flocations is born!

Flocations is a one-stop place where by you can search for packages for different destination! With the filter at the side, you can just check what is your requirements and voila!  

It was great to have a short interview session with the Founder and a Pioneer Employee from Flocations to understand their ‘Behind the Scenes’!

Interview Dialogue with Flocations Co-Founder, Mr Florian Cornu and Pioneer Employee, Ms Katarina Juréen.

Interview Dialogue with Mr Florian Cornu…

1) What went through your initial thought process on forming your initial core team? How did you go about attracting your core team member? If there were challenges faced, please elaborate.

Flocations started in a Startup Weekend which dramatically kick-started the creation of the core team. Following my pitch of this idea of a map of flights available from an airport, several people gathered and we worked on it for the weekend. By Sunday evening we had a working prototype mapping Tiger Airways flights from Singapore. The audience said 'wow', even though the judges did not name us winner. However, we're the only team which stuck together, and we continued working evenings and weekends on the project. Hence, the process of creating the team was really about getting people who would get things done right away and get along well.

2) What were your initial plans for these pioneer employees when they first joined you? How is the execution differ from you initial plans, and in what ways?

For the 4 founders that we are, the roles are really set over time based on the evolving needs of the business. Different aspects of the product development, business development, investor relations and administrative needs have changed along our pivots, partnerships and fund raising. Even now, I expect that any employee who will join us will have the opportunity to do more than just the initially planned missions as the business continues to expand.

We also like to give everyone the opportunity to voice their ideas and to execute on those they believe the most in and which can bring value to the business.

3) What will you advise to budding founders if they are looking to form/hire their initial core team? 

The only way to know what someone can really do, is to have them actually do it. Therefore, I suggest anyone to start working on projects with new people. Once you feel comfortable with someone, it will be time to start a serious project together. For us, Startup Weekend worked perfectly because it had us working together like crazy for 54h in order to build our first prototype.

And next we move on to the Pioneer Employee of Flocations, Ms Katarina Juréen.

1)     What make you choose to intern in a Startup when there are intern opportunities in Banks, MNCs, etc?

I came to Singapore as part of my studies to experience working for a small company while studying entrepreneurship and business development. I had a choice between working for a small firm or Flocations. The atmosphere, the people and the idea of joining a team in the beginning of their journey rather than an established one, were all reasons that initially tempted me to join Flocatons.

 I have always had a feeling that I would appreciate the small team and office environment more than the big organization. At my previous internship I worked for one of Swedens largest energy companies. Despite having an inspiring mentor and interesting tasks I sensed that within that big and conservative organization my team had to struggle in order to change and improve things. What I like about Flocations is the fast pace and the lean process. I love being in a creative environment where I feel I can make a difference.

2)When you initially join Flocations as an intern, what are the kind of initial challenges faced?

Coming from the theoretical environment at the university I have worked with a wide range of different projects developing new products and services as well as business plans, however I have never before been challenged in actually pursuing with an idea. Twisting you brain bringing ideas into reality has been and still is the most exiting challenge. You need to step up, even when it is not your field of expertise. What brings these guys together and what pushes them forward is their team spirit. They talk to each other. Even if people in the end do what they are good at, I find the final result always influenced by all of them. The flexible team and tasks challenge me to suggest what I can do for them and also what I want to do. I appreciate that they really take their roles as my mentors seriously and are willing to give their time to teach me new software, work methods, management programs and entrepreneurial tricks.

3)Has your role differ from when you first join? If yes, please elaborate. 

I would say it differs in that sense that I get involved in more areas of the business. I gain more knowledge in different fields and I am encouraged to share my thoughts. For instance one of my first tasks was to handle ad words campaigns and soon I will be more involved in social media marketing. Two very different perspectives of marketing. It is super cool how they constantly pay much interest in my learning curve and make sure that I gain experience from different core elements of their business that eventually comes together. It makes it easier for me to grasp the company’s core values, aims, pivots and challenges that lie ahead.

4)Challenges are inevitable in a startup environment. Prior to join Flocations, are you ready for these challenges? Or did you know what you might have to face? 

What is interesting is that once I joined the startup environment some of my anxiety for that tough, challenging atmosphere settled. I was stunned by the way they preformed at such a quick pace. I am impressed but most importantly inspired by their passion and strong ability to not always foresee but face everyday obstacles with a positive attitude and an open mind. 

With that, we round up our 5^th interview! If you want to know more about Flocations, click on this link --> More About Flocations

Startup Jobs Asia’s next interview will be revealed next weekend! Stay tuned!

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