Meet Sylvia Yin, the energetic and innovative Batch Director at Iterative. Sylvia has significantly contributed to the startup ecosystem, guiding numerous founders through the challenges of building a business. Her journey is marked by impressive achievements, relentless curiosity, and a touch of humor. Sylvia’s story is a testament to the power of vision, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, inspiring many in the entrepreneurial world.
Sylvia’s academic journey began at Durham University, where she earned a BA in Economics from 2011 to 2014. Her first-class dissertation in development economics set the stage for her analytical prowess and strategic thinking.
Career Highlights
Iterative: Sylvia joined Iterative as a Visiting Partner in February 2023. Here, she uses her founder experience to coach portfolio companies through their most pressing problems and prepare them for demo day. By April 2023, she had taken on the role of Director of the Founders Team, where she supported a growing portfolio of founders. Sylvia’s approach is rooted in her belief that entrepreneurship is a precious journey driven by a vision of a different future that founders feel compelled to realize against all odds.
Omnilytics: Before Iterative, Sylvia co-founded Omnilytics, a retail insights platform. As COO and VP of Customer Success, she built a revenue-generating Customer Success team from scratch, achieving a net revenue retention rate of over 100%. Her team served global brands like Uniqlo, Lenzing, and Lidl, earning a customer satisfaction rating of 9.6/10 on G2. Sylvia’s leadership helped Omnilytics’ core product rank #2 on G2’s Retail Intelligence Software list and #12 for Best Commerce Product in 2022.
Shoppr: Sylvia’s entrepreneurial journey began with Shoppr, an online store aggregator app. From 2014 to 2017, she learned the ropes of validating ideas, developing MVPs, and building teams and culture from scratch. Shoppr’s mission to empower women through fashion showcased Sylvia’s knack for blending technology with consumer needs.
Achievements and Recognition
Sylvia’s contributions to the tech industry have not gone unnoticed. In 2016, she was named the youngest tech entrepreneur on the Asia Forbes 30 Under 30 Retail & eCommerce list. This recognition was a significant milestone in her career, highlighting her impact on the industry and her potential to continue driving innovation in the years to come.
Sylvia’s Approach to Entrepreneurship
The Entrepreneurial Mindset
Sylvia’s approach to entrepreneurship is deeply rooted in her belief that founders are driven by a vision of a different future—one that they feel compelled to realize, despite the challenges. She sees entrepreneurship as a blend of skills, timing, and luck, where success is not guaranteed but earned through perseverance and adaptability.
Challenges and Successes
Throughout her career, Sylvia has faced numerous challenges, from building teams and products from scratch to navigating the complexities of scaling a business. However, she has also enjoyed significant successes, each one a testament to her hard work and determination. Sylvia’s journey is a reminder that entrepreneurship is as much about overcoming failures as it is about celebrating victories.
The Value of Community and Mentorship
Sylvia attributes much of her success to the support of a community of founders and mentors who shared their experiences and advice with her. This network provided her with the guidance and encouragement she needed during the toughest times. Today, she is committed to paying it forward by mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs, helping them navigate the often lonely journey of building a startup.
Sylvia Yin Today
Today, Sylvia continues to play a vital role at Iterative, where she is responsible for the accelerator and for building new programs, products, and services to support founders even after they graduate. Her work is crucial to ensuring that startups survive and thrive in the competitive landscape of the tech industry.
Fun Facts
Sylvia’s journey is peppered with quirky anecdotes. For instance, during the customer development phase of her first startup, she drank around 100 cups of coffee in just 1.5 months! She asked every potential user to recommend three others, many of whom became the first cohort of users when the startup launched.
Sylvia Yin is not just a Batch Director; she’s a force of nature. Her blend of professional expertise, personal warmth, and a touch of humor makes her a standout leader in the tech world. Whether she’s building customer success teams from scratch or mentoring the next generation of founders, Sylvia does it all with a smile and a cup of coffee in hand.
