Alexis del Río of TRIPA.
Tell us about yourself?
Alexis has over 22 years of working experience for the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Political Office and the private sector and has a management consulting practice business.
In addition, Alexis has a master’s in Information Management from Aspen University postgraduate in digital business from the Emeritus Institute of Management in collaboration with MIT Executive Education and Columbia University Executive Education, performance coach, and psychometric interpretation certification.
What do you think is the single biggest misconception people have when it comes to startups?
Do you think this is the single biggest misconception people have when it comes to startups?
Highly skilled individuals, especially those in the technical field, believe their technical acumen would be enough.
However, it requires a growth mindset, perseverance, discipline, and grit. A startup is not easy, and I recommend that money should not be the primary focus for an entrepreneur to create or start a startup.
Even though it is most likely that the startup would be for profit, the primary focus should be to solve a significant problem effectively and efficiently.
If you could go back in time to any moment from your journey, and give yourself one tip, what would it be?
If you could go back in time to any moment from your journey and give yourself one tip, what would it be? Assess all the potential risks and ensure that all your basic needs will be met for at least 1 1/2 years. Furthermore, plan for delays—double the time your developers need.
What makes you stand out as an entrepreneur?
I don’t see myself standing out as an entrepreneur; however, I’m confident that my years of experience in a global setting give me the unique privilege to share my professional experience with a large number of people.
What are some of the best working habits you’ve gained over the past couple of years?
Respect for my time and other people’s time Proactively learn skills Deal with ambiguity Anticipate needs Ask smart questions Admit mistakes Don’t delay uncomfortable and difficult decisions.
Listen more than speak (that is harder)
Give us a bit of an insight into the influences behind the company?
TRIPA was developed based on my experience with many direct reporting managers underutilizing my inborn talents and being boxed into a particular role.
As a result, few of my direct reporting managers could fully utilize my skills, with one advising me to go into the consulting business.
Furthermore, I saw similar things happening with my colleagues, encouraging me to help them identify their inborn talents and unique selling proposition and value in the marketplace.
Where do you see your business in five years?
Growing and helping people globally to know themselves and the value they can offer to the marketplace.
What do you think the biggest challenge will be for you in getting there?
The most common challenge for startups is funding, and it is not different from TRIPA.
That said, we have come up with some creative ways to bring our product to the marketplace and trust that it will gain traction.
Talk to us about your biggest success story so far?
One of my biggest success stories is bringing bright minds into the project and getting their validation of the solution TRIPA offers by addressing the root cause of poor performance rather than the symptoms.
How do clients and customers find you? Are you much of a salesperson for yourself?
We use various tools, such as online presence and social media advertising.
We are also doing outreach to high education institutions, and most know inbound and outbound marketing.
What one tip would you give to fellow startup founders?
Prime your mind to take detours from your initial plan. Double the time for your product development (primarily digital).
Don’t rush selecting your co-founder and executive team. When talking to investors, remove your emotions and enthusiasm, as some of them will take you on a drive to nowhere.
And finally, what do you hope the future brings both you personally, and your business?
I desire that TRIPA reach as many people as possible, especially in those regions where tools such as TRIPA are not accessible broadly. And by product, I sustain my level of fulfillment.
