We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Delian Petrov & Lawrence Stevens a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Delian and Lawrence, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The concept for FridgeGuide Ai originated from a blend of personal experiences and a shared commitment to addressing a common challenge. In 2015, I devised ‘FridgeBuddy’, a straightforward tool designed to aid individuals in discovering recipes based on their available ingredients. While the concept lingered, it wasn’t until 2023, during a visit to a local farmer’s market in San Diego with Lawrence, that the inspiration clicked in. We had no clue what to cook with the brussels sprouts we bought and what ingredients at home were available and fresh to use. The “lightbulb moment” hit when we realized that other people also struggle with these same problems and how much food is going to waste.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Yes, of course! I am the CEO of FridgeGuide Ai and possess a robust understanding of both software engineering and business acumen after founding two companies and profitably selling one of those. This allows me to make balanced decisions that are ambitious yet feasible in the best interest of our project. On a more personal note, my diagnosis of ADHD encouraged me to seek solutions for better organization, management, and tracking related to groceries and cooking. This quest led to the inception of FridgeGuide Ai.
Our COO, Lawrence Stevens, offers a vast range of expertise in marketing, project management, and vendor acquisitions. His open, humble demeanor and impressive communication skills make him an extraordinary sales representative and key to forming strategic partnerships. Within FridgeGuide Ai, he is extremely meticulous and well-organized in structuring and successfully executing various projects related to sprint monitoring, marketing, sponsorships, etc.
Our Lead Software Engineer, Viktor Kadiyski, has been crucial in establishing the architecture of our mobile app. His experience with large-scale applications, gained from working at a global company, brings an invaluable wealth of knowledge to the project.
Our product, FridgeGuide Ai, is an all-in-one app to help you manage a kitchen inventory of your grocery store items, track expiration dates, and create new, high-quality recipes with assistance from AI (artificial intelligence). Our mission is to help user’s save time and money with a broader commitment to contribute positively to environmental sustainability and promote responsible consumption practices.
The app allows users to generate personalized recipe options tailored to the specific user’s dietary preferences based on the groceries that are currently in the inventory. FridgeGuide Ai will suggest using items before they expire and continually update each users’ inventory to eliminate the presence of expired items, enabling users to curtail unnecessary grocery spending effectively. The recipes can be filtered based on type of cuisine, serving size, cooking appliance and cooking time.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I met Lawrence Stevens on a dating app in August 2022. At the time, we were not looking for a relationship but there was an undeniable connection. We became official partners in October 2022 because we shared qualities of kindness, empathy, and humility. From a professional standpoint, my big-picture outlook and prowess in full-stack software engineering complements Lawrence’s detail-oriented approach and proficiency in strategic business operations. We both see the potential to leverage these diverse skill sets with our shared sense of ambitious, hardworking determination.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Yes, my side hustle indeed evolved into my full-time career. Initially, FridgeGuide Ai was a project I pursued outside of my regular job. Setting a deadline to finish the app by mid-May 2024 was a significant milestone. It provided a clear target and motivated us to work diligently towards completion.
The app’s release will coincide with one of the most exciting developments in securing an exhibition presence at the United Nations AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. This opportunity allows FridgeGuide Ai to showcase our innovation on a global platform. Our booth provides the chance to demo the app in person and virtually to a large network of AI professionals, international government officials, and researchers. This exposure is invaluable, not only in terms of networking but also in generating interest and anticipation for our upcoming launch. Learn more about our efforts at AI For Good at https://aiforgood.itu.int/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fridgeguide.ai
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/fridgeguideai/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/fridgeguideai
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/fridgeguideai
- Other: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@fridgeguideai Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/fridgeguideai