Thieab Aldossary, co-founder of Feelix Ltd
Thieab Aldossary is an experienced and passionate start up entrepreneur working towards making a difference in the world. He has over a decade’s worth of experience in the field of product development, Engineering, Intellectual property commercialisation and fundraising. Thieab is the founder and CEO of the start-up Feelix LTD alongside the cofounder Nikita Kransnytsky (CTO), Askar Sulaimanov (Hardware lead), Demid Strukov (Software lead) and chaired by Rakesh Roshan (an accomplished start up entrepreneur). Feelix LTD is working on haptic communication technologies to enhance interaction with software applications, VR, Meta and AI, the aim is to revolutionise communication through a multi-purpose haptic platform. The company is at a proof of concept (seed) stage with prototypes, patents and a modest team of 6.
What is your background? What made you decide to get involved in supporting entrepreneurs?
My background is in Design Engineering, during my degree I developed a number of products. Afterwards, I went on to work in the field, I was able to develop the haptic concept in my own time and later had it patented in the United States, my career shifted when the US law firm offered me a role in the firm. There I learned how a designer or engineer can create valuable IP assets and raise or generate funds from them. I previously founded another start up and found the whole experience exciting, after an experience like that there’s no going back.
Entrepreneurship for me is bringing to life an idea, whether that be a physical product, service, film, art or music. A successful entrepreneur is one that can live off that project.
How and when did you know your idea was good enough to develop it?
The idea was originally developed as a solution for visual navigation impairment, however using many of the concepts and adapting them for first virtual reality and later meta we discovered there’s an opportunity here. For me it was when Sony contacted me last year and started looking at ways to work with me, at the time there was no team and had to quickly get one in place and validate the product. We now have our team in place and are building, measuring and learning more about what our potential customers what to see.
What would you say are the top 3 skills that needed to be a successful entrepreneur? Why?
1. The ability to know who will be prepared to pay for your product.
2. The ability to actually generate revenue.
3. Ability to manage a team and guide the project to the goal together.
What is your favourite part of being an entrepreneur?
Being creative. I love the freedom that comes with it, I think that is who I am and I am able to express it in so many mediums as an Entrepreneur.
What individual, company or organization inspires you most? Why?
That’s a tough question, I admire so many people! You need to learn from them! For me it’s a tie between Steve Jobs and Elon Musk.
Steve Jobs because he injected a lot of creativity into something that was probably boring to a lot of people (the computer). Apple leads when it comes to using computers for Art, graphics, Music and film. The fact that Steve Jobs created Pixar and sold it to Disney demonstrates his unique ability to blend art and technology and top it off with the business acumen to make a second hugely globally recognisable brand is admirable.
Elon Musk, simply because he’s the head of so many huge and different businesses, Tesla automobiles, Twitter social media and Space X and has so many kids wow. With both these individuals it’s the ability to manage so many different things and make it work. Mostly though with them and so many other great people it is the passion to push humanity forward into exciting places.
If you had 5 minutes with the above individual/ company/organization, what would you want to ask or discuss?
I think I would ask them to take a look at my business and ask them what they would do if they were me. I would have my pen and notepad ready to write everything down!
What has been your most satisfying or successful moment in business?
I think recently it’s been building the interest and passion around what I am doing. Seeing the team grow and the technology being developed makes that daydream become a reality. After all, that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.
What would you say have been some of your mistakes, failures or lessons learned as an entrepreneur?
I think previously it was developing a product too quickly. The money we raised we spent quickly (because we had to) and in the end we had something that not only didn’t work well we didn’t know where to go from there. We were back at the beginning in a way. I heard today “the fastest way to get to where you want to go, is to go slowly” I think with new and novel ideas I believe that, don’t cut corners or rely on assumptions. Take the time to test it, evaluate it, learn and repeat. Be sure and don’t rush it!
How have you funded your ideas?
I have won competitions and obtained grants in the past. Now however I have built a team of cofounders around this project, they have the skills to make the products internally which makes us stronger and more sustainable than before.
Are there any sector-specific awards/grants/competitions that have helped you?
In the past (in a separate project) I won a competition called Challenge22. Although the funds did not go towards this specific project the experience taught me a lot about what to expect once you receive an investment and what preparations need to be in place beforehand.
What is good about being an entrepreneur in Oxfordshire? Bad?
Oxford has such a vibrant community! There are so many experienced people in so many fields in a small space. Access to a community like this with so many events is priceless. I am very privileged to be here and to be part of it because the community can help you overcome many obstacles. Oxford is a beautiful place which helps in those times when you might struggle, being in a beautiful environment with nature helps mental health and personally I really like the easy access to London, there’s so much opportunity!
If a new entrepreneur or startup came to you looking for entrepreneurship resources, where would you send them?
I would send them to the Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) in the Oxford library, great resources, an awesome community with events like the start up huddle that’s open to all and most of all the energy Ryan Johnson and Unai Gorostizaga bring to the place is incredible!
Any last words of advice?
If you get knocked down.. Get back up.. quickly!
