CEO at NoMi
Lailla Elgohary
Ex-design manager from Instagram focused on the teen and creator space. Prior to that, I headed up product design at J.P. Morgan Chase, Disney, Goldman Sachs and ASOS.
Questions & Answers
What sets you apart from others in your industry?
Everyone is either building entertainment for Gen-Z or education, individually they struggle with longterm retention and monetisation. When you combine the two well, it will achieve both. That's what we have with NoMi. My vast research into this audience at Instagram gives me a unique understanding of what makes them tick, what their problems are and the solutions that work (our app's early retention & emotional resonance proves this). As they step into generating 30% of the economy by 2030, they're in desperate need for products that help them feel good and enable their growth. With an increase in depression, anxiety and apathy they need products that cater to them.
Why are you excited about your company/product?
The self-help & social game market has a combined TAM of $90. Apps like Headspace have taken great strides to modernise the mental health and wellness space, which was perfect for millenials (and boomers). But Gen-Z are digital natives and they need more. They want games that are fun, addictive, and boredom killers. But the emotion they feel after using these products is often negative (research I led at IG). They need a product that allows them to feel better about themselves, which not only has them coming back for more, but ultimately improving their mental health. Habits are hard to form, no one likes going to the gym, or going to a therapist. So we use the trojan horse for mental health. Bring them in with fun, keep them staying for personal growth. And it works! We've had hundreds of messages about how much the app has meant to them and how different and unique it is. We are about to ride one of the most exciting waves for gamified self-help, Headspace was just the start.
How is your team uniquely positioned to solve the problem you're tackling?
We have a team like no other. Design, sales, tech, marketing and psychology. As CEO, I'm an expert on teens and monetisation. My Co-founder and CTO is an expert on games marketing and technology. Our lead psychologist is a specialist in personality and mental health. We have a talented team of writers and game designers working with AI technologists that can create content at the speed Gen-Z needs. Together, we have identified a core problem, a thesis we've trialled and tested - and now we just need the scale to help us achieve our vision.
