The Student and Graduate Series: An Interview with Economics Student Mark Batunskiy
Category: Blog
By Janice
09/05/2017
Could you tell us a bit about your background?
I am a second-year Economics with finance Student with a few internships behind me in the business field. I have been dedicating most of my time over the past 18 months to working with my partner Navid Meyer on Nameydo.
What is the idea behind Nameydo?
The idea behind Nameydo is to make travelling more accessible for students like myself. When you are on a budget, planning a holiday, especially long term, can be a huge burden. Not to mention the difficulties of trying to find good deals. We want to help budget travelers see the world.
How does Nameydo work?
The way we want to achieve this is by connecting like-minded travelers and encouraging them to share their resources with each other. This reduces waste and saves costs. Unlike many other operators within the sharing economy we do not impose any fees or restrictions on our users. That way, if you think you have something that can help others, you are free to share it. It can be as small as a sim-card, a book, or a tent; and as a big a ride, or accommodation.
We further support travelers through a social component where you can find locals to show you around the city or find travel mates. This feature further strengthens the community. Finally, through a large affiliate network we aim to supply our users with the products they need from name brands at attractive prices.
Where is Nameydo available?
We are a free social platform available online on any device under www.nameydo.com We are working on the design for an app currently. However, this is something we are going to wait with until after our second round of investment.
What attracted you to the University of Edinburgh?
Apart from the University`s great reputation, I absolutely love the city. The people all have a fantastic attitude when it comes to collaborating and are welcoming of new ideas. Pursuing a four-year degree allowed me to take on more courses. I was able to get insight into areas such as accountancy, which would not have been possible elsewhere.
What are the main benefits of studying a degree in Economics and Finance?
It sets you up for both private enterprise and working in a large corporate firm. Economics gives a more general view whilst finance focuses on the small details and prepares you for practical work.
What role have your studies at the university of Edinburgh have in shaping the idea of Nameydo? Do you feel it plays a role is fostering startup businesses?
The great diversity of students made the testing of our idea easier. We could gather feedback and mold Nameydo to the needs of the target audience. The large number of students who experience the problem we are solving boosted our confidence in Nameydo`s success. Along the way, Edinburgh`s Launch.ed has provided guidance and support to not only me, but also many other young entrepreneurs. Professors, and societies have all shown to be very encouragement also. Countless events and seminars helped lay the foundation for a confident guidance of the company.
We are looking to accelerate our growth and add to our team, especially the IT department. For any follow-ups, comments or feedback on Nameydo please do not hesitate to get in touch.
M.batunskiy@nameyo.com
Website: www.nameydo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nameydo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nameydo
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-batunskiy-408b5311a/
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First published on Company Connecting February 2017
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