Hi, and welcome to another episode of the Innovation
Conversation. Today, we are joined by Santiago
Sanchez. Santiago, welcome. Hi, thank you for
having me. It's a pleasure. On behalf here on
ScanMyCompany, we're just to tell you briefly,
we're three guys, we're 19, and the three of
us are studying in college. One of them is in
the Netherlands. His name is Gonzalo. Then another
one is here with me based in Madrid. His name
is Andy. My name, as Ricardo said, is Santiago.
Sandy better and um Basically scan my company
what we do and that's got my company is we're
a clothing brand Well, we're not just a clothing
brand, you know, we like to go by that narrative
So the thing is, um in every one of our garments
within our design We include a QR code and what
you do, let's say if you got there you order
us for us a t -shirt let's say and so Ricardo
orders the t -shirt and whenever Someone scans
Ricardo's QR code within the design it leads
them to a totally customizable I don't know.
I don't know if you say it like that totally
we can fully custom customize it and Profile
of Ricardo and so we can upload this picture
name Basically everything like Instagram tick
-tock whatever he wants. It's fully customizable.
Yeah So hold on because you literally you answered
any questions I had in the beginning without
me actually asking the question. That's great.
I want to go ahead. I just want to go ahead.
I'm just joking. So just to summarize, so you
created you and two more friends created this
clothing brand. What you have is you have this
clothing brand where you create this unique QR
code that attaches to the clothes and then the
code is customizable like all QR codes and any
links to whatever link I wanted to link to. Yeah,
there you go. Yeah, so it's basically for anyone
who's listening here is familiar with link tree
It's basically a link tree and where you can
add as I said before any photo link to Instagram
profile or tick -tock or even LinkedIn or mail
What's up, whatever? So it's basically that and
how do you guys come up with idea? Well, actually
This is a very fun story. My Argentinian friend,
who's Andy is based here in Madrid with me, came
up with the idea like two years ago, maybe. And
he already did a, even before we met, the three
of us met and he came up with the idea and he
created a web page for the idea. And then he
met us and he always tells us that he came up
with this idea when he was walking down the street.
and he actually saw a pretty girl and so he told
himself he's very straightforward guy like he
would come up to a girl and talk to her whatever
but he just said to himself like what if i could
come up to this girl i mean what if I could get
to know this girl without coming up to her and
doing all the effort, like for anyone who doesn't
have that social skills. Do you know what I mean?
It's pretty fun and we don't always carry ourselves
that way, you know, the brand. But we do have
certain, you know, social vibes to the brand,
you know, hanging out, getting to meet other
people. And so that's how the idea came up. And
then eventually when he met us, he told us and
then we organized it all. Okay. So the idea is
you put links to your, I guess your social media
on your phone. You walk around and then people
connect with you. There you go. Yeah, they can
scan it. Okay. All right. So that, that kind
of helps with people being shy, I guess. And
just, you know, it helps with starting conversations.
What, how do you prevent from having too many
people scan you or scanning your code and they
know engaging in conversation? Well, we don't
actually want to prevent that. It's actually
the opposite, but I understand your view in the
Like if some if a lot of people come in the web
and their profile it will maybe collapse I don't
know if you that is what you're trying to say
or no. No, I mean it might be a little bit overwhelming
I mean you give the example of an attractive
young woman Yeah, I'd be overwhelming for her
to every time she walks on the street. There's
like Yeah, 500 people adding her up on these
three. Yeah, I do see your point Yeah, I do agree
with you. It may be overwhelming, but I would
say that as an answer I would say that it's it
always takes courage to to take out your phone
and scan the QR code you know just you know take
this in context like you're walking down the
street and you you have the courage to take out
your phone and it kind of looks like you're filming
the girl so it may be weird so you know maybe
you want to be a little close maybe you want
to be a little bit far it's it's also complex
i don't think it would be very overwhelming unless
you're 10 out of 10 and you're exposing your
QR code like crazy, but that would be my answer
obviously. This is the first company that you
and your friends are launching, right? Yes, this
is our first company. We're very young working
men and we do work hard. This is our first company.
We're everyday learning and it's a very interesting
path for us to follow. Did you get any investment?
We had conversations with venture capital companies.
