The Future Is Now: Irete Hamdani Of askBelynda On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Competition. You are going to have competitors. This is a good thing, it means there’s a market for what you’re doing. Yes, it can pose a threat to your business but use this energy to get better and bigger. When I started out there wasn’t too much competition but now there is. Investors like to know who you’re up against and especially what is your differentiator compared to them. You should focus on your uniqueness and develop that. Be aware of the market landscape but don’t waste too much of your time on comparisons.
As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Irete Hamdani.
Irete Hamdani is an entrepreneur and founder of askBelynda, a Google Chrome extension helping consumers reduce their carbon footprint by recommending sustainable products while they’re shopping online. She has a Computer Science MSc. with honors from Tel Aviv University and is an AWS Certified Associate Developer and Solution Architect. She believes in a greener future with the expansion of sustainable consumer goods. Irete resides in Denver, CO, with her husband and two daughters.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
We moved to the US in 2018 and I was both delighted and taken aback by the online shopping possibilities. Anything you want at the tips of your fingers and at your door within 1–2 days. At the same time, I was also on a personal journey to live a more sustainable life. I started looking into the products I was buying and found it hard to really know what the right, environmentally-friendly product is without spending time researching. I’ve been in tech for 25 years and I decided to use my development skills and my growing knowledge of what makes products sustainable, to provide this as a product to others in the form of askBelynda.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
[go back to]When I began, I dived in with my work, having carried out research, and went straight to the investors for funding. I knew what I had was a bullet proof and the moment I took it public everything will take shape. That was until the investors asked me to show them the lists of users and their experiences. That is when I realized it’s never about paperwork alone. You need proof, numbers, engagements, etc before anyone can put faith in your work. They need something tangible. As they say, every day is a learning day.
Can you tell us about the cutting edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
I would say that askBelynda is less of a cutting cutting-edge technology and more a product that shifts consumer spending to sustainable products and that helps people. Close to 80% of the American population state they care about the environment (reference) and yet under 20% buy sustainability-marketed products (reference). This is a huge opportunity. Researching how environmentally friendly a product or service is, requires time, expertise and effort — something the average shopper doesn’t have. askBelynda provides recommendations for the right products, at the right time.
How do you think this might change the world?
They more people use their buying power on sustainable products the less harm we’re doing to the environment. And in time this will put pressure on companies to look at what they’re doing and how they can improve.
Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
I haven’t seen “Black Mirror” and from what I read about the series it’s definitely not my cup of tea. If I were to think of a dystopian future in the sustainability realm I can only imagine technology “punishing” humans for letting the planet deteriorate as much as we do. But again, I’m such a positive person, this is making me feel uncomfortable.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
When I got sick with Covid.
I was already working on askBelynda but it was more of a side project. Getting sick was the “tipping point” that led me to taking take this on at full force ahead. I’m now putting all my time, energy, and efforts into making askBelynda a success. I believe everything’s connected — air pollution, the extreme weather, global pandemics,… This is my humble contribution towards reducing carbon footprint and other damaging effects on the environment.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
At this point mostly marketing to generate awareness.
I’d like to get to a certain level of traction and then reach out to investors. I have big dreams and plans for my company.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
I’ve recently started working with a great marketing agency that put together a strategy and plans focusing on organic growth, social marketing, PR, etc… I strongly believe they will not only exceed the goals I gave them, but also lay the foundations for continuous quality growth.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’ve been given a lot of ‘gifts’ throughout the process. People who I don’t even know are more than willing to spend time with me and give me their advice. There’s this Facebook Group Startup for Startup that I go to almost every day. It’s a collaboration of VCs/Angel investors, new/established start-ups, and generally people who want to help others out. I would call out Noa Hilzenrat who runs the group and nurtures the platform as someone I’m grateful for.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
askBelynda itself brings goodness to the world. Every time a consumer selects a more sustainable product, we’re reducing the carbon footprint.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
- Pick the right people to work with. I had a co-founder at the beginning who was the right choice but as time went by I realized they didn’t have the time and budget to invest in the startup and that that was holding me back. We eventually dissolved the partnership but I wish I would have done it much earlier. I also had a marketing consultant that wasn’t getting the results I needed and also had to stop working withwith a great fit and we discontinued the work.
