BillPin CEO Darius Cheung: Being a Second-Time Entrepreneur is a Double-Edged Sword

If you’re well-versed in the Singapore technology startup scene, you probably know Darius Cheung. He is the co-founder of tenCube, which was acquired by McAfee back in 2010. At present, he is embarking on his second startup, BillPin, with some friends he met during his NUS Overseas Colleges stint. Coincidentally, most of the co-founders are also second-time entrepreneurs.

How BillPin Came About

Some of you might recall in the interview with BillPin co-founder Aileen Sim, she mentioned that having to live in shared households poses a problem because most expenses are shared – from bigger expenditures such as rent and utilities, to minor ones such as groceries and McDonald’s delivery.

As for Darius, having lived overseas for 15 years, he has resorted to various expense-tracking services. He used to keep track using Billmonk, but since the acquisition six years ago, the service has become dated and lacks sufficient mobile support. In recent years, he has also used platforms like Google spreadsheets, Evernote, and even WhatsApp group chats to track shared expenses.

But none of these solutions were ideal, so the team decided to build something that was: BillPin. BillPin is designed to allow you to keep track of your shared expenses fairly, lowering the risks of you getting into an argument with your housemates.

How BillPin Works and Some Statistics

Available on both iOS and Android platforms, BillPin is simple and straightforward to use. All that is required is for me to click on the “Bill” tab located at the bottom of the screen. I will then be brought to the next screen to “Select A Friend” from my contact list, indicate whether I owe my friend money or vice versa, enter the amount, and the purpose for the amount owed. All the minor details will then be recorded in the “Events” tab, and the general summary will be in the “Home” tab (pictured below).

Users who do not have the app will receive an email notification once the bill is pinned, and users who have the app receive both push and email notifications. It is also a plus if you have a Gravatar profile, because your picture will show up in the list too.

Darius tells us that while there are many bill-splitting apps on the iTunes App Store or Google Play, they do not notify friends once there is a bill pinned. He explains: