The Journey So Far.., 2018 in review
This has been a crazy year for crypto, to say the least. Anyone keeping even a lazy eye on the market has had vertigo more than once. And the journey for the team at OuroX was no different.
Committed to keeping the start-up lean, this band of pioneers who’ve accomplished success in previous businesses, went to impressive measures to keep costs low and provide maximum value to investors.
“We knew we needed to get out to conferences and meet the people in the space, but we wanted to do it without spending unnecessarily,” shares OuroX CEO, Maya Parbhoe. “So, we got creative.”
The team identified seven conferences on three continents to attend, or exhibit at, within three months. Sometimes they attended together, sharing accommodations where possible and eating from local vendors instead of any-star restaurants. Other times they split up to cover more ground. You wouldn’t know it to look at their Instagram accounts, but they stayed with friends where possible only spending company money on essentials.
“When we went to Ft. Lauderdale, we got this cute but tiny Airbnb to save money. It looked like it had two bedrooms from the listing. We realized when we got there it only had one, so we had to get fancy with sofas and cushions,” Maya continued. “At night the living room looked like a kids’ fort.”
The team looked for activities that were low-to-no cost but still provided the fintech startup environment and experience that investors and supporters would expect. This ‘limitation’ ended up producing more fun and team-bonding than they imagined.
“Each of us had an idea the others wouldn’t. And after a week of being in such close quarters, people can get testy, but it also makes us closer.” Maya reminisces. “Those are the kind of experiences which end up bonding us as a team.”
But, I should back up.
This team didn’t just assemble overnight. These are, “the smartest minds in their fields that I’ve met,” shares Maya. Some of whom she met as early as kindergarten and continued on together through high school before parting ways to complete their educations.
“Zeenat [William] is amazing at risk management. Nadira [Ramaurtarsing] is really good at marketing. Serge, I knew from Icarus [GeoSystems their previous (and continuing)engineering firm, founded together] and he’s great. Gian is a co-founder, Rajiv does excellent work,” she reflects. “I got a rare chance to build an ideal team, and I did. It’s work. We run into things. But we succeed together.”
All teams run into things. Problems, personalities, you name it.
“There were moments when it looked like this wasn’t going to happen, sure. But, that’s what problem-solving is. That’s what I wake up for every day. I learned in my first business [an import company] that there’s always a solution. I learned in my second business [Icarus GeoSystems] the value of a team. But at the beginning of this, it was just an idea, and we couldn’t immediately tell how good of an idea.”
But, I should back up.
Earlier in 2018, there were two key meetings which anchored OuroX into reality.
The first was with renowned local entrepreneur E. Baldew, Gian’s father. Gian had been trading cryptocurrency enough to have reliable data to share. Serge, Maya, and Gian had developed case studies, pulled market research, budgets and projections, and for Baldew Sr. it suddenly clicked.
“He just happened to be watching a show called BILLIONS on Netflix at the time, and he saw the whole vision,” Maya chuckled to herself. “The show is about a hedge fund manager, and it’s very engaging. Of course, it’s entertainment, but it gives you some of the basics of Wall Street. He saw how the OuroX platform leads to a marketplace, followed by a shipping and logistics system and what that can do for Latin America. He was in. Not just supportive. All the way in. Contracts and everything.”
He saw the potential for reaching the entire population of the region with the latest financial technology virtually overnight. He got behind the project as an official investor. This was essentially the first leg the project had to stand on and gave the team a needed boost toward becoming a reality. The next leg to stand on came soon after.
It was their meeting was with AlphaPoint in New York City that made the project an inevitable future.
“After sitting down with their team and laying out the requirements, we came away from that meeting so confident and positive this was not only the right direction but the right partnership to get it done well,” Maya exclaimed.
OuroX, as a team, has remained dedicated to financial inclusion, changing the way people interact financially, starting with Latin America and the Caribbean, and connecting them to global economies.
From a development lifecycle standpoint, the exchange is built and the blockchain-enabled payment system, OuroPay, is under construction, to be followed by the marketplace, Fuente.
“Our team has worked through the kinks, and we’re ready to roll-out. We’ve got beta users on the platform now. It’s just a matter of time.” says Maya. “We’re applying for a broker/dealer license for the region as well.”
It’s been a busy and exciting year for the team at OuroX. While a few target dates have shifted the overall project deadlines remain and the team is anticipating another productive year in 2019. Thanks for following, clapping, and sharing. You are appreciated!
Visit the current open raise at StartEngine.
PS. Events attended/exhibited at, in 2018.
- Consensus New York (attended)
- Blockchain Shift Miami (exhibitor)
- StartEngine Los Angeles (attended)
- Blockchain Summit LatAm Colombia (attended)
- Crypto Invest Summit Los Angeles (exhibitor)
- FinTech Festival Singapore (exhibitor)
- Blockshow Asia Singapore (exhibitor)
We’re putting our list for 2019 together now, hint hint.
;)
