<commit_before>---
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title: <NAME>, VP of Operations of Milao Language, tells us about their innovative language training technology and the importance of planning everything ahead
tags: tchen
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Nowadays, people are starting to realize the importance of learning a second language but are scared about the difficulties in the learning process. That’s where Milao Language comes into play. Milao Language is a Waterloo-based technology startup developing solutions that focus on transforming language learners into fluent communicators. Using proven methods based on linguistics research and advanced technologies such as natural language processing (NLP). Today, we are honored to have a Q&A with VP of Operations of this amazing start-up.<commit_msg>Add entire contents of Joe Lee interview post<commit_after>---
layout: default
title: "<NAME>, VP of Operations of Milao Language, tells us about their innovative language training technology and the importance of planning everything ahead"
tags: tchen
published: true
---

![Milao Language](/http://c3inspire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/highres-milao.jpg)
Nowadays, people are starting to realize the importance of learning a second language but are scared about the difficulties in the learning process. That’s where Milao Language comes into play. Milao Language is a Waterloo-based technology startup developing solutions that focus on transforming language learners into fluent communicators. Using proven methods based on linguistics research and advanced technologies such as natural language processing (NLP). Today, we are honored to have a Q&A with VP of Operations of this amazing start-up.

### What was your objective when you decided to start a business?
The company that I am a part of is called Milao Language. My objective was pretty simple. I wanted to see if it made sense for me to work for myself, “B.Y.O.B. – Be your own boss”. That is a motto at the Conrad Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology Centre at the University of Waterloo, where I completed the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) program and the business that I am involved with got commercialized.

### What was the process of turning your idea into a business? What did you do first?
It was almost like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle. There were many pieces. Some fitted. Some didn’t. Some were even missing. Officially, when we got started, we had a team of four people. I was the business/market person on the team, so I did a lot of work around trying to understand the language learning market and players in the space.

### What is the problem your business desire to solve?
The success rate in language learning is worrisomely low: only one in every 25 adult language learners can achieve native-like fluency. Many of the language products and services that exist in the market today are geared towards grammar and vocabulary education. Yet, fundamentally, we do not leap from knowing more grammar and vocabulary to knowing how to communicate in another language. We have created an intelligence, online language tutor that allows students to enjoy text-based conversations in a language that they are learning. This will give language students an edge in their race towards fluency because they can now learn how to put the grammar and vocabulary to good use and practice as much as they want.

![Milao Team](/http://c3inspire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_9213-300x200.jpg)

### Were people in your team all strangers before start-up? If you start a business with your friend, what kind of things you need to look out for?

Yes, in fact, we were all strangers. <NAME>, the current CEO of Milao Language, came to the MBET program with the concept I just described, and she spoke with many of her classmates about it. Eventually, two other students and I were chosen to begin this journey with her. We all got to know each other and became friends while working on this startup.

### What kind of backgrounds/experiences to you think is crucial to a start-up team?

Honestly, I think it depends on the kind of venture you are starting and the industry you want to be in. Now I know that there are a lot of people with different theories on what is crucial and what is not. However, in the end, you mostly don’t know. <NAME> was fond of retelling the story of how his calligraphy class changed his life and his startup. When you are doing a startup, you are more likely than not to be missing some key backgrounds/experiences, so I think it is more crucial for the team to have the right attitude and the right mindset first.

### How did you obtain the initial funding? How much was it? Where did it go?

We tried obtaining our initial funding through pitching and business plan competitions, and the MBET program helped a lot because some of our traveling expenses got covered. We experienced bigger and bigger wins as time went on because we got better at what we were doing. We recently won $25,000 of funding through the JumpStart program, and we were also selected for the People’s Choice award when we pitched for JumpStart. We are closing in on another funding milestone but we have nothing to announce at the moment. We do know that the money will be invested in product development and business development.

### What was the early advertising strategy you adopted to promote your product/service?

We made a corporate / investment pitch video and shared it with some people. We also did a lot of social media early on. There wasn’t really a strategy behind it because we did not have a lot to advertise. We were just trying to get some awareness. It seems that everyone is working on a startup in in Waterloo. So we were promoting the company as much as we were promoting our product, which was at a prototype stage at the time. I supposed that was our (realized) strategy, if that is how you want to put it.

### If you can restart over, what can you have done to make it better?

I would probably have tried to figure out how we could start product development sooner, because it was a bit of a mad dash to get the beta ready during the summer. However, we are in a good shape right now and we are beta testing our product at the University of Waterloo with beginner Spanish students right now. We are very excited.

For more information, please check http://www.milaolanguage.com/
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