Disrupting the conference calling space
Are you tired of confusing conference numbers and long access codes every time you need to be on a conference call? Today’s featured member, Speek, is here to help! Speek is a DC-based startup that let’s users use a personal link instead of a phone number and PIN for conference calls. Enter your number and Speek will call and connect you to the conference line. It's that easy!
Speek is a free web/mobile application that connects users quickly and easily to one unified “hub” with one simple click. No download required! Use a personal link (speek.com/YourName) instead of a phone number and PIN for conference calls.
Speek makes it easy for users to focus on priorities during the work day rather than remembering what their PIN is. Learn more about how Speek can simplify your work life from Danny Boice, Co-Founder & CTO.
What inspired you to start your company?
We were unhappy with the conference call experience and thought it was time for a change!
Tell us something unique about you and your co-founder(s):
John Bracken Co-Founded E-vite, Danny Boice bootstrapped his first company by responding to mail-in credit card offers, (it exited via acquisition 4 years later).
What problem does your product or service solve?
The traditional conference call experience stinks. You have to dial a phone number plus a 6 digit code and often additional numbers to join, there is bad hold music, you never know who's on the line or who's talking, and you can't join a call from the road. It's ready for a change!
What are your startup's three biggest challenges to groth?
1. Not letting the time it takes to raise money detracts from the time it takes to build a business
2. The "business of being in business" (administrative stuff, etc.)
3. Finding right level of talent for specific roles. Example - we have been looking for a growth/ user acquisition star since day 1 and still haven't hired.
How has the Startup America Partnership helped you overcome these challenges to growth?
We have found that having access to really smart and engaged mentors is key to a startups success. The events, workshops, mentoring offerings by Startup America are huge for us.
What Startup America Member Benefits have you used?
- Learning series and learning library
- Deals! Lots and lots of discounts from Startup America partners/sponsors
Why should startups join Startup America?
One of the keys to success when starting and building a company is putting your ego aside and surrounding yourself with the brightest minds. If you are ever the smartest guy/girl in the room then something is wrong. Startup America provides access to some really intelligent and accomplished experts that will help you solve problems.
What is the startup culture like in your City/State?
We are in the Washington, DC area. The few startups here are fairly tight-knit. There are a handful of really smart people doing very interesting things but there needs to be more. Access to seed stage investment with terms and speed closer to more mature markets like West Coast, NYC and Boston would help a lot.
What else should we highlight about your startup?
- We are the first company in AOL's "Fishbowl Labs" incubator in their Dulles campus and just moved in to AOL Dulles last week.
- We are part of 500 Startups out of Mountain View, Ca and they led our seed round of funding.
- Recent regulatory changes by the FCC surrounding the Universal Service Fund and "Traffic Pumping" practices have impacted the way our competitors, like FreeConference.com, make money. This benefits us as we do not rely on these techniques in any way.
Learn more and connect with Speek here:
Speek.com | facebook.com/Speek | @speekapp
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