David Xing is the founder and inventor of Plott, a line of Extended Reality (XR) integrated tools to help DIY’ers measure, design, and execute home projects with ease. At its core, Plott completely eliminates the strenuous labor of measuring objects or spaces by hand, so users can easily take on projects with greater efficiency. David talks to aspiring tech entrepreneurs on how to take an innovative idea and make it shine, solving an age-old problem, and making the best out of Augmented Reality. We had a chance to interview David and asked about his story, how he started his business and the feature of Plott.
Tell us your story. Why did you start your business?
The idea for Plott originated from the fact that we saw a lot of inefficiencies in DIY and home improvement. I love DIY projects, but admittedly very bad at it, so I thought there had to be a better way. When I spoke to other DIYers, I noticed the same factors I had trouble with were common in their struggles as well.
Currently, the #1 reason people don’t do DIY projects is because measurements are too complicated and projects rarely come out the way one expected it to look. When doing research, my team and I found that 80% of first time DIYers fail to measure accurately on their first attempt and as a result, simply do not want to pursue another project.
We saw the possibility of solving these inefficiencies by combining AR and hardware, creating an Extended Reality (XR) platform that combines the real and virtual worlds. The result is Plott, a technology that closes the loop between designing spaces with real-world scale and context, then physically being guided to the corresponding key points to make the alteration – transforming your ideas to life without the complexities.
How did you come up with your business name?
To plot or to mark a point in the real world is what separates us from our AR competitors, so we found it fitting to be our company’s name.
Tell us about your products and services. How do you help clients?
From idea, to virtual, to reality — Plott’s award-winning Extended Reality Platform known as “LetsPlott” allows users to conceptualize, design and measure in the AR virtual world, then bring their vision to life with actionable, turn-by-turn directions by making the designs possible for real world creations. It is a combination of immersive technologies that enables our users to change their own physical environments from concept to completion without the need to do any math or calculations. Simply measure and design in the LetsPlott app and the integrated Cubit or Carta hardware will guide users to precise, real world points to complete their project.
We are also integrating our platform with retailers where a marketing image on their site is no longer just an inspirational image, but also embedded with dimensions. For example, if a user likes a picture frame wall design for their family room, they can overlay the design in their own space to see exactly how it will look and fit, purchase, then follow our integrated hardware to find the precise points to hammer in the nail and physically bring the design to life in their real spaces.
Measurements and calculations are one of the most difficult, yet most vital aspects of a DIY or construction project. Plott provides the ideal problem-solving tools for anyone from the rookie DIYer to landscaper to professional construction worker.
What makes you unique? What is your unique selling proposition (USP)?
Plott is the world’s only XR platform that allows users to take their real design concepts in the AR realm and then allows the user to bring it back to reality with precise measurements and calculations. Our award-winning, integrated tools lets users save time, eliminate complex math and cut back on wasted materials during any job.
Where do you see your business in the next 3-5 years?
XR is trending and Plott is already utilizing “what’s next,” however we see its uses becoming increasingly helpful within the retail space. Our ultimate goal is to link consumers with retailers in order to assist both sides. Integrating with retailers will not only enable users to access objects quickly and view it in their own home, but they will then also be able to purchase the item directly from retailers within the LetsPlott app and utilize our platform to help install it.
This will also help retailers solve two major pain points for consumers: how something will look in their home and the difficulty of putting it together. Using AR in retail has already proven to help with conversions of items as our research found that an object viewed in AR is 11 times more likely to be purchased. Plott takes this an extra step and guides users in the installation process, addressing a key pain point which typically takes up additional time and effort.
Any advice you would give to entrepreneurs and business owners?
I fail a lot and that's not a bad thing. I fail consistently trying to be the most innovative I can be and when I do fail, I learn from it and the next attempt is better until you succeed. I recommend that people should not be afraid to fail and to try things out even if it is an outrageous idea.
What is your favorite business quote and why?
“A ship in harbor Is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
This quote is something I try and remember everytime we want to try something new. Yes, we may fail, but I will always learn something from it and if you're not pushing boundaries and trying new things, then you aren’t innovating.
What have been some of your achievements that you are most proud of? Why?
It sounds trivial, but my favorite moment of achievement was when my dad picked up one of our products, started using it, and I hear him say to himself, “Wow this is cool.”
Anything else additional you want to tell our readers?
Check out Plott at LetsPlott.com, or follow our journey by searching @LetsPlott on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.