Interview with Lionel Yeo, co-founder of YeeOuch!com

Continuing our SG Entrepreneurs series, we go one on one with Lionel Yeo, one of the youngest Spirit of Enterprise Finalist and Co-Founder of the most oddball company, YeeOuch!com. The 23 year old co-founder talks about YeeOuch!, business and the challengers faced in the current day.

YeeOuch!com is not your regular run of the mill company. From the name to the company’s “Cut the Crap”, it is clear, that there’s more than just computer code and coffee that drives YeeOuch!com. It’s something called DNA and it could explain why Lionel is one of the Youngest SOE finalist ever.

SGE: I understand that you have a background other than business. Could you tell us more about yourself?

LY: I actually graduated from the University of Western Australia with a degree in Mathematics. I majored in Operation Research and Applied Statistics. I know it’s pretty out there but I took a whole bunch of finance, economics and accounting units in first year, so I’m not really a stranger to business. What I have found is that a technical degree like mathematics is a great foundation for anything, especially business, because it trains your logical thinking and analysis. I’ve volunteered to give a series of talks to promote it.

SGE: So can you tell us more about YeeOuch!com?

LY: Absolutely. YeeOuch!com is the online review engine that allows users to review and recommend others about anything; restaurants, service, books, the lot.

You can research products, services or items before you buy them, and even promote your own business or blog by putting it up and allowing users to rate and review it. Businesses get to view feedback of their business and improve on their weaknesses.

One popular use users have found, is to expose bad service by giving that organization a bad review.

Basically, you can go online and decide what book to read, where to eat or what movie to watch. You can also avoid some serious lemons out there.

The great thing about YeeOuch!com is that localized for each country. The sign up is ridiculously easy and site flows very quickly.

SGE: This is the question on everyone’s mind. Why do you guys call it YeeOuch!com?

LY: Everyone asks us that! Originally we want to get Ouch.com. However, it was taken and we could not afford $500 to buy it from the owner. After two days hopelessly scanning names, we decided to add a prefix to Ouch.com with “Yee”. YeeOuch!com is actually the surnames of both co-founders. Ziig’s surname is “Yee” and mine is “Yeo”. So the ‘O’ is much larger to form my surname.

These days, you’re faced with lots of clutter. You always get excuses, office politics or bureaucracy. Most of this is unnecessary and doesn’t do anyone any good. YeeOuch! is the expression when you get a sharp quick pain. It’s like saying, “Wake up.” and “Get real”.

Everyone at YeeOuch!com believes there has to be a better way of doing things. We want to cut the crap out of things that make people’s lives difficult. This is reflected in the software we produce; minimal clutter. For example, in the sign up, we only ask for your email and password. Everything else is unnecessary.