Boaz Ashkenazy, Founder and CEO of Simply Augmented

What were you doing before you ventured out?

Before I quit my job, I was a founding partner of a company called Studio216. Studio216 is an immersive technology agency based in Seattle. They create architectural visualizations and XR related content/experiences for mid-market and enterprise businesses. I started the company in 2005 with two close friends and we ran the business together for over a decade.

When did you realize you wanted to venture out?

In early 2017, I started to have ideas about how mobile computing was going to change. Apple was making some noise about augmented reality and announced ARKit to the public after the global success of Pokemon Go in the AppStore. I was determined to refocus the existing business, take advantage of mobileAR and the changes that I predicted would be happening in the e-commerce space. I presented a business plan to my partners and they weren’t in alignment.

What initial hesitations did you have about quitting your job and how did you overcome them?

Initially, I was worried about the financial consequences of leaving a businesses that was doing well and providing an income for me and my family. I was also unsure about my ability to raise money. My first business was bootstrapped and I had no experience fundraising. Once I left my day job and started reaching out to potential investors there were a couple thoughts that helped me through the process.

First, I convinced myself that success was a game of numbers. I took as many meetings as I could, understanding that it was going to take a lot of people telling me ‘No’ to get to ‘Yes’. Focusing on the numbers game helped me take the rejection less personally.

Secondly, I celebrated the small wins. Even small amounts of investor and customer interest are worthy of celebration. The singles add up to big wins. The home runs are great, but far and few between. Celebrating the singles kept my momentum up and after two months of being in business I had closed my seed round of financing.

Can you remember the day you put in your notice? What was it like, what was going through your mind, how did your manager take it?

The day I put in my notice in I was nervous. I had to tell my partners about my decision and I knew there were going to be legal repercussions that would follow. They were disappointed, but we were able to get through the details that led to my transition out of the company.

What are you doing now?

Currently, I am the CEO of a company called Simply Augmented. Simply Augmented is a Seattle startup that helps businesses, that manufacture physical products, take advantage of 3D and AR to market and sell more effectively. We raised our seed round in 2018, have acquired our first paying customers and are in the process of preparing for our next round of financing.

Looking back on your experience of founding a company, what do you know now that you wish you knew before? Are you happy with your decision?

Looking back on the decision to leave my old company, I am ultimately happy with the decision. I have learned so much in the last 16 months about myself and about being the leader of a team. One thing I wish that I had done more of in the early days was reach out to more potential customers and actively listening to their problems. We often have ideas of things we think will work, but they are not based on real customer problems that we are trying to solve. I would have saved a lot of time and money if I listened more closely to customers before building product.

Any other advice you can share for others contemplating a similar path?

The last 16 months have been energizing, stressful, challenging and interesting. The path forward is not without obstacles, and the road is long. Be prepared for a fight, but if you treat each day as a journey and celebrate the wins, each small step will add up to big accomplishments.

Learn more about Simply Augmented

Learn more about Boaz Ashkenazy