“Be committed to your strategy but don’t fall in love with it. Go steady but don’t get married. You have to maintain the passion but retain enough objectivity to know when something isn’t working and a new direction is needed. Most startups go through several strategic shifts before they find the right formula.”

Michael S. Vanderwoude, Vice President and General Manager of Cincinnati Bell

“Always stay in learning and listing mode – Too many companies pitch to me and press forward with a sales pitch without pausing to listen to questions and heeding advice.”

“As Socrates said, “He who is wise admits he knows nothing,” and we all are learning together in this brave new world.  If you do not seem to be listening and open to feedback or pivoting, then you may never succeed.”

Bob Gilbreath, Chief Marketing Strategist at Bridge Worldwide

“Get your product/service right. Make it great/different by focusing heavily on the end-user. Start with a profitable business model – don’t scale without one.”

-Michael Stich, Chief Operating Office of Rockfish Interactive

“Focus on building a business and not a business plan. Develop a product that interests customers and investors will follow.”

-Joe Medved, Chairman Emeritus of the New England Venture Network (NEVN)

Choremonster is a suite of web and mobile applications that allow parents and kids to actually enjoy doing their daily chores.  By completing a chore, a child gains points, which they can save up for real life rewards, such as an Xbox, an hour of television or even a canoe trip.  Choremonster is reshaping how families think about their chores and responsibilities. By creating two individual apps, one for the parent and one for the child, Choremonster allows children to track their chores on their own and choose when and how they will complete them, teaching them better habits that will last a lifetime.  Chris Bergman, the founder of ChoreMonster, answered a few questions we had for him about the company and why he chose the Brandery.

What inspired you to start ChoreMonster?

“Paul loves to create monsters. As a kid, I hated doing chores. I wanted to create an application that adds value to families and gives parents a tool to utilize positive reinforcement over punishment. Paul and I love creating unique and engaging experiences. After a few quick conversations, Choremonster was born.”
 

Which presentation or mentor has contributed to ChoreMonster’s startup strategy development so far?

“There have been so many amazing people! The Brandery founders themselves, JB, Dave and Rob, have been a monumental help. Hearing Blake Mizeraney’s story of Heroku was very encouraging. As far as mentors, the advice of Thad Langford, Joe Dinunzio, Rob Heimann and Susanne Tosilini has been invaluable. 
Also, everyone at Cincytech, Mike, Justin, Carolyn, Bob, Raul, has been helpful beyond expectations.”
 

How did you find out about the Brandery?

“Hah! I was having lunch with JB Kropp one day, telling him about Choremonster. Kropp then dared me to apply for the Brandery and here I am.”
 

Why did you decide to come to the Brandery?

“It’s the opportunity of the lifetime and it’s in our backyard. The Brandery has already opened doors that I never thought possible. It was a chance to make some amazing things happen.”
 

What is the best piece of advice for starting your own company you have received?

“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.” – C.S. Lewis

Understand what your three top priorities are and have an unrelenting focus on those things. Chasing money, people, or features that either can’t be caught, or require considerable effort to catch, are a waste of time during your first year. Write down your top three priorities, read over them every single day, and say “no” to everything else.

Also, problems are solved while relaxing so take some time to do things you enjoy outside of your startup. It’s amazing how solutions will find you when you’re away from the business and challenge.

Kenny Tomlin, Founder & CEO of Rockfish Interactive