Joel Nkounkou of ecoText
Tell us about ecoText
ecoText is startup company delivering digital textbooks to collegiate students at a semester subscription that will be embedded within the tuition costs. We are to the textbook industry as Spotify is to the music industry while providing economical, educational and environmental value to student’s universities and publishers.
Who or what was your best resource for starting your company?
Our team and technological product is our best resource for our company. We are a mix of recent graduates and finishing scholars that have unlimited energy to provide an economical effect for our peers nationwide who are hungry to obtain their education without developing financial doom.
What was your biggest obstacle in starting your company and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest obstacles the company has faced is truly understanding our business proposition value and becoming okay with altering that vision based on the needs and reactions from the market. The team went through several rounds of customer discovery phases before preparing for beta launches. The ecoText team participated in the NSF I-Corps 2018 Spring Cohort, conducted student surveys, reviewed book store statistics, held professor engagement sessions, and had calls with experienced industry professionals.
What’s the best advice you have received?
The best advice I have received is to that all business is simply emotional. Meaning, do not feel intimidated by big business or think that an entrepreneurial proposal is too big to be accomplished. At the end of the day, the businesses and organizations we wish to partner with are represented by a person or people. At the end of the day, the key to confirming these relationships is by providing compelling stories and visions.
What about the NH lifestyle appeals to you?
The NH lifestyle appeals to me because of the strong individuals & their personalities, and my belief in the increased technological growth that can occur in the state. NH is also responsive to change and embraces ideas that not only empower customers but whole communities.
What does the future look like for your company?
ecoText will be hustling all spring and summer connecting with community colleges in the Granite State and will be launching beta sessions for the Fall ’19 semester. We hope to initiate our seed funding additionally this summer and continue to grow as we make our name known in New England.