TechCulture Staff We sat down with Will Fairley, founder of Fonotech Sound Lab. Fonotech is a fully licensed music equipment retail startup that builds and sells electronic upgrade kits and peripherals for DJ equipment to individual musicians and corporate music production customers.
Will, thank you so much for joining us today! A pleasure to have you on.
My Pleasure, thank you for having me!
Alright, let’s get straight to it! Can you tell us a little bit about Fonotech?
We’re a music gear startup from Melbourne, Australia retailing and manufacturing innovative electronic music hardware. We’re centered around building and selling electronic upgrade kits and peripherals for DJ equipment. Additionally, we’re committed to promoting the circular economy by selling upgrade kits for older models to remain current and keeping good gear in use through refurbishment.
Wow, that sounds like a really unique and innovative idea! I’m excited to hear more about it. What inspired you to start Fonotech?
I’ve always been driven by my life goal to ‘make cool stuff.’ It sounds nuts, but I literally repeat this little mantra almost daily, and that keeps me focused on delivering value. Three years ago, I saw an opportunity in the electronic music hardware space, the stars aligned, and I started the business. I never knew it would lead to us becoming the fastest-growing music tech startup in the country!
Truly inspiring! It’s great to have a clear goal to keep you focused and motivated. Which product are you most proud of and why?
Argh, so many are up there, but I’d have to say I carry the most pride for our Xone:23 Rotary kits; they transform a boring old linear DJ mixer into a bona fide rotary mixer. This was a product we built from the ground up and on a shoestring of a budget. Taking it from an idea to a fully-fledged consumer product in a year and watching the sales soar was ecstatic! It’s since become our best selling product, with thousands of satisfied customers both nationally and globally.
Wow, that sounds really impressive! It’s great to see a product you create do so well! Are there any more projects in the pipeline you’re excited about?
Oh, to be sure! We’ve got an upcoming plug-and-play mod kit to transform the 2006 disc-only CDJ-1000mk3 into a USB-enabled, touchscreen, crime-fighting superhero! We’re also in the prototype phase of a solution to end drink spill damage forever, but we’re playing that one close to our chests.
Super exciting, as I can speak from personal experience about many great electronic devices lost within seconds to a mere cup of coffee! What advice would you give to a new entrepreneur?
It happens to the best of us! As far as my advice goes: LEAN, LEAN, LEAN! That’s the advice I would offer anyone starting a startup. It’s going to cost more than you think, so be frugal, build, measure, learn (And you never stop learning), and don’t be afraid of failure. Too many entrepreneurs fall at the first hurdle, but remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint! Well, actually, it’s more of a sprinting marathon.
Fantastic advice; it sounds like you have learned a lot from your own experiences. Will, thank you so much for your time today! Where can readers learn more about Fonotech and what you offer?
My Pleasure, thank you for having me on. Our best advice nearly always comes from personal experiences! Readers can learn more by visiting our website at fonotech.com.au.
