Bottom of the Barrel
Sunday Scoop #42 - For when you're scrapping the bottom of the barrel for the last few drops of fuel.
Hey friends,
As you may well know, our baby startup 🚀ASTRA launched last Friday!
(🔌Quick Plug) Since the launch, we’ve been humbled to receive an outstanding amount of support, enthusiasm and belief from the public. Hence, we’ve decided to drop the price by 50% for all AS plans and 30% for certain A2 plans! Check it out below.
Now that the necessary plug is done with, let’s get into this week’s issue.
Through the all-nighters planning ASTRA, the discussions over lunch, the late-night talks; numerous times has a thought crossed through my mind: “What if ASTRA fails?”
While I have a little more experience than my teammates when it comes to managing self-pioneered projects, we were all in the same uncharted territory — charging people for a product we created, placing a value on our brainchild in hopes others value it the same, if not more.
Couple that with the ever-looming shadow of the upcoming A2 examinations, the challenge of launching a pilot startup while simultaneously juggling my academic life was one that seemed inexplicably daunting.
One time, we struggled to find a solution to an efficient login method for ASTRA. Another time, we found ourselves bogged down with work that delayed the launch again, again and again. Then came the pre-launch anxiety, the worry that people would think we were snake oil salesman and that we didn’t actually have a product that we believe could make a difference.
That was the bottom of the barrel, when we were scrapping away the very oak surface for fuel to keep the momentum going.
Planning is the easy part.
When we sit down during dinner and share all our plans for the future, the expansion of the startup, the vision we had. That was when our barrels were brimming with fuel and our enthusiasm burned bright.
But the bottom of the barrel also reminded me of how much I love pioneering projects, how much I love creating a product that stands out, trailblazes and leaves lasting impact on the consumers. And I’m glad my Team and I share the same intensity and passion.
This is what fueled our team to have co-working sessions throughout the night, go for Sahur, and continued working till the sun rose. Everyone. Cross-checking essays, leaving comments, drawing graphs, uploading mind maps, creating dashboard, designing websites - all fueled by a common goal to provide, not a common greed to profit.
One by one, every obstacle that stood in our way, no matter how resilient, fell. And that is how ASTRA manage to launch, despite all the odds.
A slightly abrupt ending, I know. But I leave you with a quote from Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs - one that completely changed my view on entrepreneurship and design,
The older I get, the more I see how much motivations matter.
The Zune was crappy because the people at Microsoft don’t really love music or art the way we do.
We won because we personally love music.
We made the iPod for ourselves, and when you’re doing something for yourself, or your best friend or family, you’re not going to cheese out. If you don’t love something, you’re not going to go the extra mile, work the extra weekend, challenge the status quo as much.
That’s all for this week. Don’t hesitate to give ASTRA a shoutout if you think it’s worth it!
Have a productive week ahead.
Jia Shing.