Scott Andrews of Pixsi
Meet Scott Andrews, founder of Pixsi, a mobile marketing services company.
What is Pixsi?
Pixsi guides people to pull planning, shopping and sharing together. We are a mobile marketing services company providing a free personalized internet software service to consumers to plan and share purchase decisions and a marketing platform to retailers.
How did you come up with the idea?
I find out what consumers need. Then I go and try to invent and take it a few steps further, but not too much further. I observed big changes in consumer behavior and how they shop over the past 10-plus years. They – or we – have taken control of where, when, and how we shop. The advent of the mobile-device era greatly accelerated this big change as consumers' control of the marketplace expanded to anytime, anywhere and any place.
What was the biggest surprise in starting your business?
How big the opportunity is. The more I stepped back to see the big picture, and to look at it from different angles, the more the opportunity and vision for the course of the company expanded.
Where did you find your first employee?
The first employee came from the team I built to meet the challenges of the company and was in the Northeast Ohio area. That person has experience in disrupting the status quo of marketing with proven deep and large organic sales experience.
What does a typical day in your business look like?
Focused and very busy, working towards accomplishing our planned goals while pivoting our strategies when we need to. We enjoy each other's company and take personal interest in each other's lives first, then focus on tasks at hand. This helps us know what strengths another team member has that another does not and execute on our tactics.
What are some of the advantages to doing business in Ohio?
Ohio is a great place to raise a family while doing business here. A clear business advantage is the business incubators, such as the best on we have in the entire state: the
Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI). It's been the best-kept secret to Ohio's business success with an unparalleled business model to create companies and jobs. The business climate here is undergoing a big transformation and renewal. This really helps inventors and entrepreneurs get the access they need to quality mentors, funding, and local, national and international exposure.
What resources or organizations in Ohio did you take advantage of and how did they help?
The Youngstown Business Incubator. They continue to be a big help and have provided amazing support. They're great people and take personal interest in a founder's success. From being a sounding board for business development to ideas about products and services, they're upfront, honest and give great feedback. I really like the shared cluster model of the YBI's internal community. Each company has access to each other for help on business related matters, product testing, etcetera. The minute one turns another down – they're out. The YBI has created a culture of perpetual invention and innovation and the personal development of inventors and entrepreneurs.
Can you share a funny or amazing entrepreneurial experience with our readers?
Everyone wants to hear about that "a-ha!" moment that pivoted the inventor, entrepreneur to great success. Success is a series of failures with the a-ha-moments seeded in the failures.
What inspires you?
That starts with whom then moves to what. They are: The one true-living God, reading the Bible, creative and industrial design. I spent my younger years drawing Disney characters, making things out of pottery clay, etcetera. I dreamed of becoming a Disney animator some day or creating such a company. A design-driven one. Pixsi starts with design and asks, "Would our friends use this?"
What founders do you admire and why?
Zig Ziglar. He put God first and had positive life-changing impact on people's lives. He left them typically more prosperous and happy.
Thomas Edison. He never left his calling to be an inventor and entrepreneur, and created many world-history changing inventions. I share his enthusiasm for inventing things.
Steve Jobs. He intersected the liberal arts and technology masterfully, while leading with design through the invention process – even when he wasn't the one who came up with the breakthrough inventions.
What’s next for you?
Quality time with my family, while leading Pixsi.