Entrepreneurs portrait : Jeremy

09 Jul Entrepreneurs portrait : Jeremy

UpUp App is a performance management and HR solution with GAMIFICATION FEATURES that rewards employees for completing tasks and hitting KPI’s.

This gives the management team full visibility on productivity, allowing more time to focus on the business.

When KPI’s or targets aren’t hit, the software will alert the management team and suggest creative ways to help the individual achieve those goals.

High achievers will be incentivized through a well curated list of rewards based on personal preferences and driven by strong partnerships within food, retail or entertainment promotions.

8S2B : Hello Jeremy, can you please introduce yourself ?

Jeremy : I’m Jeremy, 25 years old, from France and have been living in Asia for more than 4 years.

I’m now based in Vietnam where I came 3 years ago to complete an exchange program in international business and management. After graduated from my BBA, I started working for YEAH1 network, the first Multi-Channel Network in Asia as intern first then as account and marketing manager prior to starting my entrepreneurship journey with UpUp App.

8S2B : How did you get the idea of doing this business ?

Jeremy : My co-founder used to be the marketing director of Vietnamworks, the first job portal in Vietnam. Before starting Up Up App, he was doing research on the cause of disengagement in the workplace and especially why employees are leaving their company. From my prior experience, my company has implemented a recognition and reward program such as top performers, employee of the month or using excel as Leaderboard. The system was not engaging and we lost all the benefits of motivating and leveraging the results as we could not track anything in real-time.

On top of that, teams received their rewards at the end of the month or the quarter based on performance rating and grading.

The system was not engaging at all and didn’t foster collaboration and transparency. Then, we had this idea to create this cool and amazing tool to revolutionize and track performance in real time, make reward and recognition more fun and engaging for everyone in the company.

8S2B : What is the best word/mantra fitting your mindset ?

Jeremy : TRUST, DISCIPLINE and PERSEVERANCE.

8S2B : What is the message you’re trying to spread ?

Jeremy : If startup founders, co-founders … want to bring their ideas or projects to life, they need to have a vision and be driven by a purpose and meaningful goals. Start exploring where do you want to go, how will you go there and what to do to get there. The vision is very important to reach and achieve any goals.

8S2B : What do you wish to provide to people ?

Jeremy : People spend most of their time at work and research shows a correlation between employee engagement and work life balance. If we can’t be happy, engaged and motivated at work, it can impact other area of our life.

With UpUp App, we aim to help develop better organizations while creating better work experience by giving people a tool to help them reconnect with work in a more fun and engaging way to give skilled talents what they need and expect to do their best at work.

8S2B : In your opinion, how to distinguish your business from your competitors ?

Jeremy : Most of the solution that currently exist on the market, only focus on 1 or 2 area of employee engagement. For instance, only employee performance app, or 360 feedback app, reward solution. UpUp App combines performance management, social recognition and instant rewards in one SINGLE and SIMPLE solution.

8S2B : How long have you been part of this activity ?

Jeremy : About 8 months. We started the project during Xmas week, when our CTO joined the company.

From that day, we are continuously improving our product and developing the activity.

8S2B : Currently, how many workers are working here ?

Jeremy : About 15 people, mostly tech people.

8S2B : What are your plans for the future ?

Jeremy : Finding and Hiring the right people to grow the company together where we can continue to learn, create and contribute as much as we can to make a real impact on how people (CEO, leaders, managers) see, value work and create more engaging environments for talents.

8S2B : Which advice would you give to the young entrepreneurs ?

Jeremy : As said above, start with a vision, be fearless and eager to learn. Young entrepreneurs always think that experience is critical to start a business or build a startup. I would say that as you go through the startup journey, you will keep learning and learning. Plans will change, never the goal, so it’s important to stay focus on what you want to accomplish and be able to deal with pressure and expectations.

8S2B : Do you want to share something more with us ?

Jeremy : On top of what I said, anyone that wants to start something new, needs to team up with the right people. Embrace the startup journey alone won’t be possible.