And we pitched I actually myself I pitched our
idea and They liked it we have with as I said
before a couple conversations with these companies
But we didn't get to an agreement actually and
I don't know if we we were at that point even
now I don't know if we are right now at that
point where we need funding. It's actually more
like a Trying to figure out how would we invest
the money what that is given to us? So we're
always trying to figure out things this most
of the work is thinking and thinking coming up
with great ideas and then Going going to the
street and film at them, I guess And which markets
are you operating in? I'm sorry. What which markets
are you operating in? I think it's like regarding
what I said before like the content creation
and no no no I use just you can people buy this
just in Spain or you doing in across Europe or
Yes, we have the web page and people can order
from anywhere. We have a very fast shipping and
we try to do our best. And that's basically it.
We also come up with orders from Instagram or
from TikTok because we do have a very strict
programming of content creation on Instagram
and on TikTok and so people watch us in both
of that app applications and contact us through
Instagram and we actually get orders from Instagram
and then Whatever from the from the webpage What
has been like the biggest struggle so far for
the biggest challenge you've had Well, the biggest
struggle is actually we're a very small, you
know, we're a small company. We're practically
starting somehow but I would say in comparison
to other brands, but uh Actually, the hardest
part is trying to get trying to get to know the
customer and trying to get how the customer feels.
And what like if I were the customer and I was
scrolling down, let's say, TikTok, what would
attract me the most in order for me to buy? And
we're so actually like currently we're very invested
in the whole we're very determined to find out
how to transmit our values the most adequate
way in order for people and the you know, for
engagement. And that has been lately the worst
struggle and coming up with great ideas. Also
getting to know a customer, as I said before,
the potential customer, I would say. And what
does your customer kind of look like? Do you
have a profile already? Do you know what they
normally look like? Is it mostly men, women,
uni students? I mean, what does it look like?
It's actually kind of funny because it may be
uni students. Maybe most of our clients are uni
students. And I would say they're men. I would
say they're men. I would say like with absolute
certainty that men have it more difficult to
hang out or to find, you know, significant other
or anyhow, how you want to call it. these are
men who like the idea and kind of like go like
the fun way though this is fun this is a great
idea okay let me wear it let me go to a party
let me see what happens and i'm gonna tell you
i'm gonna contact you back telling you what happens
but um yeah i would say the the average client
would be a university student student and a male
okay interesting and what type of models do you
guys do is it just t -shirts or is it like hoodies
as well yeah we do t -shirts on summer and then
we get back to the hoodies we're actually thinking
about next uh winner taking out instead of hoodies
going back to the old sweatshirt like kind of
vintage model like without the hoodie yeah and
but we're actually thinking about it like i mean
it it's summer we're in the middle of summers
yeah let's let's focus on the t -shirts yeah
And how big is the QR code? Is it like a gigantic
thing or quite small? No. So the thing with the
QR code, this is actually a very struggling point
for us in order to think about it. Because QR
codes are essentially not like aesthetic. Not
very aesthetic. So it's very difficult for us
to like the QR code to be like the key element
of our brand and not show it that much. Because
we do want to show the QR code one for Value
transmission and two for people to recognize
the QR code as our key element of the brand But
as I said before it's not too aesthetic. So we
try to Undercover it somehow with the rest of
the design But always trying to keep the values
and the QR code right there so people can see
it and also can scan it Interesting. It's a cool
way of allowing yourself to be seen I guess for
by more people, right? Yes Yes, and regarding
your last question, not this one, but your last
question, like our average client, I don't know,
do you let me get back to this? Okay, so the
thing is, we're very lucky to have a average
potential customer that happens to be around
our circle, because we're university students,
that makes it very, that makes it less complicated
for us to guess how a customer would feel about
our brand, because we're with them every day.
at class, hanging out. So it makes us less, it
makes it less complex, you know. And have you
had any success stories? Has anyone got back
to you and say, you know, I met the girl of my
dreams because of the t -shirt that I was wearing?
Actually, yes. Well, not very close friend. He
lives south of Spain, but we sold a t -shirt
to him. And he actually, he's telling me, I don't
know if he's joking, but his personality is always
like, kind of a funny kind of guy joking and
I don't know if he's joking or not but it seems
to me he told me that he like some girl at a
club scanned his QR code and now they're dating
and he always tells me stories about the thing
or the what he showed me pictures I don't know
how to trust him I don't know if I if I gotta
trust him but you know if that's if that's true
that's good that's great always great marketing
for our brand Interesting. But you guys, you
told me that it's three of you and one of you
is based in the Netherlands? Yes, Netherlands,
yeah. Maastricht. How does that work? Well, it
was way better than back at the time because
we were, the three of us were in high school
and it was great for organizing and also for
the content creation, three of us hang out and
said, okay, let's hang out in here in Madrid
and let's film these videos and then we get to
do something else. So it was better for organization,
but actually, you know, thanks to all those smartphones,
communications, social media, we're able to contact
him very easily and program the videos. We do
daily calls in order to program these videos
and to program, you know, contacting potential
customer. And it makes it easy for us, but it's
not so complex, you know. How did you find, you
know, because you're quite young, so how did
you find starting a business? Was it particularly
hard or you had a lot of support doing it? Well,
we actually had a lot of support, but at the
same time it was particularly hard. So the thing
for us, I don't know what the other, like what
my other two associates did to work and to be
able to afford the money to start the company,
but me myself, I spent like almost the whole
summer two, three years ago, trying to gather
up all the money. And I was working as a pool
lifeguard. You know, most of my money went away
with this. Well, it didn't went away because
I'm very proud of that investment, but it went
away to the company. But I'm always very proud.
