In the latest episode of the "Create Your Kindspace" podcast, host Caroline Laurenson sits down with Catherine Ann Reid, the founder of Doqit. Catherine Ann's story is one of resilience, innovation, and a profound determination to simplify life’s complexities through technology. Her journey from a successful career in marketing to creating a platform designed to manage life admin is a testament to her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to helping others.
Catherine Ann’s journey into the tech world began over two decades ago with a significant life change. "Twenty-two years ago, I gave birth to my daughter, Chloe," Catherine Ann recalls. This period marked the beginning of a transformative phase in her life. Unexpectedly, she found herself navigating the complexities of a divorce while caring for a child with additional medical needs.
"Both her medical diagnosis and the divorce came with their own small rainforest of paperwork."
This overwhelming experience of managing endless documents and forms was the initial spark that led to the creation of Doqit. Despite being an organised person, Catherine Ann struggled with the sheer volume of information, especially as the world transitioned to digital formats.
"I had what I describe as piles, files, and clouds. I was quite an organised person, but I think the tipping point for me was when I paid my tax return late for the third year in a row and as a single parent, I thought, I can't afford this. I would rather have burned the money out of my back garden.
This was Catherine Ann’s tipping point. Frustrated and determined, she realised the need for a comprehensive solution.
"I thought, right, I need to get something to help me, and I couldn't find anything. There was nothing. There were solutions out there that were doing bits, but they were complicated or just seem to take an awful lot of effort. And I thought, I'm a busy mum, I need something that I can have at my fingertips. It can just be there to go, 'Hey, you need to do this,' or 'Here's that piece of paper,' or 'Here's that bit of information,' that was just going to be easy. I thought, 'Well, somebody is going to crack this. Why not me?' And that was when it started."
Doqit is a web app designed to consolidate and manage life admin efficiently. "Doqit gives you a single place where you can hold your information," Catherine Ann explains. The platform allows users to store essential documents and set reminders for important dates and tasks. Whether it’s national insurance numbers, insurance policies, or passport copies, Doqit provides a centralised location for all of life’s critical information.
"So Doqit is a web app. What does that mean? It means that you can access it on your phone or on your desktop wherever you feel more comfortable. And it gives you a single place where you can hold your information. I talk about day-to-day life admin, and day-to-day life admin isn't every day. So, it's things that you might need. When we think about information, it might be things like your national insurance number, your national health number. It’s things that you don't need all the time. But when you do need it, quite often you think, I don't know when that is. So, you can hold information like that in there."
One of the core features of Doqit is its reminder system. Users can set reminders for various tasks and documents, ensuring they never miss crucial deadlines. Catherine Ann shares an example:
"If you've got a car, you can put in your car registration number and Doqit will instantly tell you when your MOT and your road tax is due." This feature helps users stay on top of their obligations, avoiding fines and ensuring compliance.
Catherine Ann emphasises the simplicity and utility of Doqit. "It's like having a friend in your pocket," she says, highlighting how the platform is designed to be user-friendly and supportive. Unlike other solutions, Doqit does not give advice or sell user data, focusing instead on helping users manage their information effectively.
Catherine Ann's journey to creating Doqit was fraught with challenges, particularly as a non-technical founder. However, her extensive experience in the marketing industry and her determination to solve a significant problem propelled her forward.
"I knew that things could be achieved. It was really about keeping my powder dry and taking time to make sure that we found the right development partner."
Finding the right development partner was crucial. Catherine Ann and her team collaborated with a venture builder who provided comprehensive support, from front-end and back-end development to quality assurance and product management. This partnership allowed them to refine their concept and build a robust platform tailored to user needs.
“I knew that it if we'd gone to a design-led business that had a couple of coders that they would build what we wanted for the budget that we had, but I wasn't sure that what I wanted was the right thing. So, I said, well, I would want that for me, but how was that then going to translate into what customers wanted? Because I'm also not a product person. So, I pulled together a fantastic team of board advisors. I've got a great co-director as well. We've all got very different skills. We took time to find the right development partner, which was a venture builder who had all of the front, back-end, quality assurance, products who before we even cut a line of code with them, we revisited every aspect of who's the customer? What does the customer want? Why does the customer want it?”
Doqit’s impact on its users is profound and varied. Catherine Ann shares several heart-warming stories that illustrate the platform's value.
"One user, who had been using Doqit for only three weeks, expressed her gratitude after it helped her during a job interview. She had forgotten to bring a third form of ID but quickly accessed a copy of her water bill through Doqit, saving her the trouble and stress of going back home.”
Catherine Ann also shares a particularly compelling story about a woman who had been working since 1980 and had carefully kept all her annual benefit statements for her works pension.
