CTO interview: Daniel Daoura, from a corporate job to serial entrepreneur
This time, we’re interviewing Daniel Daoura, who took the everyday problem of “where did I leave my keys?” and created a solution! The creator behind multiple products, including EZGO, Plugies, and — most recently — Pebblebee, Daniel holds multiple technology patents. We talk to Daniel about how he got his start with technology and business, what it takes to be an entrepreneur, and the challenges of creating technology to solve mundane problems.
You are a serial entrepreneur, who started creating companies after more than 10 years at Boeing. How did that happen?
That’s a good question. I’ve always been intrigued with technology and how it can add value to our everyday world. At Boeing, I worked with military communication systems, solving large problems that would ultimately save lives. People around the world depended on the work we were doing. It was an environment of high stakes and high risks.
I grew up in Lebanon, a beautiful country full of life and good food, while experiencing the effects of war, and I learned to always plan for the unexpected. Taking calculated risks was normal for me. I thrived while reacting swiftly to changing situations.
In 1999, I moved to the United States from Lebanon. I attended the University of Washington for electrical engineering and then earned my MBA from Seattle University. I had the tools but not the experience, so I started a career at Boeing, where I worked on projects that lead to the creation of various patents. Today, I have more than 20 years of experience with communication systems and tracking.
In 2011, I got into a comical situation with one of my good friends and colleagues, Nick Pearson-Franks, when I was late to work and couldn’t find my keys. He looked at me and said he couldn’t find his remote control. That was where the idea for Pebblebee started. We looked at each other and began to wonder how we could bring our tracking knowledge to the consumer space.
In 2012, we created the first Pebblebee product; the Honey, for friends and family that saved them time and gave peace of mind. In 2013, we decided to run a crowd funded campaign. That year, we had nearly a million dollars in sales. Boeing was fully aware of my side-hustle, but I decided to quit and follow my passion.
My advice for people who are serious about following their passion is that you need to find what truly hits a heartstring for you. For me, it is seeing the smiles on other people’s faces when they talk about our product and how it has helped them improve their lives. Every time I go to a store, and I see someone using a Pebblebee device, it is the best feeling ever. I quiz them about the product, and it gives such a good feeling knowing that it has added value to their lives.
We’ve built this company from scratch, just by believing in ourselves.
What about your other companies Plugies and EZGO?
Plugies and EZGO were also side-hustle projects. The EZGO wallet is a lightweight, water-resistant wallet. While doing EZGO wallet I started Plugies[KM1] , a patented magnetic quick-connect cable solution for phones and laptops, and then Pebblebee in parallel.
These companies taught me about manufacturing in China. It shifted my mindset from consumer to business and that was when I started asking questions like “how is it made?” and “who designed it?” We established a strong connections in China and this helped me to start producing electronics in another country.
Can you tell me more about what Pebblebee is?
Pebblebee is an industry-leading app and family of tracking products providing a simple, effective solution to one of life’s biggest challenges: keeping tracks of everything important to you.
We started off with Bluetooth devices to find keys, backpacks, and other items, before we moved to cellular GPS. We just recently launched two products that work with both Apple® Find My and Android. Our Pebblebee Card has been reported in Macworld as Editor’s Choice with a 5 Star rating as an excellent product. One of the things that sets us apart from our competitors is that all our products are rechargeable.
The journey was not that simple. It is a difficult problem to solve and a complex product to create. People don’t want to regularly recharge it, change it, or even use it. It must be very small and most of all, it must work well when they need it. We’ve solved these problems. The solution: Pebblebee’s Clip or Pebblebee’s Card.
Are Apple AirTags a competitor for you?
We are in the same market as AirTags, but one of the things that separates use from other tracking devices is that our products are compatible with Apple and Android operating systems and our products are rechargeable. We have worked with Apple’s Find My team to allow Pebblebee products to be easily viewed on our app or with the Apple Find My application. We cater to people who want their device to be rechargeable, with a built-in clip, or a slim profile to place in a wallet.
