Starting a New Chapter in Data & AI
I'm thrilled to share some big news: I've founded a startup focused on Big Data and AI solutions! This venture, which started as an idea during my master's in Big Data Management and Analytics, is ready to gonna make billions!!! 🚀
Actually, maybe not billions... But I can always dream right? I honestly have no idea where it will go, I’m kind of terrified and I’m continually having my self-worth challenged -> am I really qualified to say I’m an “expert” in anything??
Here’s what I’m doing, how I got here, and how you can help.
Don’t have time to read the whole story? Scroll down to the bottom for a snippet about the startup you can share. 🙏
The Startup: Moving Data Insights
Our mission is simple: We transform data from things that move (like cars or people in a city) into smart decisions for businesses. We help companies understand complex information easily so that they can become better companies by reducing their expenses, increasing profits, or maybe finding new markets to go after. Our skills can help any organization that relies on data from moving objects, which includes industries involved in smart cities, traffic management, geo-marketing, and logistics.
We create software solutions that involve analyzing lots of data, managing it well, and using artificial intelligence to make sense of it all. Plus, we're using some cutting edge technology my cofounders have been developing through ongoing research over the last 10+ years – we are leading the industry in how we work with this type of data, and what we can do with it!
I know not everyone is up to date with the technical jargon, so I’m just gonna lay down some keywords of what we do: data management, machine learning, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, moving object analysis, data visualizations, dashboards, business intelligence, and process improvement.
How it Started…
In the 3rd month of my masters, a prof in one of my classes approached me with an offer to “be the CEO of a startup for MobilityDB”. I was totally floored. I JUST started my career transition journey and already I had a job offer in this new space?! As exciting as this was, it quickly became obvious that this was a job with no salary… but still. It was something!
I continued to play with the idea and talk to people about what might be possible. The summer between 1st and 2nd year I came back to Brussels to do my internship with MobilityDB to get to know the technology better and really decide for myself if what they were working on was as good as they made it out to be.
By the end of the summer, I made my decision. I was going to found a startup around MobilityDB.
Funding became the next hurdle; how do I survive without an income? After running through the numbers, I was able to make a commitment to dive into my savings to make things work from graduation in September until December 2023, four months to make it work. This felt like a golden ticket… a fully functional and implemented technology would meet me, a person that has been dabbling in entrepreneurship for a decade that happens to have no concrete job after graduation. It seemed meant to be!
During my thesis, I was accepted into a startup incubator to help develop the idea, I registered a company at the chamber of commerce, and applied for some funding to help on the financial side. The incubator program wrapped up in June 2023, and on August 29th, the morning of my graduation, I got a letter with a grant for €13,375 to pursue customer validation work. I was… overwhelmed. You can relive the moment with me (it’s a funny one!). This grant extended my financial runway to April 2024!
Going Full Time
After defending my thesis work, it was time to go all-in. This meant it was time to do customer interviews, understand the market, and get the details of my business model in place.
This proved to be a huge rollercoaster of ups and downs. I spent the first two weeks hustling to talk to people in transportation logistics, what felt like an obvious fit for the technology for me. I got a single interview with an HR person on the last Friday afternoon. In the interview, we discussed completely unrelated data, but I REALLY needed a win.
After that came some insights, pivots, changes in focus, growth of my network, website building, team building, and more pivots. It continues to feel like every week there is huge learning and personal growth. I’ve also had a lot of emotional push on shame; not feeling good enough.
Ironically, a combination of hiring a virtual assistant, and ChatGPT helped me understand that I CAN be confident in my skills. I found that the tasks I thought were universal are… not? As an example, I was putting together a treasury plan and cash flow statements. It took me 4 days to pull everything together, which I felt was… rather slow. ChatGPT estimated a few days to a week as a best case scenario with an experienced person, well organized data and efficient tools. A typical scenario would be 1-3 weeks 🤯
I was also surprised to learn that my virtual assistant wasn’t able to edit videos, write blog posts, code software, generate financial statements, build websites and draft the terms and conditions for a contract... all things I thought were “basic” until I reflected on it. Perhaps I actually DO have the right set of skills for this work!
The Big Pivot
I never did find the “early-vangelist” and exact product or service that could be built using the proprietary technology we’ve developed. And it’s REALLY GOOD technology. Easy to use (even I feel like a pro using it), super fast analytics (up to 100x faster than anything on the market), and functionality that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere. Although the scalable product hasn’t been discovered (yet!), I realized that we can be the ones to USE the technology to help others. And so, we pivoted!
As a data consulting company, we can use the technology, our expertise in data management and analysis of moving objects, and my experience in project management, business process and root cause analysis to deliver some real value to organizations. I’d love to see this technology applied to make things more efficient in places that can really make a big impact. It might not be sexy, and no one is taking about it, but data management and analytics plays a key role in achieving climate change goals. I really believe that we can do big things with this tech.
This pivot into consulting can extend our financial runway beyond April 2024. By working directly with clients, we can continue to better understand the industry, I can keep growing my network, and we can find the right place for this technology to land to make the impact I think it’s capable of.
My ask of you
I’d love your support in spreading the word about what we're doing. If you know anyone who might need what we offer, please tell them about us.
We are focused on “things that move”, but ultimately, we can bring insight to anyone working with any type of data. And if we aren’t the right people for the job, I’m happy to guide people to the solution provider that CAN help.
Thank you for being a part of my journey. Your encouragement and support mean the world to me, and I'm excited to see where this new path leads.
The website and my LinkedIn profile are an easy place to point people to. So please do share the info below with anyone that might benefit!
Moving Data Insights
Data Management | Big Data Analytics | Research | AI
Specializing in moving object tracking data, we breakdown your business processes to implement long-term solutions. We work alongside PhD researchers to implement cutting-edge ideas into practical solutions. Our approach spans the entire data journey, from collection and management to analytics.
Contact Adam Broniewski to explore how your data can be transformed into strategic decisions.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/abroniewski
Email: adam.broniewski@movingdatainsights.com
Phone/WhatsApp: +31 623 119 457
Website: www.movingdatainsights.com