Circles.Life and its plans on dominating the telco market

 

In this day and age, where the world is connected through digital services with millennials being constantly glued to their phones, it can be a disaster to suffer from bad reception or slow customer service.

It seems that Singapore-based telco company Circles.Life has figured out just how to take telecommunications to the next level by introducing a handful of new features, along with an OS (operating system) for telcos.

This has not just allowed consumers to gain flexibility and control but has also managed to cut operational costs by a whopping amount of 95 per cent. 

“The actual problems of standing in queues or your bill being wrong, those real problems cannot be solved just by cutting the price,” says Gupta.

In this interview with e27, Gupta discusses the local telecom industry, competition, price wars, Circle.Life’s diversification plans and expansion strategies.

Circles Life is growing so fast. But as a co-founder, what is the one thing that drives you and gets you going?

A.G: I would say that the biggest thing is the global potential of what we are trying to do.

What we have done in Singapore is to give power back to consumers, which manifests itself when you look at the net promoter scores towards customer satisfaction between us and the rest of the telcos.

We are trying to solve a global problem that needs to be addressed in not just Singapore, but around the world. 

People always say that we have millions of subscribers, but I reply saying that the path from there is to get to a billion subscribers one day. 

There’s a long way ahead, but that is what gets us most excited. 

Circles.Life has not just been growing, but also expanding at a substantial rate. Besides Taiwan and Australia, what are some other expansion plans for the company in the Asia Pacific -or even beyond?

A.G: If you look in the next two-to-three-year horizon, we are looking to expand to pretty much every country that you can think of in Asia. 

So that will be every country … in Asia because we believe that customers in the immediate vicinity of Singapore should all get these digital services. 

What we have planned outside of Taiwan and Australia is to hit up Indonesia, which is a market where we would be launching this year. Most probably in the last quarter of this year. 

We have a few conversations going around, and at the right stage, we will be very happy to share.

Speaking of which, what are some strategies that you will be using to gain success in these new markets that you have been entering so rapidly?

A.G: While we are expanding, we are not expanding fast, if I may be frank. The reason is that we believe expanding indiscriminately is not the answer. 

It has to be very strategic and has to be thought through because it is an essential service. It is like banking.

You know telcos are an essential service.

You really cannot get that flow wrong, and you do not want to trouble customers because we are all about giving power back to the customers. 

So in that sense, I do not think two countries are too much if you’re looking at startups who are looking at fifteen countries in six months.

We are not those types.

In terms of strategy, the biggest thing that helps us is that we built the world’s first operating system for telcos. 

This is an essential point because just as we have an operating system for computers like Windows and operating system for phones like Android and iOS. 

There has never been an operating system for telcos, and that is just what we have created. 

Just having that operating system that allows us to go from country A to B to C without having to flex our technological muscles every time, to do things that have been done before. 

We can launch in a much shorter time. We can use the same power that we have provided to customers here to customers elsewhere very, very quickly. That I would say is the core of our strategy. 

I notice that there have been added features in your app, such as booking movies and checking showtimes. Is it safe to say that Circles.Life is aiming to become a super app, similar to Grab?

A.G: I would say being a super app … is not the centre point of our strategy. 

The most important thing is innovation. That may –or may not– mean that we are trying to be a super app.

We are launching many services, but those services are trying to address the same kind of pain points that customers had for telcos. 

For example, in the case of booking a movie, the process is painful. For a user to see the booking platform, the movie playing, how many tickets are there etc is painful, it’s a different issue that a lot of people don’t watch movies in theatres these days. 

So we want to change that and make it easy for people to go through the whole process.

You could say that we are going off to many services and that they are essentially divided between two or three major angles. 

One of them would be financial services, another one is around entertainment and its discovery, and the third one would be around travel. 

So there are specific things that you want to expand on.

A.G: That’s right, and there are things that people just like about us. 

There is a polling game where people gets to decide which question goes to everybody. For example, is there anything tastier than Hainanese chicken rice?

It’s a fun thing, you know. 

One of the things that intrigue me about Circles.Life is its bold marketing campaigns, which includes the vandalism of SG mobile and S$20 unlimited data. That was very bold.  In your earlier years, have there been experiences where you did something bold and unexpected? 

A.G:  I think I have been adventurous in my life. I have tried different things. 

When I came to Singapore with the choice between joining an English school and a Chinese choice, I picked the Chinese one despite being from a Non-Chinese background. So I went to Hwa Chong, a Chinese Junior College. 

Most people told me that I had gone crazy and that I was not going to survive. But I think I had a blast and a really good time.

