Confessions of CEO: What’s my purpose of running a business?
Is it money?
Delivering a product or service?
Building your social position?
Hiring your team and being your own boss?
Generating a company’s revenue can make anyone happy. But I would argue that to stay happy, you need more than that.
And when I think about a business I’m responsible for; I get the greatest satisfaction from choosing and delivering worthy improvements to users worldwide.
In Untitled Kingdom, the decision of whether to start working on a particular project usually boils down to 1 question: does this project bring a real change into users' lives or offer an effective digital transformation to a business?
This approach does more than make me proud. And keeps Untitled Kingdom Team (and me!) motivated to treat each project holistically, cross-functionally, and with devotion. Because we know that our work influences social good, and solves real-life problems of people.
And where did it lead us? Below, I described some of the projects that fill our office with a sense of mission.
VergeSense: AI-based building management
VergeSense Sensor
Have you ever wondered how much money you could save with better utilization of your working place? When Dan Ryan, the CEO of VergeSense, contacted Untitled Kingdom and described his project, we were excited by the potential - using Artificial Intelligence to manage buildings and offices and utilize them more effectively. But then, we got more excited about the project’s mission.
The consistent problem that we observed was that building operators and owners had no data about how their buildings were actually used. At the same time, building management costs were typically the number 2 cost of those companies, right after employees’ salaries, said Dan.
VergeSense is a direct answer to the problem of poorly utilized office spaces. The solution supports redesigning spaces that are underused or simply odd.
Untitled Kingdom partnership results:
The main struggle turned out to be not collecting AI data. It was making use of it and presenting the AI data clearly to the users.
So our Product Development Team designed the perfect UX of the reporting platform and came up with the idea of the “VergeSense Score” (a 10 number on a scale that discerns all nuances of space utilization) + additional suggestions on actions to take up to improve the level of workspace utilization.
And it took just one VergeSense client to know it works. Their workplace welcomed 50% more staff, and it saved the company 400K dollars per year.
Best part? The tests involved only a single floor.
Elvie Trainer: No 1 Pelvic Floor trainer worldwide
Elvie Trainer
Imagine you could develop a solution that helps women train their Kegels after giving birth. Sounds compelling? Now imagine that the same device helps women improve their sexual satisfaction and prevent bladder dysfunction.
In this collaboration, the success was addressing the core problems of the real people.
Tania Boler / CEO of Elvie
“After I had my first baby, I was looking to regain my confidence and strength and was told by my pilates instructor to do pelvic floor exercises. (…) After researching the area, I realized there hadn’t been much technological innovation in pelvic floor health at all. I wanted to change that.”
— said Elvie's CEO, Tania Boler in the interview.
We felt that the project, which helps half of the world’s population care for their health, can’t be ignored. Before launch, Elvie had to improve the connectivity of the IoT device and overall data security. Plus, the iOS and Android apps were to be built from scratch.
Our team rose to the challenge and supported the development of Elvie with 100% engagement. Elvie Trainer was featured in FastCompany, VentureBeat, and TechCrunch. Then, it was endorsed by Imperial College London and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford. And most importantly, it was embraced by thousands of users.
We loved our partnership with Elvie Team and are glad that Untitled Kingdom - Elvie partnership continues with Elvie Pump. We found both devices (and apps) to be one of the most interesting, impactful, and valuable projects we’ve developed.
PEC: Digital Transformation bringing savings to corporate business
PEC Gliwice Heating Plant wanted to reduce its carbon footprint & optimize the workflow of heat meters installers. Needless to say, we were intrigued. The project was a challenge, as we’ve never cooperated with corporate clients before. At the same time, we felt the potential of the project was huge: digital transformation of a business that brings savings, employees’ satisfaction, and positive ecological impact.
After analyzing the core need, we decided to develop an iPad-based solution that would meet the work-specific needs of PEC employees and improve their daily communication and comfort of work. To achieve it, our team constantly kept in touch with PEC heat meter installers and directed the development process according to their feedback.
Also, in the case of PEC, the project brought impactful results: the app sped up the internal communication within the team and enabled the staff to report breakdowns and solve problems online with no delay. Today, the solution saves the company the equivalent of 1 full-time working employee and allows it to give up on paper documentation.
Our mission is to create world-changing products. What’s yours?
The feeling of bringing impactful ideas to life is what drives everyone in the Untitled Kingdom. When we feel our work has a meaning and we’re sure we contribute to social good and a better future, we’re motivated to assist our partners in their impressive startup journey. That’s what makes us excited to go to work every day. And that's why we tend to welcome new challenges.
If your startup’s mission is to bring a tangible change to people it’s addressing, if it improves people’s life comfort, health condition, or safety standards, or brings improvements in any other field, feel free to reach out. It does not have to be a work opportunity. It does not have to be a recommendation or an empty call for "a networking opportunity". It can be just a conversation, a helpful tip or an exchange of insights. As long as it's for a good cause. After all, what makes me happiest running Untitled Kingdom is bringing real-life solutions to others.
Is it the same for you?