Matt Reuben is the Founder, CEO and Editor of Gigebyte, a business and technology online magazine that looks to report on the ever-growing digital gig economy. We spoke to him about his business recently at Digital DNA.
Tell us a bit about your business?
Gigebyte is a business and technology online magazine that looks to report on the ever-growing digital gig economy. This is Uber, Deliveroo, Airbnb etc. It looks to provide resources for those working inside the gig economy, those considering joining up and exploring the user experience of the services offered.
When was the company established?
February 2019
What did you do before launching your startup?
I was in London doing a journalism course.
How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I mentioned I was in London to do a course, prior to going, I signed up to be a Deliveroo rider to save up where my bursary would run short. I feared that if I went looking for a job the traditional way involving interviews and all, I would be wasting time so I signed up because I knew I would skip that process. Within four days, I had a phone call letting me know where I should go to pick up my kit!
Who/What inspired you to start your business?
My stubbornness towards doing nothing.
Who is your target market?
Providers and users of the gig economy as well as those that are just generally interested in its potential.
What gap in the market does your business fill?
There have been similar blogs and websites set up that do almost the same thing I do, the only thing is that they are based from predominately a US perspective. They also don’t tend to have a news arm which is what I aim to achieve.
Have you received any funding for your startup?
Not yet. I’m looking towards launching a seed funding round in the next couple of months.
Who are your main competitors and what do you think sets your company apart from them?
The Rideshare Guy and Gig Worker who are based over in the US. They have different capacities in how they write and produce content which I’m thankful for as it means there might be opportunities for us to work together.
What is your vision for the company over the next few years?
I’d like to begin hiring some staff because I’m finding it a bit lonely in my bedroom. I’d also like some office space to get that real work vibe.
What are the main achievements of the company so far?
We’re reaching about 300 visitors per month which is double than it was three months ago and we’ve increased our e-newsletter subscriber database by three times in the past two weeks.
What challenges have you faced both (personally and in business) – how have you overcome these? Sometimes finding myself on my own, lack of finance, finding myself wrong…a lot.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far?
To keep persevering. So many times I’ve found myself thinking, this isn’t working and I should just fold it.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a business?
To do exactly what I mentioned. Persevere but also to figure out what you are most passionate about. Some people want to do a business in a lot of things but haven’t determined where their strengths in order to run with something.