Flatpebble.com: an idea that clicked

They had come to Microsoft, Hyderabad, from different paths. The job at the IT giant took them to different places and they finally ended up, together, in Kuala Lumpur. In an alien land, Venkatesh Seshadri or Venky and Pranav Mehta bonded and shared thoughts and ideas. One such session was epiphanic for the duo. They stumbled on an idea they were confident would click big, and turn them into entrepreneurs. They had zoomed in on the creative and growing field of photography.

Thus was born Flatpebble.com — an online service that connects photographers with clients. It lets the client post an assignment, which then alerts photographers within the target geography. The client gets to make his choice after reviewing work portfolios and detailed quotes from a set of photographers. Helpfully, the site also provides a rating of the work of the photographers.

The young duo decided to quit their well-paying jobs and take the plunge. With their personal savings and help from friends, they invested ₹16 lakh to launch the venture. It was a leap into the unknown for the first-time entrepreneurs.

The decision was especially tough for Venky. He belongs to a conservative family that prefers an engineering degree, a higher qualification from a foreign university and an MNC job.

“My parents pushed me in that direction. I had to take the decision to become an entrepreneur when they were away in the US,” recalls Venky, co-founder of TechClove Technologies, which owns Flatpebble.com.

A chemical engineer with an MBA from SP Jain College, Venky joined Infosys in 2000 and then moved to Pidilite, where the exposure of talking to dealers expanded his horizon and convinced him that technology was just one aspect.

People with technology background have knowledge, but no hands-on experience. He then went to Sweden and worked with Volvo, and later joined Microsoft.

What Flatpebble does is to change the way photographers are hired especially for weddings, birthdays, portfolio shoots, fashion events and product launches.

“The solution we provide helps people view work samples, get detailed quotes and engage a photographer safely on the web. The photographer is also protected,” says Venky.

In the last four months, 185 assignments for photographers estimated at ₹90 lakh have been processed through Flatpebble. “Our photographer base now covers 175 cities in India with over 1,000 portfolios and we are adding new profiles at an accelerated pace,” says Pranav Mehta, Co-Founder and CTO.

There are a number of products and companies that focus on photos, but Flatpebble decided to focus on the creative person behind the photo/image/visual or the photographer, says Venky. It is trying the ‘lean start up methodology,’ the latest Silicon Valley concept. Here, the idea is a hypothesis. You take it to the target audience and talk to select people and see if they buy it. Based on the feedback, keep improving. Flatpebble started with the ‘stock image product,’ created its platform, kept talking to its target audience — photographers.

“We thought photographers were more online — work with computers and are comfortable with the internet and know enough about the digital world. The result is Flatpebble.com,” explained Venky. An estimate reveals that there are nearly 2.5 lakh photographers for doing marriage photo shoots. Over 30 per cent are freelancers (a majority of IT professionals doing part time).

Flatpebble uses photography as an umbrella name for a bunch of services that include still, video, streaming and albums.

Flatpebble connects all these dots and its platform is built on the Cloud, says Pranav, who with a Masters Degree in Computer Applications, focuses on the technology aspects of the venture.

The professional photography landscape in India is fast changing, as consumers are willing to spend more to capture their special memories. With half a dozen staff, the company earns revenue through subscriptions from photographers and commissions. It recently raised funds through investors.

“Flatpebble is solving an important problem and bringing order to a disorganised market,” says Raghu Bathina, serial entrepreneur and investor.

“The candid photography space alone is a $500-million market in India and it is growing at 25 per cent year-on-year.”

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