We met Matt and Chris at our entrepreneurs’ dinner with Tom Maddocks as after-dinner speaker. A bit more about them and their company, We Are 5K.

What’s the elevator pitch for your business?

We are a purposely small, independently owned digital design agency based in Shoreditch, East London. We specialise in the design of digital services; working with a mix of digital applications across mobile, tablets and new technology interfaces. We combine extensive big agency experience with a boutique approach to client relationships.

What were you doing before you launched your business?

I have been delivering digital products for the last 8 years across mobile, tablets, iPTV and beyond. Once a developer / designer, I then moved on to managing large scale design and development teams for clients such as Channel 4, Intel and Virgin media for my previous employer

Where did you meet your co-founders?

I met Chris and James whilst working at ustwo, a design studio which we saw grow rapidly over a short period of time. The three of us wanted to get back to that small studio feel, whilst retaining the big company delivery standards that we had become accustomed to.  So at the beginning of 2012 we handed in our notice and each invested £5,000 (hence 5K) to get the business off the ground.

What’s your biggest ‘hindsight’ moment?

Choosing a bar as our first office – too much temptation!

What will 2014 bring?

The launch of VELA: our self initiated application for sailing enthusiasts. It’s a tool that sits across your tablet and the ReconJet to provide a connected ecosystem for the sailing community, both on and off the water. The tablet experience allows you to plan, share and sync your sailing activities, giving you access to live information through the Recon Jet glasses as you sail. Check out the concept video here: www.go-vela.com

Alongside this we will continue to design great digital solutions for our existing and new clients.

1 piece of advice for someone starting a business in the your space?

Define your goals and values as a company before you do anything else. For us, the first three months were tough. We didn’t want to take any clients with us from our old company and as we had a clear idea of the type of projects we wanted to take on, we ended up turning down certain opportunities, even if it meant working unpaid out of a makeshift office in a private member’s club as a result.

Convince someone to use your product/service in under 50 words.

We design simple and elegant solutions to complex services, by constantly questioning and evolving our design process. We deliver the highest quality visual design and ensure the UX is best in class. Most importantly, we value our relationships with our clients and aim to deliver the highest levels of service by making them part of the team.

What’s your favourite London restaurant?

Tricky one, as I am a bit of a foody. I am a big fan of Hawksmoor. The surf n turf is my absolute favourite and the bone marrow they do there is delicious. One place I recently went to was Tohbang, a Korean restaurant in Clerkenwell. Great food and pretty reasonably priced.

We Are 5K Director’s Bios

Matt Pollitt, 5K, Managing Director, London

Matt has been delivering digital products for the last 8 years across mobile, tablets, iPTV and beyond. Once a developer / designer,  Matt moved on to managing large scale design and development teams for clients such as Channel 4, Intel and Virgin media for his previous employer, before leaving to set up 5K with Chris and James at the beginning of 2012. Two years on he is now fortunate enough to spend everyday working with a team of nine passionate designers and support staff delivering pixel perfect, engaging experiences across digital platforms for some of the biggest brands in the UK and Europe.