EatAds

An online marketplace for discovering, planning, buying and selling outdoor advertising space.

In conversation with co-founder, Dhruv Sahgal

Joining the Gilcrux family

I 'met' John on LinkedIn! I had a small digital venture with a few friends and had been reading about the startup scene in Singapore. John seemed like an interesting person to reach out to for advice. That meeting resulted in him introducing me to my (now) business partner Nigel and co-founding EatAds.

EatAds was built on two premises - John's reading of the Outdoor Media Industry and our observation of few emerging trading platforms in the USA. More than 6000 of the total 7000 of our listings listings are from India and we are in the midst of relocating there to service the market.

Working with John

John is a great guy to work with, unconventional, and a true hustler. He is very knowledgeable in digital marketing which we find immensely helpful in the way we design our site and strategies to generate organic traffic.

The co-working space

The workspace is great, we behave more like a family who dips into shared resources (from accounting help, to quick design work, a video or technical advice) when required. We respect each others' space and time but also are welcomed to reach out if we need help. EatAds has a segregated room (nicknamed 'the fishbowl') because we are often on sales calls.

ApexPEAK

Helping small and mid-sized businesses to gain fast and affordable access to working capital in

order to grow their businesses.

In conversation with CEO, Nick Gan

Joining the Gilcrux family

I met John at another co-working space in Blk71 where we were working on our respective startups. At that time, John was a one man company with two startups - EatAds and Dropmysite. With my finance and investment background, I helped him with a pitch for Dropmysite for Angel's Gate's first season. That set the perfect tone for a great working relationship.

The idea to build a marketplace to trade debtors has been with John since University. When his friend from South Africa was looking to start a business, John pitched this idea to him. That's how ApexPEAK started.

Working with John

John is essentially a sales guy (and a good one at that). But what differentiates him is that he delivers and executes on his promises. He has a good ability to take feedback and apply it. He has proven himself to be an excellent hustler, which is a crucial trait for entrepreneurs.

The co-working space

The workspace grew organically. Instead of having each portfolio company with separate addresses, it just made more sense to house all under one roof and share services and expenses. We all follow one common culture - 'Do More Faster'.

Helplearn Asia

Aimed at helping small medium enterprises gain digital marketing wisdom throughout Asia, through

seminars around Asia, detailed online video tutorials and arranging consultations with the

experts.

In conversation with Operations Manager, Geraldine Neo

Joining the Gilcrux family

John already had a wide portfolio of businesses and was looking out for someone to manage HelpLearn.Asia and we met through a mutual contact. It was an exciting opportunity. With John's extensive experience in online performance marketing, he was often approached for advice in that area. As these requests grew, he saw the demand and decided to startup a company to organize regional seminars for the real-life implementation of integrated online marketing campaigns. HelpLearn.Asia was launched in March this year with over 200 attendees benefitting from a two-day seminar focussed on the basics of marketing. Thought leaders and seasoned change agents in the digital marketing landscape like Keith Timimi, Daryl Arnold, Jonathan Liu and John Fearon let the audience in on practical measures they could expedite in their marketing professions.

Working with John

He's a go-getter. He says it, he means it, he gets it done.

The co-working space

It's my cerebral pod - creativity multiplies, stuff gets done and good things happen here.

Scroll down to see key learnings from a serial entrepreneur