Startup Survival during Covid in Portugal

Tiago Perdigão, CEO of Fractal Mind tells us how they are enhancing experiences with the power of Gamification and Design Thinking.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Tiago Perdigão: Fortunately we all have been safe and there are no Covid-19 cases in the family. But times are tough, as we have to work from home and my five old kid can’t go to school, so very busy at home!

Tell us about you, your career, how you joined Fractal Mind.

Tiago Perdigão: I had a long career in Sales, Retail, and Marketing in different countries working for big multinationals before joining Fractal Mind to help the Founder – a good friend – evolve the business. And soon after I became the CEO and partner of Fractal Mind.

How does Fractal Mind innovate? 

Tiago Perdigão: We innovate by bringing gamification to the world! Our innovation is within people’s engagement at work, as, recent studies show that more than 85% of people are disengaged at work. Using a game thinking process and gamification mechanics, we create ecosystems that are not only more engaging but also bring transparency to everyday work objectives. In a nutshell: we make people happier at work which leads to a better quality of work, and in the end, better business results.

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your business finances?

Tiago Perdigão: It was really tough at the beginning, as companies closed down and all projects were halted. In the second stage, the business started slowly to get back to normal, but a new normal, where everyone was still wondering what the future was going to look like, thus afraid to invest in long-term projects. At a later stage – at the end of 2020 – there was finally a spike in business, as companies realized that Gamification could be the missing link in these new times, where people were all adapting to the new normal, and, in the process, loosing more and more engagement and focus on targets.

Did you have to make difficult choices regarding human resources and what are the lessons learned?

Tiago Perdigão: I have a personal decision that I wouldn’t sack people; if the company goes down, we would go down together as one. This decision brought the team together more than ever before, so we could overcome the crisis. I reduced my salary by half, and even with that, I didn’t receive it for 6 months! I always believe in people, that when fully committed, they can do anything.

How did your customer relationship management evolve? Do you use any specific tools to be efficient?

Tiago Perdigão: We use the same tools as almost everyone: video conference and messaging systems.

Did you benefit from any government grants, and did that help keep your business afloat?

Tiago Perdigão: Yes. And it was a major help for us to stay afloat. I believe that without them we have gone out of business.

Your final thoughts?

Tiago Perdigão: We all know the impact that Covid has brought to everyone, everywhere. People and businesses had to adapt with a speed that was never seen before, with all the good and bad that comes out of it. I firmly believe that this pandemic is, in many ways, an eye-opener to all in important matters as healthcare, family, working conditions, and sustainability. The world will never be the same, but we are all still trying to figure out how the new normal is really going to look like…let’s not forget that there is still a long way to get rid of this silent, adaptable and deadly SARS-COV-2 virus.

Your website?

http://Fractalmind.pt