"...one simple advice for starting any business, settle in for the long haul." - Patrick Beraud founder of Bemoir.
From Accra, to London and Melbourne - Patrick Beraud is taking a different approach to media, memories and real life with the digital platform Bemoir.
Tell us about your career path and how did Bemoir develop? I started in Accra (Ghana) repairing computers, it was around the time of MS-DOS and the name Bill Gates was very much the person leading the pack. I then moved to network engineering, racking up various certificates from Cisco and Microsoft. That base became the catalyst for my landing an exciting job with a company called Computer Information Systems. Overnight I was a Workshop Manager leading over 20 computer technicians and solution architects in the largest Technology Transformation in the West African Region. I learned a lot from that experience, in fact my career genetic make-up is from that experience.
In 2005, after having led many career changing projects in West Africa, I headed to Australia and then in 2011 I moved to London to complete an Executive MBA. I graduated in 2014 and my main business project was featured on the "Internet of Things predicted to add over $14 trillion to the global economy over the next ten years", resulting in the development of Bemoir.
Bemoir has been a roller-coaster journey, more exciting and life changing than anything else I have experienced in the past. We started in London, before I moved it to Melbourne where my family is based, lost the whole team during the migration, then rebuilt the team again from scratch in Melbourne.
Bemoir is driving the concept of real life objects needing more of a message or documentation behind it. Tell us about the business behind this and what are the future plans? We already know that physical possessions are central to our identity as to who we are. However the experiences with those possessions are not captured. Bemoir enables everyone to capture and attach those experiences uniquely to any physical object.
Bemoir has gone through many challenges over the past two years. We tested a prototype in Dec-14, an Alpha in June-15, a private Beta in Dec-15. Now on the 30th of May 2016 we will launch our public Beta. Everyone can now start using Bemoir from the 30th May.
Our ultimate goal is that one day, everyone will have Bemoir because Bemoir as the name implies is: "To Be" or "Moi" or your "Memoir".
While Bemoir is free for all users out there, our immediate challenge is to find partnerships with businesses so that they can differentiate themselves by offering a personalized products to consumers using Bemoir.
What have been the some of the lessons you have faced in the business? Many and they keep changing a lot, but one simple advice for starting any business, settle in for the long haul. Also you get to be your most passionate motivator. Many people will come in, show excitement, promise you the world but after the first tiny challenge, they quickly drop off. That is the nature of the beast (business) and why you are leading it and they are not.
Any exciting happening in your career thus far? Well, Bemoir is exciting enough.
If you could name your own planet what would you call it? I don't want to name a planet, I want to go to a planet or at a minimum go to space - for space tourism and I will.
Message for the youth of the planet: Trade your expectation for appreciation and you will be very happy and successful.
About: connect and find out more on Bemoir.com - also check Patrick's latest project Tapnfeel.com.
