Finland-based mobile application developer Scrooge seeks to recruit a new kind of advisory group to support its growth, labeled the Millennial Board. Rather than assembling a traditional group of business leaders and investors, Scrooge is looking for young digital natives to be selected based on an Instagram video application. The aim is to ensure that the company's product meets the needs of users, not only the views of investors.
"Startup companies are praised for agility, breaking boundaries and stirring up the status quo. Yet, startups adhere to a lot of very traditional practices that are too seldom challenged, advisory boards being a prime example,” said Samu Saastamoinen, Scrooge CEO.
An Advisory Board is typically composed of experienced and well-known professionals. The aim is to strengthen the company's image and open doors to potential investors. On the flipside, this type of an advisory board brings a risk of steering the management’s focus toward satisfying investors, rather than customer needs.
"The most likely early adopters of our product, mobile application that splits the costs fairly between friends, are active young people born between 1980 and 1990," explained Samu Saastamoinen. “While we founders are already past this age, Scrooge makes a huge effort to keep pace with the users. We believe the best way to achieve this is to gather sparring partners that represent the target group.”
A conventional advisory board consisting of experienced gurus often adds more value to presentation slides than to the actual product. The path chosen by Scrooge to assemble a group of young, eager and motivated individuals is geared towards delivering relevant and action-oriented advice right from the start.
"Moving on, it is very likely that we’ll also utilize the views of experienced strategic experts, but right now our main focus is in product development,” said Janne Haila, Scrooge Creative Director. “In addition, we expect the Millennial Board to help in devising marketing strategies that aim for user acquisition in media and communities used by our target group."
Scrooge now seeks for suitable Millennial Board members with an online campaign, supported by an active presence in TalentIT and Arena recruitment events in Espoo and Helsinki, Finland, in early November. Candidates are invited to present themselves and their development ideas with an Instagram video.
"We hope this novel recruitment campaign dazzles the target audience, and if it doesn’t, it just shows how desperately we need the input of the Millennial Board,” concluded Janne Haila.
Millennial Board online campaign site: www.scroo.ge/millennials
Company website: www.scroo.ge
Photos for media: http://bit.ly/scrooge-media-kit
For more information, please contact:
Samu Saastamoinen, CEO, Scrooge Ltd
samu@scroo.ge
+358 50 994 2220
About us
Scrooge Ltd
Established in 2011
Product
The Scrooge mobile application designed for splitting costs and debt management, available on the iPhone, Android and Windows Phone
Application Downloads
5000 (October 2015)
User Reviews
4.6 / 5 (Windows Phone)
The largest market areas
Finland, United States, United Kingdom, Italy
Ownership
Founders and private investors
Awards
AppCampus Award 2014
Aalto Pitch! 2015 Contest victory
http://www.nordea.com/fi/media/uutiset-ja-lehdistotiedotteet/News-fi/2015/2015-04-24-start-up-yritys-scroogen-sovellusidea-sai-tunnustusta.html
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ScroogeApp
Twitter https://twitter.com/scrooge_app
Headquarters
Aalto Start-Up Center
Energiakuja 3
00180 Helsinki, Finland
http://www.start-upcenter.fi
Scrooge® is a registered trade mark in the EU