Apart from that, I have also tried learning eight different languages and failed five times.

Failing five times sounds like the life of an entrepreneur. Apart from that, there has always been growing tension in Singapore markets with the entry of numerous telco operators. While Circles.Life has remained undeterred, managing to secure five per cent of the market share. However, do you see price drops as a threat to the telco industry?

A.G: Firstly, we are of the view that customers like a better experience. The segment that we are after is solidly behind services that priorities better quality over just price cuts. 

And we believe, in the long run, that it is the answer. 

The actual problem for standing in long queues or your bill being charged wrongly … those real problems cannot be solved by just cutting the price. 

Companies can keep cutting prices for telco services but only to a certain limit because beyond that they will not be comfortable. It will not have any return on the capital. 

So we expect this to end at some point. 

And up until now, we are unfazed by this because customers come to us despite the fact that our pricing is not the cheapest.

We pride ourselves in great services, and that is what we will continue to do.

What about countries such as Singapore, where things are moving relatively fast, and customer service is not a major factor in the success of a service?

A.G: I would say it is big enough that while we have not been the cheapest for the longest time, we continue to be the fastest-growing. 

We are not for every segment. Like, young students who are trying to save every dollar that they can. We might not even be for retirees. 

However, we are great for people who are working or are digitally savvy, who want to solve a telco-related issue with a click of a button, instead of “click 1 for this and click 2 for that.

People love the ease of the process, therefore we have not faced that challenge yet.

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Image Credit: Circles.Life

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Burnout is a silent startup killer

Don’t let the ping-pong table fool you, startup life is a full-time, often over-time job. Founders typically go 24/7, team members wear many hats, and even the intern needs an intern to help him out.

Many startup journeys are fuelled by purpose and passion. It’s good to love your job, just don’t marry it.

Team players, for all their admirable selflessness, may justify the early symptoms of burnout with a delusional brand of self-motivation.

Losing your motivation? Wake up, honeymoon’s over.

Taking your work home again? Now that’s dedication.

Always tired and stressed? What you need is a coffee.

Slipping performance at work? Work harder.

A growing dependency on alcohol, smoking or junk food? Hey, whatever’s your fuel.

Now your relationships are falling apart? They don’t understand your work.

Always feeling frustrated, negative and depressed? What you need is a coffee!

Acknowledging the toll your job is inflicting on your mental and emotional well-being is the key to averting burnout

This may be harder for those who pride themselves as team players. They can take on stress with the flawed resolve of a heavyweight boxer who doesn’t know when to throw the towel, even when he’s taking a complete beatdown.

To these team-first individuals, admitting to burning out not only shows they’re weak, it shows they are the weak link.

Timely intervention is critical to divert a collision course with burnout. The team-player in you may resist the idea of slowing down or taking a timeout, but burning out doesn’t have to mean copping out. Here are seven guilt-free strategies to manage burnout.

Also read: 6 ways to identify burnout before it seriously impacts your business

1. Tune out

The “always-on” startup mindset can prevent you from resting and recharging. Start by unplugging from the ecosystem during rest time. Remove yourself electronically from emails and instant messages. Detach yourself mentally from thoughts of deadlines.

If it’s unrealistic to disconnect for the evening or over the weekend, allocate specific check-in times that allow you to respond to emails and messages. This allows you to be fully present in your non-work life while being available on your terms.

You could let other team members know your tune-out times, and encourage them to set up theirs too. Everyone will appreciate this.

2. Block out

When we’re disorganised, we’re not only less productive, we’re also more stressed by the chaos around us. We worry more about our uncompleted tasks and feel the anxiety of not being in control of our situation.

Distractions like social media and personal instant messages steal our precious focus at work. Block out distractions while at work, or schedule specific times to check in on them. You’ll be more focused and productive, and your team will appreciate the difference.

3. Sieve out

We feel overwhelmed when we try to do too much with too little. Filter out the unnecessary and give your time and energy to the truly important.

Do you need to reply to every group chat just to “be heard”? Should you be at every meeting, including the one to select the wackiest photos from the Christmas party? Instead of trying to be omnipresent, choose to be fully present and engaged on the things that truly add value to your team and organisation.

Also read: How to embrace mental wellness in startup culture

4. Chill out

This one sounds simple: Work on having a life outside of work.

Get back to spending time on your favourite hobbies. They take your mind off work stress while refreshing and energising it. Your passions remind you of who you are and can help restore balance.

