“If you think closely, the lines between our personal and public life online are blurring so fast that we no longer have a space just for ourselves.” – Snehal Gersappa.
Mr. Snehal Gerasappa, realized this shortcoming of the existing social media platforms, and driven by his entrepreneurial spirit, decided to take the leap and start work on Zlen, an app that gives the best of both social media & private messenger with a focus on privacy.
It is a one-stop destination for users who are constantly bombarded with random connection requests, sponsored ads, or trolls and the list. With its unique features, it has become a space where people can let their hair down, freely express their opinions, and enjoy moments with their own set of close people. Snehal’s years of experience and knowledge filtered into his start–up and to read more about his start-up journey keep reading below.
Snehal Gersappa : The Start-up Wave
Interview
Questions and answers
You have been working as an industry professional for 17 years. What built your interest in this field and how did you generate it?
Zlen was born out of my interest in the tech world, the start-up culture picking up in India over the last few years, and my personal experience. It was meant to have a great problem-solving impact in today’s world where privacy is virtually non-existent. Years of experience helped me execute the project well.
How was your experience working with the Bajaj Team and what were the things you learned in that journey?
It was one of the most enlightening experiences and I learned a lot of things like mobilizing teams, learning about the complete value chain for the business, and the importance of sales.
What do you think is the most satisfactory part of your work that enhances your interest every day?
The fact that I have complete conviction in the solution that I am providing through Zlen is what drives me every day to keep at it and is the best part of my work.
How did the entrepreneurial zeal strike you and when did you decide to come up with a startup?
I always had an entrepreneurial streak but I knew that I needed a good experience under my belt to start my own journey, and by early 2020 I knew that the time was right for me.
You started working and developed the app Zlen. Could you share with us a bit about this app and what purpose it serves?
Zlen is a mashup of Social Media and Messenger all rolled into one, with the best of privacy controls. The lines between our personal and public life online are blurring so fast that we no longer have a space just for ourselves. Zlen lets you create your own private social space, where you can control who gets in touch with you or comes into your space online.
What were some of the odds and obstacles you had to face in this journey and how did you tackle them?
The biggest challenge was putting a lean team together because building an app of this complexity is never easy. This was made considerably easy when Ashwin Datye our CTO came on board with his 20+ years of experience in the field.
Could you elaborate on how the safety features work in Zlen and how to connect people over it?
When you sign-up on Zlen, you get a unique Zlen Code that acts as an entry barrier and is the KEY to privacy. No one can add you to the app unless you share your Zlen Code with them. It really doesn’t matter who has your name, email ID, or phone number out there in the world, they’ll never find you on Zlen, unless you want them to.
Could you share with us some feedback of the users that has motivated you to further install new features in this app?
People are really enjoying the freedom and privacy that they have on Zlen. They want to expand their social interaction while enjoying this privacy and hence we are creating a new feature on the app called the Zlen World, where people can share whatever they want with the Zlen Community and access exclusive offers from different brands that partner with Zlen.
There is also a special feature in Zlen called Digital Detox. What purposes does it serve and how does it help the user?
The digital detox feature is like a countdown timer that lets you take a break from all the chaos of the day. When you activate this, your Zlen friends won’t be able to ping you and all notifications will be kept on hold until the detox expires or you decide to end it beforehand.
Being an entrepreneur, what will be your advice to someone who is trying to dip their feet in the entrepreneurial world?
Don’t get carried away with the news. The startup journey has its own problems –ups & downs, and you need to have passion and belief to make it happen. Follow the 5 step approach: Research, Business, Plan, Rock solid team, Partners/collaborations, Execution.
Quick 5
1. Your mantra in life – Failures are better than Regrets!
2. The person whom you look up to the most – Shah Rukh Khan
3. Your biggest milestone – Bringing Zlen into a reality
4. Zlen to you is – My child
5. Your biggest fear – Becoming physically unhealthy and unfit