- Be patient with the process. Things take time to structure the right way, to decide on the right path. We are all impatient to get to the finish line but it’s a journey. I started with building the product after I verified the market fit and then I thought to raise funding but the feedback I got was to get an initial customer base first to prove the business model so now I’m focusing on that. In a few months, I’ll go back to reaching out to investors. It may seem like I’m zigzagging but it will all come together soon.
- Outsource as much as possible. We all have our strengths and should use them to our advantage but we should be aware of the tasks that other, more qualified people should handle for us. I have an amazing marketing agency that I signed up with that is pushing me forward in ways I would never have been able to do on my own.
On the other side, there are menial tasks that drain our time and can easily be outsourced to freelancers. There are many platforms out there for freelance work — Fiverr, Freeup, Upwork. You should use them whenever you can. I’ve created a process for vetting the companies and products I’m recommending through askBelynda and use using freelancers to gather the data for me. I still go over every little detail to ensure credibility but this saves me a lot of time. As soon as I get more budget I want to bring on developers to free up some of my time that goes into coding and developing the product. - Learn and grow constantly. Whatever your background is, starting a company means endless new domains you need to become proficient in. There are many channels — Books, Training Sessions, Small Business Programs, etc… you can use to grow. Of course, you’ll need to prioritize your time and balance between the learning and the doing. I would advise against investing thousands of dollars in training programs. There are many free sources out there such as Freedom in Me that take you through 12 weeks of everything you need to start a small business. Out of the books I’ve read, this one ‘Believe IT’ by Jamie Kern Lima is the one I found most inspiring. Especially when we’re talking about female founders.
- Competition. You are going to have competitors. This is a good thing, it means there’s a market for what you’re doing. Yes, it can pose a threat to your business but use this energy to get better and bigger. When I started out there wasn’t too much competition but now there is. Investors like to know who you’re up against and especially what is your differentiator compared to them. You should focus on your uniqueness and develop that. Be aware of the market landscape but don’t waste too much of your time on comparisons.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
There are things thatSome things are hidden from us — what is the environmental impact of our consumption, where does all our trash go, what is the damage we are leaving behind for future generations. I believe in transparency. Just like the FDA ensures every food and beverage has its Nutrition Facts printed on the package, I would love to see a label on every product that shows how much water, electricity, natural resource, etc… was used to manufacture, package, and ship that product and how recyclable it really is. I believe this would do a great deal not only in forcing large companies to comply but also will change the consumption habits of individuals.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Your thoughts create your reality”.
I’m a strong believer in what you could call ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ in psychology, or ‘projections’ in Buddhism, or the philosophy of the ‘law of attraction’, or what I call the Universe. I believe that everything that happens to me or around me is an expression of my own creating creation and that I have the ability tocan influence it. When I’m on a clear path I see the “gifts” I receive. When I’m in self-doubt or on a negative path I see that manifesting. I’m I do not always intuit to what’s going on but I try to get better at it.
Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
askBelynda is on a mission to reduce carbon footprint by shifting consumer spending to sustainable eco-friendly products.
Today only 1 in 5 people who care about the environment end up buying a sustainable product. Consumers are missing a quick, identifiable, trustworthy way to know what products are truly sustainable. This is also a great opportunity.
askBelynda offers a personalized eco-friendly shopping experience that provides consumers with the right product recommendations at the right time with all the right information. askBelynda has vetted thousands of products across the Household, Personal Care, and Clothing categories and is continuing to grow. These products are currently recommended to consumers over a Google Chrome Extension operating on Amazon.com.
I have plans to expand beyond Amazon, beyond the US, and beyond the Extension.
With the right funding, askBelynda will be the largest database of sustainable products in the world and will change the buying patterns as we know them today.
I’m on a journey to a cleaner, better world. Join me.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
The askBelynda website: https://www.askbelynda.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/askBelynda
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askbelynda/
Tiktok: Coming soon!
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Thank you for having me!
The Future Is Now: Irete Hamdani Of askBelynda On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