Invite your colleagues to a weekend barbecue. Set up Wednesday yoga classes or Friday night bowling. These are some great ways to calm frayed nerves and connect as a team outside the office.

5. Step out

The office is the physical epicentre of work stress. Whenever possible, step outside without compromising your productivity.

Forget the takeaway sandwich at the desk. Make lunch time a designated timeout by exploring new places to grab a bite with co-workers. Have the less formal meetings at a nearby café. Take your laptop to the open breakout area.

Arrange to work from home on certain days. Be there for your team without being there.

6. Cut out and Work out

Like your mind, your body takes a beating from burnout. Listen to what it’s trying to tell you, from headaches to numbing sensations. Loading up on junk food and caffeine puts more stress on your beleaguered body and can only exacerbate the burnout.

Exercise can do wonders to help the brain manage stress. Hit a nearby gym during lunchtime. Organise evening team runs with your co-workers. Get your body moving and your mind moves better, too!

7. Speak out

Before you’re completely burnt out, talk to someone — don’t suffer in silence.

Speak with your partners or other stakeholders about your unsustainable work situation. This is not a sign of weakness but a show of accountability. Clearly express what you need in terms of resources and ask for the necessary support to achieve your targets.

This is also the time to count on your support network of family and friends. Talk to them and lean on them. If you need professional help, it’s always better to seek out an executive coach or mentor before a meltdown.

The takeaway

Burnout is a silent startup-killer. Losing your motivation, self-confidence  or personal well-being— all important assets  in your startup journey— can deal a severe blow to team success. True team players understand this and take responsible steps to fight burnout before it hits.

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This article was first published on e27, on September 13, 2018.

e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

Photo by Stefano Zocca on Unsplash

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In today’s fast-paced world, do corporations have sufficient time to make a digital transformation?

The post Businesses are learning to code without coding appeared first on e27.

Solutions to data privacy are not going to be easy since how flawed current anonymisation practices are.

A paper published last month raises deep concerns about the way that user data is currently anonymised, and suggests that no complex dataset can be successfully anonymised using standard techniques.

The research has some pretty terrifying consequences.

It suggests that the data held by hospitals, credit agencies, and tech firms can never be protected sufficiently.

Even new technologies like AI and Blockchain rely on effective anonymisation in order to be secure, and this supposed anonymity is one of the factors driving Blockchain adoption in Asia.

Also Read: Implications and solutions for Big Data in insurance

Anonymity and identification

Anonymised datasets are supposed to allow researchers to work with data without being able to uniquely identify individuals.

A hospital, for instance, might remove names and dates of birth from patient data, and then release this to health researchers. 

The problem is that if this data contains enough data points, it can be reverse-engineered in order to identify individuals.

A number of high-profile examples of this have occurred in the past few years. 

In 2008, for instance, a publicly available Netflix dataset of film ratings was de-anonymized by comparing the ratings with public scores on the IMDb film website in 2014.

The home addresses of New York taxi drivers were revealed in a similar way, and in Australia, even health records were identified by comparing basic facts about patients. 

The recent research was carried out by Belgium’s Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) and Imperial College London and aims to work out how many data sets like this can be re-identified.

Their conclusions are striking: a dataset that contains 15 demographic attributes, for instance, “would render 99.98 per cent of people in Massachusetts unique”. 

The problem gets even worse when the set of data is smaller. 

If town-level location data is included, for instance, “it would not take much to reidentify people living in Harwich Port, Massachusetts, a city of fewer than 2,000 inhabitants”.

Also Read: What you need to know about data privacy in China

The scale of the problem

These might seem like abstract concerns, but they are not.

The problem is that plenty of companies release ‘anonymous’ data sets as a core part of their business.

In many cases, in fact, selling this data provides the core income for these companies, and the larger the amount of data on each individual, the more the data sells for.

This gives companies an incentive to release huge, detailed data sets that can easily be de-anonymised.

The researchers of the recent report highlight a few examples of this.

They draw particular attention, for instance, to one set of data sold to the computer software firm Alteryx, which contained 248 attributes per household for 120 million Americans.

The concerns raised by this research will affect companies and consumers differently.

Many companies work with a ‘anonymise, release, and forget’ attitude. The research suggests that this practice might have to change because it proves that supposedly secure data sets are anything but.

It also raises a question about whether anonymisation is enough for companies to comply with relevant legislation like the GDPR. 

For consumers, this research merely confirms a long-term concern about how private data is used by companies.

In many cases, users have given their permission for their data to be released by accident, because the relevant clause is hidden so deep in terms of use policy that it is not read by the average user. 

