This consumer intelligence company manages >USD 1,500,000 worth of aggregated data and counting

1. In one line, what do you do and what is your most significant achievement?

I have turned a fledgling idea into a full on venture with legs that is slowly starting to move by itself with monthly revenue growth and a strong team to support its growth.

2. Who are you and what business did you start?

I am Daryl, and I am leading business operations at Paladium Technologies where I manage an amazing regional team. My time in the startup space over the last 5 years on both the buy and sell side allowed me to discover that innovations are still needed in this high tech environment to disrupt the status quo.

I then saw an informational gap from my time in the space and co-founded Paladium Technologies, a venture that is on a mission to create a world of business intelligence in a socially responsible manner without infringing on the consumers' privacy. We've built a unique B2C informational engine to deliver critical and affordable information to any B2C business to supercharge their growth and understanding of their market competitors like never before. Previously, this was a valuable resource only afforded to the Titans of the B2C industry who have millions to spend, but now, accessible to SMEs alike.

Paladium's Proprietary Consumer Data enables Consumer Retail Businesses big and small to build powerful market intelligence beyond the capabilities any consulting or research firms can provide. This information allows our business partners to drive higher conversions and revenue, all without worrying about breaching Personal Data and Privacy Laws wherever they are.

3. What's your backstory?

I began my journey in the founder-sphere in 2018 by starting a food-tech venture in Singapore and attempted to take it across SEA. Throughout my time as an operator, I've witnessed and experienced an asymmetry of information between consumer businesses and set my sights on fulfilling this informational gap.

Upon returning to Singapore, I began an exploration of the data space and found a gap that could be fulfilled. Then the Covid-19 pandemic came, and it was a time when many businesses made pivots to survive. While the rise of the digital age has been mounting similar pressures for more than a decade, the pandemic has significantly exacerbated and accelerated its disruptive force. It was indeed a tide changer as many businesses simply cannot operate as they have in the past.

This is where Paladium Technologies fills the gap. Our goal is to provide the most updated affordable consumer intelligence that was usually only available to MNCs. With this intelligences, SME businesses can finally compete in a smarter way using data that creates new revenue opportunities that never existed before.

4. What should be the first steps to take to enter your industry?

From my experience, it is extremely important to understand current data privacy concerns and understanding how to deliver value from data in the field of consumer analytics. Our team at Paladium has set up a system that works around the clock to ensure consumer data is processed in a way that safeguards the Privacy of the consumer.

On a more general note, I also believe that aligned team culture and business goals helps. Running a business is a team effort regardless of company size. As workplaces continue to evolve, it's important to pick the right software and tools to empower your entire organization.

Fun Fact about Paladium We believe that remote work is the future, borderless and inclusive, hence all of our team members are digital working nomads that work remotely from home or places around the world.

5. How did you spend your First 100 Days of launching your business?

The project was in ideation in 2020 with a huge help from the Mentor for Hope program where we kept iterating with feedback from corporate professionals and professional investors in the space. The first 100 days comprised of conducting market research, studying consumer purchasing patterns, checking out competitors, and leveraging free tools available on the internet. We went to market with 70 consumers and tested their user behaviour by tracking purchasing habits and metrics. We then had to figure out solutions to manage consumer data properly and efficiently with rudimentary tools. We also seek to utilize the obtained data to form sample analytics to build a Proof of Concept to better understand the market needs.

6. Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain partnerships/customers?

For starters, our team embraced the fast-moving tech ecosystem and constantly work to improve the unique selling points of our product, Savee. We structured Savee in such a way that comes from the core bread and butter of what most city dwellers in expensive cities want, to save money wherever we can and savee is the go to for any types of purchases.

7. What has taken you from 0 to 100?

To be honest, it's never actually any one specific event thus far, but a series of continuous and relentless reiterations to build an adaptable business plan that comprises multiple revenue channels that got us here. Going through the process, coupled with a motivated team with strong culture, allowed us to more than doubled our user base within 2 weeks and allow us to quadruple revenue by the next quarter. It was inspiring and humbling to know that people loved the idea of what we are doing and we will keep our heads down to continue delivering to every user who believes in us.

8. What is one underrated thing in your industry that business owners should start doing/using?

Learn about how you can tap on your own existing data to derive more value to build your edge, because if you aren't, I can guarantee your competitor is starting or already doing it.

9. What was one failure you had to go through that others in your industry should look out for?

Being un-adaptable in the way you utilise data. We were stuck in the realm of just utilising data in one or two ways when we started but the beauty of data is that it can be utilised in countless of different ways, and the goal is to always think outside the box instead of becoming siloed by viewing data in only 1 or 2 dimensions when the data can actually give you many alternate dimensional understanding if you exercise creativity.

10. What platform/tools do you use for your business?

When it comes to running a business, having the right tools and software for the job can make a big difference. However, choosing the right one is no small feat. Through years of experience, I have realized that there are many useful softwares in the market that helps productivity which are free.

As a startup, we always strive to only use free resources & tools available on the internet when we can. While we have since evolved into our own in-house setup for the tech side of things, we still use free Productivity tools such as Trello that will have an invaluable impact on the business's overall performance because it powers momentum and conquers individual procrastination. Other free softwares tools we also use are like Google Workspace, Mailchimp,7u and Trello for our daily business operations.

Free is always the way to go!

11. How are you doing today and what does the future look like?

At Paladium today, we believe that businesses can gain long-term advantages by understanding such shifts and the opportunities they present. Competitive advantages shift dynamically as business models adapt to new market realities, and our operations team is tasked to identify more market opportunities for continuous business growth.

We are in a really exciting stage right now where we are growing both in terms of users, awareness and revenue.

The future of data privacy and analytics has only just begun, and we aim to cement ourselves as the go to for consumer intelligence. I can't wait to welcome more talented individuals to join our diverse team.