QA with Kegan Schouwenburg, CEO of SOLS

QA with Kegan Schouwenburg, CEO of SOLS QA with Kegan Schouwenburg, CEO of SOLS Image Source: Kegan SchouenburgKEGAN  Schouwenburg, CEO and co-founder of SOLS, has used her entrepreneurial energy to  revolutionise the world of orthotics, foot support inserts for the shoes that are custom designed to alleviate pain, support the foot arches, and balance and reset any bio-mechanical issues in the feet, legs or gait of the person wearing them.Video Source:  SOLS on YouTube“I saw an opportunity to use 3D tech to  change peoples daily lives for the better.”It’s been observed that while foot support and orthotics are not the sexiest sector of business, what Kegan Schouwenburg and her team have achieved using 3D printing and iPad technology, is pretty mind-blowing.And it has attracted the investors, too. Based in New York and founded in the Autumn of 2013, SOLS has raised at least  $20m in funding to date.According to the SOLS website, the company requires just three photographs, taken via the company’s app technology, to generate a 3D model of your foot. From t his, the insole is printed and perfected, and  shipped to customers in approximately six working days.While there is huge potential with 3D printing, the process  has yet to have its hugely transitional mass ‘tipping point’ moment, but the approach of Kegan  Schouwenburg could change all that.SOLS is not ‘just’ about orthotics. Kegan Schouwenburg and her team have experimented with 3D printed shoes, and there is a long-term goal to make its products  not only wearable but ‘smart’.Kegan  took some time out of her  busy schedule to talk to AGENT about SOLS her entrepreneurial experiences to date, and pass on advice to those who aspire to a life and career in business. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 10 Questions for  Kegan Schouwenburg (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 1. How did you first get into business, and describe your business goals?When I was at my last position at Shapeways, a startup with the mission of democratizing 3D  pri nting in its factory of the future, I saw such an amazing opportunity to use emerging 3D technology for something that could change peoples daily lives for the better.2. What age were you when you realised you wanted to run your own business?I think I always knew I wanted to be the boss, Id have to ask my mom about this one, but it was definitely early on in life. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 3. Who is your business inspiration?Elon Musk.4. What has been your biggest challenge in business, and how did you surmount it?I think that finding ‘product market fit’ is a term that people throw around a lot but one that becomes especially important when youre on the frontier of technology. Using emerging technology means youre asking people to do something theyve never done before, and figuring out how to make that fun, intuitive, and worthwhile investment for people is a journey. I think its a little easier  if youre opening a coffee shop, harder if youre selling 3d printed products that you designed on your iPhone. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 5. Work-Life balance: is it possible? How do you achieve it?I love my job and that makes it easier for me I think. Most of my socializing is within my professional network, and a lot of people in the footwear and tech space have become great friends. I love discovering new things, and always try to surround myself by people I can learn from.6. What is the first thing you do every day?My cat wakes me up at about 5.50 every morning doing laps around the bed and begging for food, so my first move is usually to get it off the bed. Then, I reach for my phone. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 7. What screen saver picture is currently on your phone?Its a photo of my cat Jeune doing one of those cat stretches that look so amazingly satisfying.8. What is the most important app on your mobile phone, and why?SIZERIGHT, the app that were currently developing. Were excited about it because its going to solve the worst problem you deal with when you are trying to do your favorite thing in the world, buy shoes online. We answer the question, what size am I in this shoe, and am I going to like the way it fits? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 9. What item do you never leave the house without,  and why?The only two things I have every day are my iPhone, and heels from United Nude. Everything else is replaceable.10. What advice would you give your younger self starting out in business?This is a big one, but the younger me probably wouldnt listen. Id say that focus is essential for anyone starting a business, and do the one thing you do really well, and then move on to the next thing.Image Source: Kegan Schouwenburg