Interviews
Names: Sean Judge, B.B.S. (2011) and Orla McCallion, Psychology & Social Sciences & Philosophy (2012)
About: Founders of UniTuition - an online grinds service designed to help third-level students. Set up in 2014 by Trinity graduates Sean and Orla, and to date has recruited around 500 tutors and has 8,000 active users.
What inspired you to start up UniTuition?
Sean: During our time at Trinity College we both provided private tuition to students to earn some extra income. Upon leaving college, I was contacted constantly to give tuition to students who had heard of my name through friends and family of students. It made me realize that there was a gap in the market, so I set up a website for Trinity students to find a tutor. Following a positive market response Orla and I teamed up - she validated the proposition in the wider market and together we formed UniTuition.
How did you start working together on this project?
Orla: We’ve actually known each other over ten years. We first met competitively sprinting for Clonliffe Harriers. We then went on to go to college together and work in Accenture together. The idea had always been more of a side project, until we realized the opportunity was a lot bigger than we had initially thought. The catalyst to pursue the venture full time came when we were offered a place on the NDRC’s Launchpad accelerator. As the top rated accelerator in Ireland, it was too big of an opportunity to miss. We both left our jobs in Accenture last February and have been working on UniTuition since then.
How did your Trinity education nurture your inner entrepreneur?
Sean: Studying BESS, we were surrounded by electives that used case studies of successful Irish companies. Dissecting these success stories in modules such as Strategic Management or Principles of Marketing helped me to see that many of the founders of these companies started out with an idea in college like we did before forming what are now household names.
Orla: For me it was more the people I met while attending Trinity that influenced my attitude to entrepreneurship and what I wanted to do after graduation. Of course, I had great modules and lecturers too; particularly the Business School’s entrepreneurship module with Dr Majella Giblin. But it was seeing fellow students forming successful companies and becoming involved in that wider network of entrepreneurial people that really helped to shape my motivations.
Tell us about your experience of LaunchBox (Trinity’s accelerator program)?
Orla: We took part in LaunchBox in the summer of 2015 immediately after we completed the NDRC’s Launchpad. It was fantastic having a base in the city centre and access to a new range of mentors and guest speakers. The three months of the programme enabled us to take a step back after a hectic exam period and strategically plan for this academic year. We ended up winning the demo day following the programme; the prize was a trip to Silicon Valley. The value of Trinity’s network really came into its own there. One of the founders of Launchbox, Stuart Coulson, met us while we were there, showed us around and made plenty of useful introductions.
What has been your proudest achievement so far?
Sean: In November last year we took part in Enterprise Ireland’s Access Silicon Valley Program with eight other companies. The program itself involved spending two weeks in Silicon Valley accessing the market, talking to potential customers, meeting investors, and a pitch night which we won. It was a real highlight as we both really respected the other companies on the trip and the contacts we made following the win were invaluable.
What are the next steps for UniTuition?
Orla: We have recently launched into the UK and will be continuing with this expansion over the next year. We’re also planning the launch of our service into other markets in the education sector. We will be raising a seed round of funding this year to help accelerate our growth.
What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Sean: If you have an idea, don’t be afraid to run with it. Also don’t be reluctant to tell people about your idea. There are so many forums to talk about your business idea and potentially turn it into a company like Startup Weekend or Dublin Beta. I’d also tell students not to underestimate gaining some professional experience before launching your own company. The experience gained from working in a professional capacity will always stick to you later on down the road.
Orla: Start talking to your target customers immediately to find out if your business proposition is viable. Listen to your customers – they usually know more about what they want then you do! Learn as much as you can from this and make as many changes as you can early on as it will be harder to do this down the line. If you can validate your idea, go for it. There are plenty of supports out there to help you get started. The last thing you want is to be looking at someone else doing what you planned to do but never got around to!