"She had very diligently kept all her annual benefit statements," Catherine Ann explains. Over the years, the pension company had been taken over multiple times, and when the woman reached retirement age, the amount the company stated she was due was incorrect. "She was able to go back because she had diligently kept a lever arch file with all her annual benefit statements and produced the original documentation that the company who had subsequently been taken over didn't have."
This story underscores the importance of meticulous record-keeping and how Doqit can simplify this process. "It's fascinating to see how people approach their life admin and find both mundane and creative ways to use the platform," Caroline remarks, emphasising the diverse applications of Doqit.
Catherine Ann's journey and Doqit highlights a broader issue: the overwhelming nature of life admin in the digital age. Through extensive research and testing, it became clear that people are struggling to manage their administrative tasks, leading to significant stress and financial losses.
One startling discovery from the research was the amount of money people lose annually due to inefficient management of their life admin.
"It's costing people roughly £1,400 a year in money that's leaking, and that's leaking to the subscriptions we mentioned. People not renewing... allowing insurance to roll over, so they're not getting a better premium. Fines, because they're not getting their tax return. So, it just leaks. It leaks out."
Additionally, people are spending a considerable amount of time each month trying to stay on top of these tasks.
"Believe it or not, we're spending about 32 hours every month on average trying to stay on top of it. And over 50% of people in the UK are stressed as a result of just the sheer overwhelm and trying to stay on top of it."
The financial and emotional toll of this inefficiency is significant. Overwhelm and worry about impending tasks can create a persistent sense of anxiety.
"Overwhelm, worrying about having that voice in the back of your head going, I think there's something due. I mean, that was where I was at. When I wasn't on top of my paperwork, I felt as though I was wading and swimming through the treacle all the time because I just couldn't get my act together. It was kind of made worse by the fact that people were going, you're doing a great job as a single mum. I just felt I had more balls falling in my head than there was rain falling from the sky because I never knew when anything was due. I couldn't find anything."
To help address these challenges, Doqit incorporates practical advice and reminders that are crucial for staying organised. For example, the platform shares tips inspired by experts like Martin Lewis, ensuring that users are reminded to submit readings, check bills, and stay on top of renewals to avoid unnecessary expenses.
"We share a lot of Martin Lewis's advice, and we say, as per Martin Lewis, we don't brand it as our own because we don't give advice, but we do share a lot of his articles because they just make good sense. And his advice, particularly around insurances and just even giving people a nudge to say, don't forget to submit your gas and the electricity readings. And by the way, check your bill. You might be underpaying; you might be overpaying. All of those little nudges just help people avoid... Gives them peace of mind and avoid any shocks around getting... Maybe finding that they've been underpaying their utility bills and they've got a bill for £500, because nobody can afford that these days."
By providing a streamlined, user-friendly platform, Doqit helps users manage their information and stay organised, ultimately reducing stress and financial waste.
As Doqit continues to grow, Catherine Ann is committed to staying responsive to user needs and feedback. She acknowledges the potential of AI to enhance Doqit’s capabilities but remains focused on ensuring that any technological advancements serve a genuine purpose for users.
"The possibilities with AI are endless, but it always has to be, is that what the customer wants?"
Looking back, Catherine Ann reflects on the journey with gratitude and a sense of accomplishment.
"I know now so much more than I knew when I started."
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to be curious and persistent, and not be afraid to seek support.
"Just ask. Just reach out to people, even if you've not met them. People are busy, but people are kind."
Catherine Ann’s journey is not just about building a successful tech platform; it's also about maintaining balance and finding joy in everyday life. She finds solace and inspiration in her community, particularly through her daughter, Chloe.
"Being part of Chloe's community is where I can go any day of the week to be a part of that, to create that kind space."
Chloe, with her determination and positive spirit, is a constant source of motivation for Catherine Ann.
"Chloe is an incredible young woman. Her determination to be all she can be is quite incredible."
This deep bond and shared journey have been instrumental in shaping Catherine Ann’s perspective and approach to both life and business.
"Chloe had to learn to walk three times because of surgeries. And I've got a photograph that any time I'm feeling a bit, can I do this? And it's Chloe running, holding a bean bag. And I use the term running really loosely, running at her speed. But the sheer grit and determination in her face. And I think, do you know what? She can do I can do anything."
Catherine Ann Reid’s journey from a marketer to the founder of Doqit is one of resilience, innovation, and unwavering determination. By transforming her personal challenges into a solution that helps others manage their life admin, she has created a platform that not only simplifies complex tasks but also provides peace of mind.
Her story serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and individuals struggling with life’s administrative burdens. Through Doqit, Catherine Ann has demonstrated that with the right mindset and determination, it is possible to turn obstacles into opportunities and create meaningful change.
In her own words, "Start small, it's like anything, it’s like life, it's a marathon, it’s not a sprint." With Doqit, Catherine Ann is on a mission to bring order to the chaos, one document at a time.
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