Although there has been a lot of talk about virtual assistants (chatbots and voicebots) in recent years, very few people actually know how to build them or understand how they work. That’s not the case with this startup from Pardubice Feedyou and its founder Vojtěch Dlouhý, who is helping them conquer Europe and making it easier for companies to enter the world of automated communication. Vojta and his mentor Jan Přerovský, who has experience at places such as Brand Embassy, the startup Yieldigo, and in Microsoft’s top management, spoke about their collaboration within Ment2Grow, sharing responsibilities, and friendship. „Even after the show ended, we still get together. I still enjoy it,“says Jan.
Vojto, with Feedyou, you help companies automate repetitive communications and processes. Your chatbots and voicebots are used by companies in 30 countries in Europe and beyond. In another interview, you mentioned that you’re planning your biggest investment in the product yet for 2022 and want to continue expanding into the CEE and DACH regions. (Central and Eastern Europe, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; Ed.). Was this the main issue you wanted to address through Ment2Grow?
Yes, the vast majority of our sessions focused on how to set up a sales organization, select the right talent, and establish a partner-based sales model, and we also talked a lot about growing the company through investments and acquisitions, because that’s another way to scale the business.
As part of the M2G program, you went on a business trip to London, which was organized in collaboration with the British Embassy. What did you do during that visit, and how was it beneficial to you?
There were a lot of things to consider. I even lived and worked in London for a while, but for a foreign company. First and foremost, it was about the local culture —during the workshops, we discussed the nuances of starting a business in Central Europe and the UK, how to sell there, whether it’s better to run the business from Prague or have staff based there as well, how to recruit them if necessary, what formal requirements are involved in finding a local investor, and so on. Fifteen to twenty startup founders participated, and I’m still in touch with most of them; we share our experiences, which is very beneficial. In addition, during the workshops, I met people who have been working in the UK for ten years or more, so I had a better opportunity to gain insight into real-world practices, which can often differ from theory.
And are there any other highlights from the program you'd like to mention?
The biggest highlight was definitely working with Honza. The second most valuable part was the trip to the UK I mentioned earlier, followed by a series of webinars focused on B2B enterprise sales and marketing. My highest expectations for the program were definitely met.
Jane, you already have some experience with mentoring. What motivated you to get involved with Ment2Grow specifically?
I enjoy it—that was my main motivation. And I admire people who devote a part of their lives to it—their time, money, and, above all, their energy. They believe in themselves and in the people around them. I like to make time for mentoring while I’m working and help them out. I enjoy meeting people like Vojta.
Are you also involved in the program? Let's do it!. As a mentor, how would you evaluate both programs?
They seem very similar to me; the discussion is essentially the same. At DoToho!, it’s more about companies that are solving a specific problem and don’t necessarily have global ambitions. From the start, the startups in Ment2Grow have been saying, „Sure, this is my home turf, but I mainly want to be out there.“.
And would you like to get involved as a mentor again in the future?
Sure, if a suitable candidate for my mentee comes along, then definitely.
When Riva matched you and you found out who your mentee or mentor would be for the next few months, did the match make sense to you right away—was it a „love match“ from the very beginning—or did you have reservations about the executive board’s choice? How did it turn out?
Jan: We hit it off right away when we first met. But I already liked Vojta based on his photos, website, and so on.
Vojtěch: I’ll admit that when Riva put us in touch, I wasn’t very enthusiastic, because the first thing I saw on Honza’s LinkedIn was YourPass, and even though I’m rooting for the guys and it’s a great startup, I knew that, at the moment, Feedyou would benefit more from a seasoned businessman with years of experience. But that was really just my superficial (lack of) knowledge. Riva told me to give this partnership a chance. I’m grateful to her for giving me a nudge—she was right. It’s been great ever since my first meeting with Honza. We met regularly and then on an as-needed basis—I had him saved as a “business friend” in my phone.
Honza, you used to work at the startup Brand Embassy, and at first glance, it seems there might be some similarities between it and Feedyou. During the mentoring session, did you recall any situations from BE that you shared with Vojta and that might have helped his startup?
Definitely, 80% of what we’re discussing here at Brand Embassy—whether it’s expanding abroad, convincing a customer or investor, hiring the right people, or building teams… Of course, this isn’t just about sharing experiences from BE. And it’s definitely not a one-way street where I’m just mentoring and dispensing wisdom—there’s value coming from the other side, too. For example, we talked about investors and our experiences with them.
What caught your attention about Vojta's startup?
I was impressed by Vojta’s drive. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what the product is—what matters is where Vojta wants to take it. We didn’t discuss the product’s functionality, technology, or anything like that at all; instead, we focused on the business and HR aspects of the company.
Why would you recommend Ment2Grow to startups or mentors?
Vojtěch: First and foremost, I’d recommend it to every founder, especially those at tech B2B startups. The program as a whole—the way it covered everything from business to marketing to networking—is comprehensive, and everyone can take away what they need from it. And the question is whether I would have even met Honza without Ment2Grow—certainly not to such an extent. After a while, we became friends.
Jan: By the way, I didn't even know that Ment2Grow had ended (laughter), we keep running into each other. I still enjoy it.
Vojtěch: I enjoy it, too—we’re actually about to have another session. It’s also nice to see that for others, too, it’s not just about nice articles in Forbes and the like—every day you also have to deal with things you don’t enjoy, which are often difficult, especially in the last three years, as we’ve been going through one crisis after another…
Jan: A shared worry is a smaller worry. Even though in the end you have to figure it out and deal with it on your own, you can talk about it, realize that there’s someone else who’s been through it, that it’s not such a tragedy after all, that there are ways out, and that it’s normal.
Vojtěch: It's great, because being a founder is a really lonely job. I often wish I could give someone a hug (laughter), but I can't—I have to be the one who acts like everything's fine. This way, I can open up to someone outside the company. So yes, sometimes even founders need a hug. 🙂
Jan: That’s true. 🙂 I have to say that, in my opinion, companies with a single founder command even more admiration than those with, say, two or three founders. The founders can always support and complement each other—one drives the other forward, and vice versa. A single person has a lot on their plate.
Author: Tereza Bartošková
