Matevž Petek, known in Slovenia mainly as the top freestyle snowboarder, in cooperation with the entrepreneur Jugoslav Petković, successfully started a new company Povio. Their product, also called Povio, is an application for smart phones which has met with the approval worldwide. It could be described as fast exchanging of photos among two users, which can be joined by others. The picture quality is not important, "liking" is not required. And that’s important because it makes Povio suitable also for shy members of the social networks. Now that Povio has been accepted by the reputable Y Combinator accelerator, the 30-year old Petek likes California even better than before.
Petek describes his California experience: "It is an intensive programme lasting four months. You gain three things: the starting capital which allows you to test your idea or product immediately on the market. Some of the best and most successful businessmen become your mentors – e.g. the founders of Gmail, Reddit, Groupon... Within the batch you connect and are in touch with the best entrepreneurs from all over the world. In my batch there were individuals from 22 countries, all of us sharing the same mission: how to establish a company as fast and as efficiently as possible, and how to overcome the problems we encounter. The influence it has is unbelievable, something inside you just ‘clicks’. It reminds me of running in a group, where everybody around you is running at a fast pace, and they simply pull you forward. You learn to work fast, to quickly test an idea or a theory on the market, and to find a working solution as fast as possible. Your idea is only the beginning."
And who is most interested in Povia? "Our users are mostly teenagers, but the share of users over 30 years of age is not insignificant. Presently we are focusing on the young, mainly because they direct the trends within social networks, while the older just follow their lead. The young like to try new things, and are the first to test them. They accept changes easier and get used to them faster than older users. The older you get, more reluctant you get to change. It is a fact of life," says the young entrepreneur whose goals are "superambitious". He is aware, however, that his final goal is still out of his reach.