Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Darlyn Reyes, founder of Hornville Games Limited, located in GTA, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Hornville was born out of the idea that we could use more critical thinking and empathy in this new world of constant divide, access to infinite information, and disinformation. Critical thinking is something that grows through practice and exposure to different styles of thinking. That's where Hornville comes in; it’s a simple tabletop game about bringing fun to better decision-making through serious arguments about horns, glitter, and teacup dragons. It’s the gamification of critical thinking made for the classroom, the avid board game group, and perfect for family game night.
Tell us about yourself
My background is varied but stems from a solid foundation in retail and consumer packaged goods. But I like to see myself as an inherent problem solver. So, after a two-day debate over the latest news headline, I decided to take my experience in Marketing, Product Development, and eCommerce and try to leave a positive imprint on the world through something as simple as encouraging play.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Normally when you develop a game, you would get the game play-tested with as many people as possible. With COVID, that was challenging. We were able to get Hornville prototypes into a few schools and homes along with anonymous surveys to parents, teachers, and kids to get their unadulterated feedback. This was scary as a lot of effort was put into the game already, and kids are very honest. The anonymous feedback received was the validation that I was headed in the right direction with over 85% of the kids indicating they would play again.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest aspect of being a business owner is realizing how much you don't know and juggling time vs. money to determine what you lean into and learn vs. outsource.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Understand the end consumer and never lose sight of who they are.
- Learn from others, ask questions, and network as much as you can.
- When developing your route-to-market, create multiple options/ scenarios, and don't be afraid to pivot.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://linktr.ee/hornville
Facebook: https://facebook.com/Hornville
Instagram:https://instagram.com/Hornville/
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/darlynreyes/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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