We recently spoke with Kribb (formerly Communley) Co-Founder Akshat Sondhi about his personal journey, and his experience as a Stone & Chalk resident. This is his story.
How did you get here?
Akshat, or ‘Aki’, traded Auckland for the Gold Coast in 2010. Without a local social network or knowledge of the area, he ended up in a flat share with a friend of a friend. The next 10 months were memorable, but not in the ways he had hoped – stuffing towels under your bedroom door to block cigarette smoke isn’t the most relaxing way to unwind after all.
It soon became apparent Aki wasn’t alone. As he explains, most people you meet can speak in depth about negative co-living experiences. “It’s almost a rite of passage”. After all, you can only fully discover people’s habits and idiosyncrasies by living with them.
What is Kribb?
In a nutshell: a curated co-living service that uses advanced personality analysis (informed by AI and ML) to match customers with compatible housemates in beautifully furnished shared homes. Essentially it connects customers with better people to live with and better places to live in.
Kribb also hosts regular events and outings for its residents, bringing together like-minded individuals and helping create a strong sense of community.
So why join Stone and Chalk?
A culture fit
Curating a positive and balanced working culture is crucial for any company. One of S&C’s core values is: ‘Be Cheerleaders For Each Other’ – backing each other for success in a supportive working environment. This aligns closely with Kribb’s own mission to bring people together and to foster a sense of community via its events.
As Aki put it: “The S&C environment is one which promotes energy, hustle, and has a level of infectiousness that rubs off on you. The people are genuinely nice, likeminded and promote a positive working atmosphere”.
A helping hand
S&C supports residents in various ways – from sharing industry tips and tricks to introducing Founders to our Innovation Partners.
A recent hands-on example is the conversion of a Sydney event space into an apartment for the launch of Kribb’s rebrand on 15 December.
Any major challenges?
Building a business comes with all sorts of challenges, however, according to Aki, the most important issue is attracting and retaining talent.
Obviously, the project itself is the main draw, but the S&C culture and engaging working environment – with its ample break-out spaces, refreshments on tap (literally), and ping pong table – are certainly selling points.
As Aki explains, his team is free to work flexibly between the office and home, but most of the time they choose to come in.
What’s next for Kribb?
In a word, growth. Despite the impact of coronavirus, prospective customers have continued to sign up to Kribb’s platform throughout 2020. That is testament to the quality of the product, and confirmation of the opportunity for domestic growth:
“Our audience always needs a roof over their heads, and they want a sense of community”.
Also, within the next 12-18 months (COVID permitting), Kribb plans to expand into the US. As Aki puts it: “The Australian market is where we were born, where we have learned. When we are safely able to, we will look at starting in New York, with an established playbook”.
This playbook has been years in the making, and Aki is confident it will translate well to the US market – especially in densely populated cities where co-living is a common phenomenon.
Interested in becoming a Stone & Chalk resident? Apply now to see if we’re right for you and your startup.
