Founder Interview with Saif Rahman, Mobile First Entertainment

What is your startup and what does it do?

Mobile First Entertainment (MFE). We provide branded video apps for content creators to give them more digital control, and access to advertising. All for free.

At whom is your startup aimed?

Anyone who creates video on a constant basis. Youtubers, musicians, athletes, vloggers etc…

How does your startup stand out against its competitors?

We are the only artist-founded mobile video platform. Victorious and Vessel were all corporate funded out of the box. We have actually lived the lives of content creators. We know their struggles,and challenges. Ours is a grass roots movement to give artist more control over what they create.

Where did the idea for the startup come from?

It was after my last worthless meeting with an agent. I was still very much chasing the actor’s dream, and wanted to get access to better roles.  After an hour of meeting with another Hollywood agent, he told me he couldn’t help. I had all of these creative ideas and no one wanted to hear them. It was then I realized that it was important to find a way to share my ideas, without going through a studio or networks. MFE was born.

Did you have any concerns when starting your business, if so what were they?

So many concerns! Money being the biggest!  I was worried about how was I going to afford to start a business.

What is your business background, and what got you interested in startups?

I had a background in real-estate and I always enjoyed working for myself. That naturally led me to creating a startup.

How did you initially raise funding for your company?

My credit cards, selling my second vehicle, and savings.  After that, we approached friends and family.

What has been your greatest achievement so far?

Having our Kickstarter campaign go live. It’s a compilation of everything we had accomplished so far, so we are very proud of it.

How have you kept your business relevant and engaged with your audience over the last three years?

We havn’t even been around for three years yet! We are still very young, but yes, we have been very engaged with our core audience.

How long has your business been in making, and who is the team behind the business?

We have been doing this since late 2013. Our team is amazing. Especially Manatt Phelps & Phillips who came on board very early.

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

Getting people to understand that mobile video isn’t the future anymore, it’s the now.

In the coming year, what would you like to achieve with your business?

Give more control back to the people that create video and content.

What has been your most valuable lesson so far since starting your business?

To focus on one thing. To not be distracted by everything else going on around us.  It’s so easy to get distracted.  Focus on what we do best.

Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting a business, what would it be?

It’s an all in sort of thing.  You can’t give a half measure for a full return.  You have to put both feet in the boat, push out to sea, and believe you will make it to the other side.