And I understand that. Well, we understand that
if you have a purpose big enough and that if
you love that purpose and you're willing to risk
all you got or risk what other people may think
of you, it's worth. I mean, it's all worth it
if you want to work for it. And if this purpose
is really what you want to do. Interesting. So
you obviously we're, you know, there's an age
gap between the two of us. So tell me, do you
think a lot of your friends are into starting
businesses overall? Or you're like, you're the
black sheep of your friends, you're the only
one starting a business? Or there's no, that's
a very good question, actually. I would say my
friends, I'm very lucky to have a very Cool circle
friends actually because they're all even if
they're not starting a business or aiming to
start a business They do I mean they are very
hard -working men who try to pursue what they
want In any ambit of life, but I would say that
I'm not the black sheep because we all have maybe
the same interests Even though they don't have
other businesses or their businesses of their
own But we always push each other and you know,
it's basically this very good thing of surrounding
yourself with people you want to work with. Even
though my friends don't work, I mean, all of
my friends work with me at Scamite, I would like
them to work for me. Like if they said, all right,
I'm going to be your company, Paul and Charlie,
you're not going to pay me anything. I'm not
going to pay them anything. I mean, no, but actually
I would want to work with them because I know
them and they're very hardworking. So I wouldn't
say I'm the black sheep. I would say maybe we're
all black sheep, but I'm glad to say so. Okay,
that's a good thing. What do you see yourself
doing in the future? Because how do you see the
company growing? Wow, that's a very profound
question. Not in the next 10 years, because I
think that's always an impossible question. You
don't know what's going to happen in the next
10 years, but it's more in the sense that how
do you see the company expanding? To which markets
are you going to expand? What does that look
like? Certainly. So we are focused on two things
mainly. Obviously like taking out of this equation
all the getting better at social media, getting
better at content creation. but focusing on two
main things, trying to escalate how the link
tree, how this link tree I mentioned before works
and getting to add more things, making it more
aesthetic to the public and make it more attractive
to social media users in order for them to approach
our company and buy, eventually buy. And then
the quality of our t -shirts and hoodies and
every garment we make. We're trying to escalate
that and we are very invested into researching
about potential providers. So basically I would
say those two things like link tree wise and
then the quality and trying to get better designs
for the company. Have you ever thought about
putting like new stuff into the whole concept?
I don't know, NFCs or even getting, you know,
just getting different technologies onto the
garments themselves. No, we haven't explored
that option yet, mainly because we have a very
detailed program of what we're going to invest
the money we have right now into. And that would
not be on the first place. So that's a very farther
step on that we will have to approach later on
in the future. But hopefully, I have a scene
into all the NFCs and how we could use that in
order to benefit our business. But I wouldn't
say that's one of the priorities right now. And
what about this is an interesting question, which
is obviously you tend to wash clothes like everyone
else does So what happens when it starts to wear
out? You have like a guarantee that says, you
know, we can wear wear this t -shirt a hundred
times and it's gonna be fine Or how does that
work? Well, we have refunds but okay Nobody ever
has asked us for a refund because our clothes
are very great if they do not wash out No, but
um, actually if you just follow the instructions
we we send like watching it at a particular way
and all the things it is not washed out yet like
I'm for real it is not washed out and we're very
lucky to have these quality in our t -shirts
and hoodies and also in the design because it
hasn't happened yet I mean we haven't seen it
so we're very lucky to have that but we do also
have a refund policy as I've said before. You
launched a business in Spain Did you get any
support from the government or from any, you
know, local authority? How did that work? Yeah.
So actually business in Spain is, uh, right now,
I would say currently is quite a complex thing.
