Kane Fulton, September 15, 2017 4 min read
It’s not every day that Sky’s flagship tech show Swipe comes to Leeds.
Filmed in the magnificent Duke Studios coworking space, the latest episode saw presenter Gemma Evans talk to local startups and Leeds Digital Festival director Stuart Clarke about what makes the city an ideal place to start a tech business.
Clarke was joined by Kimberley Bottomley (Head of UX at Cocoon); Max Adamski (Co Founder at JigTalk) and Melissa Hendry (Operations Director at Zimovi), who each took it in turns to face the camera.
They were even featured in a Facebook Live session that went out to 8 million people signed up to the broadcaster’s social media page.
Keep a look out for the programme, which will be aired throughout this weekend, and posted on the Sky News Swipe Twitter account.
We spoke to Stuart, Kimberley, Max and Melissa to find out what the experience was like.
What do you do?
Half the week, I run my own strategic marketing consultancy working with clients as diverse as wealth managers to contemporary dance theatre companies. The other half of the week, I work with a number of startups, helping them build their strategy and raise funds. The third half of the week (I did politics at uni, not maths), I run the Leeds Digital Festival.
How do you feel filming went on the day?
It was a really interesting insight into how companies create programmes. The Sky Team (Gemma and Nathan) were clear about what they were going to do, which made the whole afternoon very relaxed.
Do you have any advice for startups making their national TV debut?
When you think you’re out of shot during a Facebook Live session and get out your phone to check it, you’re probably not!
What does Cocoon do?
Cocoon is home security without the hassle. It takes just two seconds to setup via the Cocoon app and, with our unique Subsound tech, a single device can protect multiple rooms, sensing movement most cameras miss.
How do you feel filming went on the day?
I think it went well – certainly that was the feedback that was given, so I’ll take it! In all seriousness, it was great to have the chance to showcase both Cocoon and the Leeds tech scene on such a national platform.
Do you have any advice for startups making their national TV debut?
It’s easy to overthink things like this, to worry that you don’t know what to say. Even after the event, you worry that you’ve said the wrong thing! It might sound cliché but try to relax. Trust in the knowledge that you have in your product; your passion and belief in what you do will be what comes through on camera.
What does JigTalk do?
JigTalk is a mobile dating app that covers your face in 16 jigsaw pieces. The more you exchange messages the more the pieces pop away one by one.
How do you feel filming went on the day?
Filming a Facebook Live shoot was a new experience. Rather than going on a tirade about regret, I could’ve maybe provided some nuggets of wisdom viewers might not have known!
Saying that, I was very pleased with how filming went in the back room – on a personal note, if I’d have done that years ago, I would’ve probably been very unprofessional. However, this time I feel that I represented JigTalk very well and think I came across respectfully.
Do you have any advice for startups making their national TV debut?
Be authentic and talk slowly!
What does Zimovi do?
We’re a video hosting and engagement platform that helps businesses interact and engage with their video audiences.
How do you feel filming went on the day?
I enjoyed it! As there are many features and benefits of the platform it was a little hard to explain everything within a short time scale. As someone whose role is centered predominately around managing and monitoring the core business functions, my natural position isn’t in front of the camera, so I’m sure this comes with practice.
Gemma is so fantastic at putting you at ease and moving the conversation on naturally, so we were chatting away on camera in no time. It was great!
Do you have any advice for startups making their national TV debut?
Relax and enjoy it. Don’t worry to much about making sure you mention everything that your company does, as you’re talking about something you know inside and out, your passion and enthusiasm will show through.
