Sean Higgins of BetterYou
An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Sean Higgins, the founder and CEO of BetterYou, which was honored in our:
Tell us the origin story of BetterYou – what problem were you trying to solve and why?
Today, our time on our devices is optimized not for what we want, but for what we’ll watch. We’re creating a world where your time on device isn’t optimized by apps or advertisers – it’s optimized for the things you care the most about.
The time you spend idling on YouTube or Twitter is time you can’t get back. BetterYou puts that time toward the things that matter most to you. If you start to go down the rabbit hole, BetterYou learns to identify this and gently nudge you in the right direction. This way, your time goes toward your goals and values, like keeping in touch with family, learning something new, or staying active physically and mentally.
What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?
Anytime you are pushing technology, it is a hurdle to be able to launch the product that you want. You need feedback from users, but you also know what it could be. Taking that vision and bringing it to life takes a lot of time.
What does the future hold for BetterYou?
As we are constantly growing our customer base, we at BetterYou can’t wait to continue helping students from more schools across the country develop healthier habits. We will also be working with more corporate customers who want to boost employee wellness and engagement. On the product side, we’re introducing better ways for users to visualize their goal progress, including a “month in review” feature. Imagine being able to see how many times you chatted with your friend last month or how much sleep you got, all at a glance. This makes it even easier for users to track progress and stay motivated.
What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in St. Paul?
The MN tech scene has come a long way in the last 10 years. I remember pitching our first angel investor back in 2013 and hearing, “So why is this the safest bet with money a 10k check?” Our scene has gotten more savvy with accelerator programs like Techstars and Gener8tor, and early stage funds backing founders building great businesses.
What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Get in front of the customer! It doesn’t matter how much sense it makes on the whiteboard. The customer decides what’s right and what’s wrong and it’s your job to talk to them.