Sri Lanka Meetup #256

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On This Week in Startups, Jason, Tyler and special guest co-host Shamal Ranasinghe (virtually) traveled all the way to Colombo for the first Sri Lanka meetup! We saw five entrepreneurs with well-thought out, competitive products, but only one won... But which?! Watch and find out.

1:00-2:00 Welcome everyone to the first TWiST Sri Lanka meetup!
2:00-4:30 We’re very excited to hear from five startups in Sri Lanka today. 
4:30-7:30 With us today is Shamal Ranasinghe, one of the co-founders of Topspin Media. Welcome Shamal!
7:30-9:00 Are the Sri Lankans an industrious people?
9:00-11:00 Thank you to Sourcebits for sponsoring the show!
11:00-12:30 Sesiri, what do you do in Sri Lanka?
12:30-16:00 Buddhika Siddhisena pitches ZoomBa, an enterprise app that helps increase employee collaboration and IT infrastructure functionalities.
16:00-17:45 What are some of the services you provide?
17:45-19:00 Do customers want the CRM services that you’re offering, as opposed to going with another provider?
19:00-22:30 Shamal offers his feedback.
22:30-24:00 Next is Jehan Bastian from eDGEVANTAGE, which offers web-based document and workflow management support.
24:00-25:30 I think we understand the idea. Who are your big clients?
25:30-27:30 What open-source software is this built off of?
27:30-31:00 Shamal, what are your thoughts about going up against big companies like this?
INSERT AD READ
31:00-32:30 Mangala Karunaratne pitches Xaffo, which is like Google Analytics for social media.
32:30-34:30 Is this product launched already?
34:30-34:45 Working on a low price isn’t as important as working on a killer feature.
34:45-39:30 Shamal: It’s a crowded space and anything you can do to focus on ROI for the user would be a good way to go.
39:30-42:45 Next we have Ehantha Sirisena pitching OWI Systems, a customizable hospitality solution for restaurants and clubs.
42:45-43:30 How long have you been around?
43:30-44:15 Tyler: Because it’s so broad, it’s hard to follow in a pitch. You’re better off focusing on one problem you’re solving.
44:15-46:45 Shamal: The pitch started off strong, but then it went in so many directions.
46:45-48:15 What’s the technological foundation in Sri Lanka?
48:15-50:15 Last to pitch is Ashoka Ekanayake of Let Go! App, a system for helping you manage and improve your emotional intelligence.
50:15-52:15 The name is ok, but the logo is bad. This is certainly the most original idea of the group.
52:15-54:00 Tyler: It would be amazing if you could tie this to your heart rate.
54:00-56:45 Shamal: I like emotional intelligence and I like the concept.
56:45-58:45 An insight from Tyler: This is like an out of work developer.
58:45-01:01:15 You just don’t want this app to be enabling.
01:01:15-01:06:30 Why did you build this, Ashoka?
01:06:30-01:08:30 Let Go! App is declared the clear winner! After a vote, second place goes to eDGEVANTAGE.
01:08:30-01:11:00 Thank you to everyone in Sri Lanka and thank you Sesiri for organizing! We’ll see you next time.

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Executive Producers

• Louis-Eric Simard
• Benjamin Gifford
• Jacek Artymiak
• Octavian Mihai
• Will Paoletto
• Geoffrey Clapp
• Jeff Hoffer
• Austin Miller
• Rashaun Sourles
• Robb Kunz
• Greg Berry
• Sean Lynch
• Mary Ann Halford
• Jim Joyce
• Morgan Howard
• Margaret Johns
• Kyle M. Brown
• Paul Cole
• Nick Duncan
• Magnus Ingvarsson
• Amir Ayalon
• Carlos Zaidenweber
• Avery Keitt
• Joshua Shipsey

Producers

• Eli Coler
• Ted Inoue
• Radek Rybicki
• Hunter Owens
• Ildar Khakimov
• Matti Hallanoro
• Rodrigo Dauster
• Rodrigo Fuentes
• Anthony Ortenzi
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• Michael Hofmann
• John Meneses
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• Michael Lustig
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• John Davies
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• Morgan Howard

Associate Producers

• Brad Pineau
• Kat Ganesan
• Nicholas Christian
• Mau Frontier
• Kyle Braatz
• Serena Ehrlich
• JD
• Alex Lotoczko
• James Kennedy
• Benoit Curdy
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• Joshua Rosen
• Grant Carlile
• James Smith
• Christopher Rill
• Elliot Myhre
• Nihon Giga
• Nathan Gielis
• Greg Meadows
• Rick Cartwright
• Jacques Struwig
• Robert Ward
• Adam Gering

Supporters

• Ryan Hoover
• Michael Cranston
• Josiah Thomas
• João Fernandes
• Petrus Theron
• Michael Wild
• Dale Emmons
• Tim de Jardine
• Alejandro Vasquez
• Milan Babuskov
• Chris Rowe
• Nelson Melo
• James Dawson
• Toddy Mladenov
• Daniel Torres
• Chris Macke
• Piotr Zuralski
• Armand Konan
• Brian Vogel
• Paul D
• Jennifer Sun
• David Kolb
• Sue Marrone
• Eugene Granovksy
• Will Blackton
• Ryan Dodds
• Brett Arp
• Jason Cresswell
• Edwin Orange
• Daniel Bradley
• Shawn Daniel
• Priidu Kull
• Patrick Desroches
• Alex Lam
• Paul Secor
• Ryan Urabe
• Madhu R.
• Paul Ardeleanu
• Ian Thomas
• Manny Alarcon
• Charlie Osmond
• Christopher Smitley
• Roshan H.
• Barcy Cordrey
• Matt Beaubien
• Matthew Smith
• Oscar Bueno
• Tim Hoyt
  
• Ian Gerstel
• Taphon Maddison
• John Bradley
• Luigi Armogida
• Dave Ferrara
• Janus Lindau
• Chris Mancil
• TR Ludwig
• Giles Thomas
• Jason Cartwright
• Michael Del Borrello
• Joshua Rosen
• David Karlberg
• Marcus Schappi
• Justin Furniss
• Mike Hauck
• Jess Bachman
• Isaac Hill
• Robert Haydock
• Dan Sfera
• Flaviu Simihaian
• Kiko Cherman
• Chandra Siva
• Kasper Andkjaer
• Zach Woodward
• Chris Galasso
• Chad Olsen
• Michael Grabham
• John Shiple
• Gregory Hoffman
• Chris Rickard
• Eskil Steenberg