We Let a Pimple Go Viral and It Worked | Innovantage Podcast #52

Can AI actually fix your skin or just feed your insecurities? On this episode, the founder of System Akvile breaks down how a skincare app reached 900K+ users by letting data, not assumptions, drive the product. Akvile Ignotaite is a PhD data scientist who moved from corporate finance and M&A into founding System Akvile, an AI-powered skin-health platform now used by more than 900,000 people across Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Her path ran through economics in Lithuania, an MBA in Germany, and a forced detour into statistics and coding during her PhD, all of which now shape how she builds for a Gen Z and Gen Alpha audience. Akvile gets specific about what worked and what failed: why the original medical-grade app flatlined on user acquisition, how launching a pimple character on TikTok before writing a single line of code validated demand, and why staying disciplined on data rather than chasing big-tech features keeps a lean startup alive. 0:00 Introduction 0:25 From corporate finance to founding a skincare startup 3:17 How TikTok taught us what our audience wants 6:00 Inside "System Akvile" - the app for skin health 10:58 How AI killed our endless calls and meetings 13:25 Why the Indian skincare market is booming now 17:54 The blind spots hiding inside skincare tech 21:13 What ayurveda actually means for skin health 24:42 How to adapt one app for every country 28:26 Finding the balance between trends and education 35:55 How a pimple became a skincare influencer 45:08 Can AI really predict your skin patterns 49:37 The one piece of advice every founder needs 58:05 Where to find Akvile Connect with Our Guests Akvile Ignotaite – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-akvile-ignotaite/  Connect with Max (Host) Max Golikov –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/   🎧 Listen Now Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437  Follow for More Insightful Episodes Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/  Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/      Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang  TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial Did something surprise you in this conversation? Drop a comment below — we read every single one. Subscribe so you don't miss the next episode of Innovantage Podcast.