Building a product-based startup is not an easy journey especially when you are bringing an innovative product to the market. We invited Sean Hayes, Founder and CEO of More Connection Co., to share what inspired him to launch his startup and give tips to other early-stage tech founders. 

What inspired you to launch More Connection Co.?

I was inspired to launch More Connection Co. by the research I was involved with while getting my master’s degree in psychology from Queen Mary University London, and my past long-distance relationship. I was writing my dissertation on a phenomenon called interbrain synchronization using an electroencephalogram (EEG) hyperscanning experimental setup. Essentially, when two people interact in real life, their brainwaves synchronize. This is found in various situations but is consistently associated with feelings of connection and is shown to increase with eye contact. It was clear to me that the pain of disconnection I was feeling in long distance, could to some extent, be reduced in some way if it could be possible to make eye contact on video calls somehow, like we do in real life. So, I made the More Connection Cam, which solves this problem.

Tell us more about the More Connection Cam.

The More Connection Cam is a simple-to-setup, portable, foldable, lightweight piece of computer hardware that allows you to simultaneously look at the person you are talking to on a video call while also looking into the lens of your webcam. In order to use it, first you need to connect your smartphone to your laptop so that it can be used as a webcam. For Apple users, this is a built-in functionality – just turn on the continuity camera setting on your iPhone. For all other users, there are several apps that allow you to have this same functionality for free, but we recommend using Reincubate’s Camo as we found it to be the easiest to set up and most reliable. Once this is done, simply slide your phone into the More Connection Cam, select your phone as your webcam on the video calling app of your choice (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.), and you will have the highest quality and least screen-obstructing eye contact webcam on the market at your disposal.

For both people to be able to make “video call eye contact” with each other, however, just like in any good relationship, both people will need to make an effort. This is because when both people set up their own More Connection Cam, each person can look at each other on the call and look directly into the camera. This allows for an “axis of eye contact” where, when both video calls are center-screen, both people can look into each other’s eyes.

As a tech startup founder, what challenges have you encountered on your business journey and how have you tackled them?

I think the thing I have found most challenging, and what I am currently struggling with, is this notion that it feels like you have to do everything yourself. If you have a particular vision for what you want your company or product to be, it has to be you who creates it. At times this can feel like an overwhelming pressure, but it’s important to see the flip side. You GET to create it. Perspective is everything, and though, OF COURSE, you are the one who has to make your dreams a reality, once you actually make the thing you are trying so hard to make, you give others the opportunity to get on board also.

If there was one key piece of advice you would like to share with other tech founders, what would that be?

Take care of yourself and find the important stuff to focus on. Both of these things are pieces of advice that I need to continually remind myself of and are often filled with mundane tasks. Things like going to bed earlier, keeping the good habits, fastidiously avoiding the bad ones, and doing the pieces of work that you don’t want to do but know that you have to. Also, I think that these are not the same for everyone. I’ve found that the outcomes that I achieve in my personal and professional life in some way mirror how I feel, and if I am not doing the right activities that foster my own personal development, well-being, and health, I’m just not going to have the energy to pursue and create everything that I want to. Also, making sure that you are keeping this process of starting a business fun for yourself is important too.

Where can our readers learn more about your business and connect with you?

You can reserve your own More Connection Cam, learn more about the product, and join our mailing list at www.moreconnection.co, follow the company on LinkedIn and/or also on Instagram @moreconnectionco. Thanks for reading!

Sean Hayes is taking over our Community Circle in the Co-created Hub Membership to speak about his startup journey and share how he has used creativity to fuel business and personal growth. You can visit our membership page and sign up for our 7-day complimentary access pass to attend the event and connect with Sean.