Fixzy, a handyman mobile app, is one of startup pioneers who won several international awards such as CBC Copenhagen 2018 of Denmark, ASEAN Rice Bowl Startup Awards 2019 of Best Life Helper category in Malaysia and ASEAN ICT Award 2019 in Vietnam.
It has been now going to the fifth year of Fixzy, Rachwut Pichayapant, Founder of Fixzy Co., Ltd. talked at Startup Thailand League EP2.
Rachwut turned his life as a salary man to a software house. In 2014, the trend of startup began in Thailand, and he by chance faced a pain point of seeking for a plumber,
and was denied several times so he decided to bring the capital he made from software house to run a business with another two friends with an initial fund of 1 million baht. The money ran out within six months as things had not been as planned, and there was unexpected cost.
“We mistakenly foresaw customer demand, we thought that they could not find a technician, but they actually want a quality technician,” he said.
Fixzy then responded the pain points of customers based on criminal records, customer rating and review in order to filter for the quality technicians on the platform. Meanwhile, it has adjusted a business model to fit for the local context.
Fixzy also provides a system that customers can choose technician and price as they want, at commission fee of 5-30% and compensate the low commission fee with other income sources such as sponsorship and training because a high commission fee charge is a burden of technicians and customers.
Rachwut viewed that startups must believe and have faith in their products and services, business models and teams, and importantly, they have to prove that belief and survey the demand of target groups based on sincerity and the non-salable questionnaires, but problem-telling, market trial and interview which should be conducted in the parks, not in the restaurant, department store or sky train where the respondents are in hurry.
He also transformed from a silent programmer with no confidence in his English language, but the pitching in abroad required an explicit explanation in business understanding and that forced him to work hard practice speaking and have more confidence.
In his over 30s and not fluent English speaking, Rachwut found that one is capable to learn and be successful if he dares to and not resistant, and if has expertise and dares to be different, the success will become sooner.
Successful founders of foreign startups at early stage mostly are at 35 years old and investors seeking for a talent and strong team because 70% of startups could not grow due to disunity of team members.
Fixzy spent eight months creating a new prototype after a true pain point was found at the seventh month and received a capital of 5 million baht from angle investor and corporate VC.
At its 20th months of founding and participated many contests, but Fixzy has never won a big award. It found that the solution to tackle pain point was not right, and finally it found that partnership and ecosystem including construction materials and property are matters.
Rachwut said contests is a proof of “belief” and taking the committee’s feedback for improvement and it opens opportunity for startups to have more business partners and investors.
“Don’t think that missing any award is a failure, but the committee’s feedback can inspire you to prove what you believe.”
Fixzy could seal the deal on one day at the first Startup Thailand event participated by more than 400 booths of startups and over 10,000 visitors.
The company was severely affected by Covid-19 with income decreased by 3-4 times and it might be discouraged and almost close the business, but with a trust from partners and customers, Fixzy spent a few weeks adjusting its business model “finding a new problem of the crisis for creating opportunity”.
The company will make its platform more intelligent such as maximize the route allocation so that technicians can work more jobs each day, have the technicians do report for customers. Fixzy will become an “e-marketplace” for houses.
