Going the distance

Research
“We identified our market, sent out surveys, talked to everyone we could and then made a plan,” Narra says.

Find a compatible partner
“Before we jumped in, Swapna and I talked a lot about what our personal goals were, what was important to us in a business, what our values and ethics were, and what type of company we wanted to create.”

Network
Chicago is a hub of entrepreneurial activity, Narra says, and if you need help, all you have to do is ask. She lists groups like TIE Midwest, Tech Cocktail and Built in Chicago as good places to meet like-minded businesspeople and find mentors.

Work quickly
If you have an idea and think it’s great, chances are, there are probably ten other people working on the same idea at the same time. You want to be first on the market. That said, if you do discover a similar company, “don’t let it get you down,” Narra says. “Just be better.”

Test, refine, test, refine
“We go straight to the source and ask, ‘What did you like about the process? What didn’t you like?' Once we get that data, we refine the process and test again. This needs to happen on both a macro and micro level.”