Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dariia Hordiiuk, Co-Founder & CTO at AiSport, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.
What’s your business, and who are your customers?
We are building a real-time AI fitness coach that can be accessed anywhere via phone, laptop, smart TV, etc. AiSport provides an AI coach for clients, such as clubs and enterprises. The AI Coach provides real-time recommendations on workout techniques, tracks equipment motion and offers post-training analytics. Our software can help anyone avoid injuries, increase the effectiveness of their workout, and save money on personal fitness coaching.
Tell us about yourself
I have more than 8 years of experience in Machine Learning and Software Development, and I am passionate about sports. This combination led me to embark on a founding journey with Anna Stepura, where we decided to start a company together. I am passionate about technology, business, and tackling complex tasks.
How did you come with the idea?
I am a sporty person, but with the beginning of COVID-19, like many others, I was out of options and had to stay home. I started doing crossfit at home, but I hated keeping track of the repetitions (50-100 times, etc.). I also lacked guidance for some exercises, since I’m not a fitness coach.
Being a ML Engineer, I immediately started thinking about how to optimize this and I started to explore the potential applications of computer vision to help with this task. Later on, I met Anna, a professional fitness coach who shared a similar idea, but with a coach’s perspective. This led us to join forces and found AiSport.
How did you approach the problem?
We approached the problem from two different angles: the coach’s perspective and the tech/client’s perspective. From the coach’s point of view, we observed the lack of opportunity to provide feedback to multiple people at once and low workout effectiveness due to the absence of real-time feedback. From the tech and client perspective, we observed the low quality of online training experiences and limited opportunities to improve them, which led to high injury rates among clients.
What motivates you?
I would say Passion and Discipline. Being a founder is extremely hard, but nothing happens without consistent hard work. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, meaning that you have to maintain stability and keep your motivation high. It’s almost impossible to do this without being passionate about what you’re doing. That’s why the recipe for success is simple: find what you really love doing and make a living out of it. Success is the accumulation of many small wins – you just need to keep moving forward every single day.
What are the top tips you’d give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Choose your idea wisely. When you’re selecting ideas to work on, you have to be ready to spend at least 3 to 5 years working on them.
- Build a strong team. Finding co-founders or teammates is crucial, because working with the right people is your key to success.
- Fail fast. Validate your ideas early and don’t fall into the loophole of developing more and more features before you get your first customers.
- Manage your time wisely. Time is the most valuable asset in human life. Why? Because you can’t get it back. That’s why it’s extremely important to plan exactly how you’re going to spend it.
- Become a good leader. Building a successful company depends on your ability to lead the people around you. The right leadership and management can make the team extremely efficient.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.ai-prosport.com/
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