Singapore Sparks Interview: Vincent Ha of Gushcloud

How would you describe Gushcloud if it was a friend?
Gushcloud is the hot young thing that has just walked through the door and whom everybody now wants a piece of.
Where did the idea come from?
In May 2011, we were tasked to spread a video supporting a local minister during the General Elections period. We managed to share the video with close to 3,000 youths overnight, but it was a tedious process that involved emails and phone calls. It was then that we came up with the idea of a word-of-mouth marketing platform.
What do you believe drives a consumer to use Gushcloud?
Each consumer gets rewarded for doing what they do every day: sharing about brands they love and engaging with these brands. The incentives are exciting. On Feb 10, we launched the donation tab, which allows users to donate to a cause of their choice. Soon, users can redeem gifts and products directly from sponsor brands.
Where do you see Gushcloud in the next two years?
I believe Gushcloud is going places. We want to revolutionize the way people do their marketing online and become the Google Adsense for social media.
What’s your take on the local startup scene?
It’s growing, and fast. A lot of startups are contented with creating a good product for the Singapore market. There’s nothing wrong with that but if you’re trying to change the world, the only way is to do it on a regional or global scale. This market is way too small to support multiple startups doing the same thing. There are plenty of good ideas and people but we all need to work with each other to break out into the region.