This document contains summaries of conversations with the co-founders and operations manager of four companies that are part of the Gilcrux family of startups: 1. EatAds co-founder Dhruv Sahgal describes meeting Gilcrux founder John Gilfillan on LinkedIn and being introduced to his business partner, leading to co-founding EatAds. 2. ApexPEAK CEO Nick Gan describes meeting John while working on other startups and helping him with a pitch, leading to co-founding ApexPEAK. 3. HelpLearn Asia Operations Manager Geraldine Neo describes John already having a portfolio of businesses and looking for someone to manage HelpLearn,

1. EatAds
An online marketplace for discovering, planning,
buying and selling outdoor advertising space.
In conversation with co-founder, Dhruv Sahgal

2. Joining the Gilcrux family
I 'met' John on LinkedIn! I had a small digital venture with a few friends
and had been reading about the startup scene in Singapore. John seemed
like an interesting person to reach out to for advice. That meeting
resulted in him introducing me to my (now) business partner Nigel and
co-founding EatAds.
EatAds was built on two premises - John's reading of the Outdoor Media
Industry and our observation of few emerging trading platforms in the
USA. More than 6000 of the total 7000 of our listings listings are from
India and we are in the midst of relocating there to service the market.
Working with John
John is a great guy to work with, unconventional, and a true hustler. He is
very knowledgeable in digital marketing which we find immensely helpful
in the way we design our site and strategies to generate organic
traffic.
The co-working space
The workspace is great, we behave more like a family who dips into shared
resources (from accounting help, to quick design work, a video or
technical advice) when required. We respect each others' space and time
but also are welcomed to reach out if we need help. EatAds has a
segregated room (nicknamed 'the fishbowl') because we are often on sales
calls.

3. ApexPEAK
Helping small and mid-sized businesses to gain
fast and affordable access to working capital in
order to grow their businesses.
In conversation with CEO, Nick Gan

4. Joining the Gilcrux family
I met John at another co-working space in Blk71 where we were working on
our respective startups. At that time, John was a one man company with
two startups - EatAds and Dropmysite. With my finance and investment
background, I helped him with a pitch for Dropmysite for Angel's Gate's
first season. That set the perfect tone for a great working
relationship.
The idea to build a marketplace to trade debtors has been with John since
University. When his friend from South Africa was looking to start a
business, John pitched this idea to him. That's how ApexPEAK started.
Working with John
John is essentially a sales guy (and a good one at that). But what
differentiates him is that he delivers and executes on his promises. He
has a good ability to take feedback and apply it. He has proven himself
to be an excellent hustler, which is a crucial trait for entrepreneurs.
The co-working space
The workspace grew organically. Instead of having each portfolio company
with separate addresses, it just made more sense to house all under one
roof and share services and expenses. We all follow one common culture -
'Do More Faster'.

5. Helplearn Asia
Aimed at helping small medium enterprises gain
digital marketing wisdom throughout Asia, through
seminars around Asia, detailed online video
tutorials and arranging consultations with the
experts.
In conversation with Operations Manager, Geraldine Neo

6. Joining the Gilcrux family
John already had a wide portfolio of businesses and was looking out for
someone to manage HelpLearn.Asia and we met through a mutual contact. It
was an exciting opportunity. With John's extensive experience in online
performance marketing, he was often approached for advice in that area.
As these requests grew, he saw the demand and decided to startup a
company to organize regional seminars for the real-life implementation
of integrated online marketing campaigns. HelpLearn.Asia was launched in
March this year with over 200 attendees benefitting from a two-day
seminar focussed on the basics of marketing. Thought leaders and
seasoned change agents in the digital marketing landscape like Keith
Timimi, Daryl Arnold, Jonathan Liu and John Fearon let the audience in
on practical measures they could expedite in their marketing
professions.
Working with John
He's a go-getter. He says it, he means it, he gets it done.
The co-working space
It's my cerebral pod - creativity multiplies, stuff gets done and good
things happen here.

8. Scroll down to see key learnings from a serial entrepreneur