Tell us about your business: What do you do? What did inspire you to start?
MASSOLIT makes video lectures for schools – with a focus on the arts and literature, history and philosophy.
What is innovative about what you do?
Firstly, we’re really focused on schools, whereas other sites tend to be focused on individual learners, who tend to be a little older. Secondly, whereas most online education sites are great for people who want to learn something about business, technology, maths or science, we thought there was a shortage of really great material on literature and the arts, so we decided to focus on that.
What were the biggest obstacles launching the start-up and how did you overcome them?
The key difficulty was getting the first schools involved. Most schools are pretty careful as to what they put in front of their kids and were uneasy about trying out an unknown product. So we got in touch with a few teachers we knew and asked them to try the product and tell us what they thought. Once we had the first few schools on board, other schools were much more comfortable trying it for themselves.
What would you say has been your most memorable experience while developing your startup?
I think the first time we actually went to film an academic was when it first felt ‘real’. It was funny because we asked for a quiet room for filming and the place he had booked overlooked South Kensington tube station, so we had trains coming and going every 2-3 minutes. It was a bit of a nightmare really, but I suppose these things are going to happen.
Why did you choose Shoreditch to launch your start-up?
It just so happened that my friend had a spare room near Columbia Road and I thought ‘Why not?’ It’s a great area and close to a number of exactly the kind of schools we want to be using MASSOLIT.
Who/what are your favorite CEOs/Businesses in Shoreditch?
I know Ian and Michelle at Songkick pretty well. They are both really, really nice people, so it’s good to see how well they’re doing.
What are your favorite places in Shoreditch?
For a fantastic breakfast, you can’t beat the Premises on Hackney Road. For pizza, I’m a big fan of the Globe at the top end of Columbia Road, and for a beer, I like the Reliance on Old Street.
What does the future has in store for your company?
Our focus at the moment is trying to get in as many schools as possible, and that’s what we’ll be focusing on from September onwards.
Social links:
Twitter: @themassolit
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/massolit
Website/Blog: www.massolit.co.uk
