Master vocabulary effortlessly with HEYLAMA

Hello Sherzod, when and how did you come up with the idea of Heylama?

When I came to Germany, I started learning German with different apps. However, after a few weeks I was still barely able to say sentences and had difficulty communicating with authorities or talking to others. Due to my low learning development with the existing apps, I accordingly had little confidence in speaking. I thought about how to learn languages more effectively and how to develop self-confidence as well as confidence in speaking. It was clear to me that an app with teacher support would lead to greater success.

What were your biggest concerns and fears?

Since I did not grow up in Germany, bureaucratic and official procedures and processes are very demanding and complicated for me. In this context, there are many rules which have to be observed and taken into account. During the creation and development of Heylama it was important to keep an overview and thus find an appropriate solution for the right problem. In this context, it is important that the offered solution solves the existing problem in the first place. In addition, fundraising, i.e. raising liquid funds, has been a major challenge. Like many things in founding my startup, I was doing this for the first time.

Looking back, what would you have done differently in the startup phase? What were the biggest mistakes you made before or during the startup?

It's easy to say in hindsight what didn't work out well or what you could or should have done better. However, things often happen as they happen and that's (usually) a good thing. During the development of Heylama we tried different hypotheses and features and of course it would have been helpful not to have to do some of them. In the end, however, all of our attempts led to a learning experience that we could build on or we were able to try a new approach again. In that sense, there is no right or wrong for me. The things that didn't work out well or mistakes that were made, I see as learnings and grow from them. It is important to get support or to ask for it. In the founding process of Heylama, for example, Antler helped to establish contacts and drive initial processes.

How did nxt milestone support and help you?

nxt milestone piqued my interest because it was recommended by friends and provided support in obtaining public funding, among other things. As we worked together, nxt milestone guided us through the entire startup process like a navigator. Many founders are at home in the technology industry or work in a product-oriented way, including us. Accordingly, we are not experts in financial planning or business models. This is where nxt milestone came in and introduced us to the elementary things bit by bit and contributed to a positive development. Over the course of our collaboration, this has developed into a real friendship.

What is a FuckUp for you?

A company startup is directly related to a bank and related company account. At the beginning of the venture, it took us several months to open an account, receive funding, pay staff and thus move the project forward. So you often need a lot of patience and staying power when it comes to implementing relevant steps.