I'm going to have to be very careful with what
I say and how I say it. Well, I'm not a politician,
so you can say whatever you want. No, but we
hadn't yet received any help from the government
or whatever. We did not precise it though. Uh,
we're very lucky and. we've managed ourselves
in the company in order to not need any help
right now we're doing just good there's no there's
nothing help yet yes we're still exploring those
options and seeing how could how can we benefit
from these government policies towards business
well it's it's still work work to do there's
still work to do interesting yeah it sounds like
you have uh you know your work cut out ahead
of you and yeah yeah yeah yeah How are you thinking
about expanding for new countries? What's what
does that kind of look like? Well, it looks kind
of interesting. Me, my me, my study international
relations. And so I don't only understand how
every country is different. I mean, the people
in every country is different. But also, I had
the luck to live through it, you know, go into
different countries and see how people feels
about certain things. There's a lot of differences
about, you know, Regarding to how people feel
about a product and what use would they give
it to the product eventually? I would say that
We have explored other other arch especially
in the United States My associate Andy based
here in Madrid. It's very close and has a very
close connection to Miami as do I I have an uncle
living there and he has a lot of friends living
there and so we would we would see like as a
very good business option to someone or sometime
move or eventually go like a summer vacation
leisure kind of thing. But also, you know, taking
advantage advantage of how the people feel about
it, because we would feel we we think that people
in Miami, for example, let's say Miami would
feel more passionate about the product and would
say, All right, this is a good idea. Let me buy
whatever of these will feel more push like more
attracted towards this idea than in Spain. Because
in Spain, we are like, we are all, you know,
socializing, hanging out and all the things.
We're very open, but clothing wise, we're not
that open. We have a very youth kind of style
of clothing already settled up, settled and established.
And I feel that that establishing and that settling
down of the clothing industry is not that settled
down in, let's say, Miami, as I've said before.
And so people will be more inclined to open up
to this idea and finding out more about this
idea and eventually ordering. So we would feel
that, you know, for example, as I said, Miami
would or the United States will feel more inclined
to discovering more about these ideas or this
innovation towards the clothing industry. Do
you also work with young clothing designers or
you just you have a very standard design for
the clothes? Yes, yes, especially young clothing
designers because we feel that we have more connection
and without speaking they know what we want.
We know what they want. So we kind of like it's
a very good communication because we're both
invested in the whole, you know, university world,
hanging out and all the things. And so they offer
us always the best. when they can, the best prices
and also the best, you know, when they give us
ideas in order for us to sell better, for us
to approach the client in the better way. Interesting.
It's a very cool product. I mean, I'm not of
age to wear a T -shirt with QR code, but I could
think of a couple of situations I could wear
it actually, especially for events, right? So
you can actually wear that for events. It'll
be a nicer way of people connecting with you
directly, right? It works quite well. Yes, that's
also something that we have also, you know, thought
about the whole B2B kind of business and kind
of situation. Because maybe, let's say restaurants.
Post COVID, if the restaurants have, you know,
started to take out all the menus and starting
to use QR codes and a digital menu, right? These
QR codes may contain a virus or people would
even put like another QR code of the other QR
code that serves as a digital menu. So that leads
us leads to a lot of problems. And so we have
thought about the thing of taking the QR codes
and taking, you know, all the garments and things
and giving to giving them to the waiters first
to serve as the menu. So, you know, there's no
viruses or there's no things happening with to
the menu. And also we would think that that would
give more exposure. to the restaurant itself.
Like it's posting itself in social media and
to potential customers. We think that that would
be a very good idea. The only problem to that
is we've already tried it with several restaurants
and there's a big entrance barrier. I don't know
if you understand me. Like it's a big thing to
think about for restaurants. Like how does this
benefit me? They don't understand yet. Like with
this technology evolving, they don't understand
yet how this technology and how this idea could
really benefit them to the future, looking towards
the future. Yeah, no, I get that. That makes
sense. I think that another issue might have
is obviously the waiter might not enjoy having
a picture taken every single time that a new
customer walks in the room, right? Well, maybe
they can wear the QR or QR code on the back of
the hoodie. So, you know, maybe they can turn
around and I don't know. That will maybe be an
idea eventually. if we carry out this idea. Very
interesting. Santy, if people want to reach out
to you, how can you do so? Yeah, so people, me
personally, they can reach out to me through
LinkedIn. My name is Santiago Santif Ruiz. And
if you're looking to order something or you're
interested in knowing more about our company,
you can contact us through Instagram, ScanMyBrand,
or through mail, ScanMyBrand at gmail .com, or
through TikTok, ScanMyBrand. And you can see
what we do on a daily basis. All right. Sounds
good. Santi, thank you so much for your time.
Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure.
Thank you, Ricardo.