Startup of the Day - Redbeacon

The BizSpark startup of the day is Redbeacon, based in the US. You will find below an interview with Ethan Anderson, Co-founder of Redbeacon. All the best to them and congrats for being the startup of the day!

Website: www.redbeacon.com.

Interview with Ethan Anderson, Co-founder of Redbeacon

Tell us who you are and your role in the company.

Cofounder. I work on business strategy, sales, and marketing at Redbeacon.

What did you do before creating your company?

Prior to Redbeacon, I was a Product Manager at Google where I was responsible for launching and managing the Google Video product outside the United States prior to the YouTube acquisition. I also was Google's first Product Manager for the fast growing Southeast Asian emerging markets, and a Product Manager on Google Image Search, the top image search product in the world. Before joining Google, I worked in a number of internet strategy and marketing roles at The Clorox Company, Buy.com, and McKinsey & Company. I graduated with Honors from Harvard Business School and Magna *** Laude from Duke University, where I earned a BA in Economics and Public Policy Studies.

How do you feel being the most promising ‘Startup of the Day’ per Microsoft BizSpark?

It’s a great honor to be selected. We know there are many innovative BizSpark startups with great potential and promise, and we’re excited to be recognized as one of them.

What is your company’s mission?

To connect consumers with the best local service providers to meet their needs.

Tell us about your funding history. Are you currently looking for funding? If so, how much?

We have self-funded through the initial product development phase. Now that we’ve launched, we will likely seek external investment to support our growth and scaling.

How many employees do you have? How many developers?

We have 3 full-time cofounders, and 6 contractors working on design, engineering, and sales. Plus, we always have 1 or 2 intern working on various projects.

Are you hiring? If yes, what are you hiring and where?

We are hiring telephone sales people at our office in San Mateo, CA to support our outreach efforts.

Where do you see opportunities today in the Software/internet area?

We believe there are tremendous opportunities in the local arena, both helping consumers find and transact with local businesses, and helping local businesses reach their target customers and serve them better.

What do you think about the BizSpark Program?

It’s been fantastic. It’s a tremendous resource for startups, both in terms of the exposure, advice, and software it provides, as well as its financial support for the startup ecosystem, such as the TechCrunch50 program.

Do you have any advice for young Software entrepreneurs?

The great thing about starting a business today is the incredible wealth of information and advice out there. Immerse yourself into the community by subscribing to blogs relevant to your field, attending meetups and conferences, and just getting to know the people in your community. More than ever, software startups cannot operate in a vacuum, and the more you get out there, the more you’ll be able to tap into the people who will give you the financial, technical, and sales assistance you need to grow.

Who’s your role model?

I don’t know if we would call them role models, but we spend a lot of time looking at the path Mark Zuckerberg took at Facebook, Chad and Steve took at YouTube, and Larry and Sergey took at Google. These are all startups that did a lot of things right and offer great case studies in areas from hiring to culture to fundraising.

What’s the ONE THING you would like readers to take away from this interview

Make sure you do the things early on that will position you for breakout success. You can’t do it alone, so surround yourself with good people, whether they’re your employees, advisors, investors, partners, or contacts you meet in the community. Whatever you do, don’t just lock yourself in a room and build a product for 2 years!