What are some of the complexities encountered building a hardware product working seamlessly with a software?
We have two different technologies: Bluetooth and cellular with GPS. With both Bluetooth and cellular, the biggest hurdle is power management and size. It’s difficult to find a balance between having the smallest device, the longest battery, and nice-looking high quality metal materials. To bring these requirements in harmony, you must innovate in many areas: the antennas, the PBCA (Print Circuit Board Assembly), choosing good components, software and connection-less innovations, and manage the supply-chain chip shortages.
When it comes to cellular, it is even more difficult because not only do you have the same concerns as with Bluetooth technology, you also have to figure out LTE connectivity, which is where Soracom comes in. We can leverage the tools they have created over Amazon Web Services that allow us to utilize their technology so we can scale without having the anticipated burden and expense.
At the same time, once this high-quality product is built, you have to support this product. As part of doing that, we had to build a subscription platform from scratch. It includes payment methods as well as a technology platform with a mobile app. Then, there is also the cloud and customer support. Users purchase the product, and everything works seamlessly, but sometimes they have questions about modifying their subscription, cancelling, or moving to another country — many aspects you may not think about when you’re building a subscription platform.
Does it work with an eSim?
It could, but we opted to go with the NanoSim at the time. Going forward, we are thinking about moving to eSim. With the new cellular chips that we are using, we may explore moving to eSim, as we could have different profiles and less expensive options.
As a startup, budgets and staffing are probably critical for Pebblebee. How have you managed those?
In terms of innovation for technology, we’ve done exceptionally well on a shoe-string budget. We’ve had to become very efficient.
Pebblebee isn’t just a business. It’s people. It’s a community. It’s our employees. It’s family. We empower our team members to lead their own paths. We provide the tools and flexibility to encourage them to succeed. We have created a culture where trust is of highest importance. We trust in each other, and we motivate through genuine empathy. My goal is to add value in this world, whether that’s through helping members succeed through their careers or building a community that innovates and creates solutions to solve everyday problems. Either way, Pebblebee is nothing without the company of our team members. That is our number one priority.
We also value our customers and support them by always delivering best in class user experience. Nick and I started Pebblebee to solve a decades old problem, preventing you from losing stuff. That dream has been realized and we continue to deliver on that promise.
For anyone in a cushy career in a big company, what is your best advice for making the jump to starting their own business?
I think really the biggest advice is that you have to believe in yourself. If you believe in yourself, you’ll be motivated to make your idea and business work. There is no risk in believing in yourself. I like to think that the worst-case scenario is losing your job and failing at your new idea, but you’ll learn from that failure, forge ahead and apply your learnings.
If you don’t take the jump, you’ll always wonder, “What if I had made the jump 20 years ago?”
A bit of warning: entrepreneurship is not for everyone. It’s a difficult task, working constantly, talking to your pillow in bed, asking “How will I make the next pay check for my employees or myself?” It is a daunting task, but with the right mindset, it can work. If you have the mindset, try it. Fear of not making money will lead to what-ifs and regrets later.
How do you explain your entrepreneurship experience?
It’s been eight years of building a strong professional network with my partners at Pebblebee, I’ve learned so much from having an idea, to turning it to reality, with a team. It’s a complex system, and I’m so humbled to have been fortunate to partake in the success of Pebblebee. It took strength, desire to learn, time to apply and reflect, to embrace growth and accept change, and eventually to let go and trust.
I learned to empathize and appreciate while applying compassion and passion into our daily work ethic. It’s been eight years that feels like a lifetime, so much more than I can express in words. There were so many challenges that I had to overcome. There were some battles I lost, but in doing so I have been able to learn to forge ahead and continue to apply my learnings. This would not have been possible without the support of so many, especially my wife Angela, who continues to be my pillar of strength.
If you want to connect with Daniel, click here.
To learn more about Pebblebee, visit their website: pebblebee.com
If you’re a techie working on something exciting or you simply want to have a chat, get in touch with me. I’m currently CTO at Kolleno.com
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