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 Introduction0:25 From corporate finance to founding a skincare startup3:17 How TikTok taught us what our audience wants6:00 Inside "System Akvile" - the app for skin health10:58 How AI killed our endless calls and meetings13:25 Why the Indian skincare market is booming now17:54 The blind spots hiding inside skincare tech21:13 What ayurveda actually means for skin health24:42 How to adapt one app for every country28:26 Finding the balance between trends and education35:55 How a pimple became a skincare influencer45:08 Can AI really predict your skin patterns49:37 The one piece of advice every founder needs58:05 Where to find Akvile

Connect with Our GuestsAkvile Ignotaite – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-akvile-ignotaite/ Connect with Max (Host)Max Golikov –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/

🎧 Listen NowSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437

Follow for More Insightful EpisodesInnovantage 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

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