Portrait entrepreneure : Charlotte BOUKARI nous présente Feeli !

Entrepreneur portrait: Charlotte Boukari presents Feeli!

1. Can you briefly explain how your business came about?

Our start-up was based on the realisation that it’s really hard nowadays to contact a health professional to get advice for detailed information about a symptom. I was a keen user of health forums, but they turned out to be inaccurate and misleading. An instant messaging application dedicated to health like Feeli presents several advantages: the messaging service is discreet and non-intrusive (unlike a voice message or video), and health professionals can reply when they have some free time without disrupting their daily routine. Nowadays the use of text has become widespread and is in everyday practice, which is why we chose this method of communication between patients and practitioners. Furthermore, users have the possibility of sending attachments or photos to the health professional of their choice.

2. What is your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure?

What an adventure! The challenge first of all: releasing a little-known product requires unbelievable motivation, it involves a lot of work and energy but also disappointment. You start with very little and gradually start to move up, and then all of a sudden all the work you’ve done becomes a reality with reassuring results. I strongly encourage anyone who is reluctant to take the leap and try out this incredible adventure.

3. Have you ever benefited from the network of EDHEC graduates?

The EDHEC network is confident and full of solidarity, we contacted a few graduates and I must say that their responsiveness lived up to expectations. We hope to meet more of them after the start of the 2016 academic year.

4. What advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?

Three keywords for new entrepreneurs: team, conviction and work. I believe these are the three most important factors in setting up a company. It’s important to team up with the right people who have complementary skills; your level of conviction is about having the inspiration and motivation to develop your business; and of course hard work, forget about counting your work hours, the only objective is to expand your project by being as creative as possible.

5. What’s next for your business?

We started out with 4 health professionals and 50 users, and in less than 8 months we now have a community of 4,000 users and 100 health professionals.

The next phases are to continue to maximise our user base by offering new and more adapted services, and then to tackle the international market which we feel is very promising, and finally to recruit new talented individuals to accompany us in this wonderful adventure.

6. What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates (fundraising, looking for staff, partners, advice, etc.)?

The first thing to say is that we will welcome them with open arms to our application. We are also very receptive to any criticism or recommendations, so they shouldn’t hesitate to send us an email and tell us about their experience. Finally, we are indeed looking to raise €150,000 in order to achieve our objectives more quickly. We would be delighted to work with other people from EDHEC who could share their expertise.

iOs:https://itunes.apple.com/fr/app/feeli/id946203344?mt=8

Web: www.feeli.fr

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FeeliAp/?fref=ts

Twitter: @feeliofficiel