Even where users do not give explicit permission, plenty of companies release supposedly anonymous data by accident.

Gary Stevens, CISO at the community research group, HostingCanada, org, is one of a growing number of voices that have repeatedly raised concerns about the logging policies of supposedly secure VPN and email providers.

Stevens points out that even VPNs can leak data – and they often do – meaning that privacy applications which are supposed to protect us actually do the opposite. 

The solutions

Novel solutions to the problems raised by the research are in development, and several large companies have already taken measures to reduce the risk of re-identification.

Differential privacy is one such approach and is used by companies such as Apple and Uber.

Both of these companies release data sets from time to time, and these sets contain huge numbers of data points for each (anonymous) individual.

To avoid the risk of re-identification, though, differential privacy deliberately makes each data point ‘fuzzy’: each point is expressed as a range rather than a definite number.

These ranges are calculated in such a way that they average out over the whole data set, defeating attempts to uniquely identify each user.

Another approach is homomorphic encryption, which allows data to remain encrypted but still is manipulated by researchers. In the near future, it is also likely that AIs will provide a more exotic solution to the problem.

AI’s can be trained to work with large data sets, and then produce anonymous data that is statistically identical but contains different values. 

Protect yourself

Users, however, are unlikely to wait for these technologies to be implemented.

In fact, data from recent years suggests that users are more concerned than ever about their online privacy, and are increasingly turning to privacy tools to protect themselves against data leaks.

Whilst these tools might provide an extra level of defence against accidental releases of information, they do not protect consumers against the kind of releases covered in recent research.

Also Read: What role does big data play in the insurance industry?

In these cases, users had (knowingly or not) given consent for ‘anonymous’ data to be released. They – and the companies who released this information – were simply unaware that it could be re-identified.

Solutions to this issue are not going to be easy but rely on increased consciousness, both among users and tech companies themselves, about just how flawed current anonymisation practices are. 

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The pace is changing in the marketplace, so entrepreneurs have to improve their ability to deal with change

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers.

Maybe it’s time to look harder at the mantra of a new breed of gurus and successful entrepreneurs, including Steve Blank and Eric Ries, called “nail it then scale it” (NISI).

You can review all the specifics of this approach in the classic book by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom, appropriately titled “Nail It Then Scale It: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation,” but I will net it out here.

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups:

Also Read: How to work with the right technology to tackle organisation problems for your business

• Nail the pain. Great companies begin with a customer problem that has a significant and monetizable pain point. Avoid the three big mistakes. Guessing but not testing the problem on customers, selecting a low customer problem, or selecting a problem only a small number of customers are willing to pay).
• Nail the solution. Neither breakthrough technology nor maximum features will assure that “if we build it, they will come.” NISI recommends starting with the minimum focused set of features and technology that will drive a customer purchase. Success demands to test the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right.
• Nail the go-to-market strategy. In parallel with nailing the solution, you need an in-depth understanding of your target customer’s buying process, the job they are trying to get done, the market infrastructure, and a stable of serious pilot customers. Do real tests with real pricing to see if customers will pay you, without being pushed.
• Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect. Don’t forget a viable financial model of costs, margins, customer acquisition, and break-even.
• Scale it. Don’t attempt to scale it until you have a proven, repeatable business model that predictably generates revenue. Only then is it time to focus on the get-big-fast strategy, and the transformation of three critical areas from startup to a managed growth company. These areas include market, process, and team transitions.

These pragmatics and points of focus can effectively counter three core myths which trap too many enterprising and capable entrepreneurs today:

• Hero myth: Why believing in your product leads to failure. All too often, founders fall in love with their products or technology, ignore negative feedback from customers, and spend years building a product based on a vision that no one else shares.
• Process myth: Why building a product leads to failure. Conventional wisdom is that after a great idea, the next steps are raising some money, build a product, then sell the product. This doesn’t work when attacking unknown problems with untested solutions.
• Money myth: Why having too much money leads to failure. The old saying that “it takes money to make money” isn’t so simple. Money allows entrepreneurs to execute a flawed business plan far too long, rather than stay focused on the market and adapt.

At the heart of it, to be a successful entrepreneur, you have to be customer-centric, and learn to change and adapt as fast as the market.

Also Read: 7 strategies for beating startup burnout

At the same time, more entrepreneurs are jumping into the fray, and less money is available from investors.

It’s time for a new startup model. In my view, savvy “super angel” investors such as Mike Maples, Jr., and leading incubators such as Y Combinator, are already on this one.

How far behind is your startup?

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