For Subscribers

Every Solution This Founder Created Led Her to a Bigger (More Impactful) Problem to Solve

PopCom founder and CEO Dawn Dickson started out selling shoes to women, and ended up making over the vending machine industry with smart technology.

learn more about Stephanie Schomer

By Stephanie Schomer

Courtesy of Jehan LLC

Where do great business ideas come from? Sometimes, out of previous business ideas. That's what happened to Dawn Dickson, who went from selling shoes to reinventing the vending machine. It began in 2011 when she launched Flat Out of Heels, roll-up ballet flats that women can carry as a backup to less comfortable footwear. She tried to sell them in vending machines (to help women who wanted to ditch their heels), but traditional machines didn't gather data. "I wanted to know my conversion rate, and who was shopping," she says. So she developed PopCom, software that uses facial recognition and AI so existing kiosks and vending machines can capture shopper data and analytics. Then she realized the hardware could be improved upon — and launched a new kind of machine called a PopShop in 2020, just as demand for socially distant shopping was soaring. Here's how she did it.

Related: 4 Tips for Starting a Business in an Economic Downturn

Continue reading this article — and all of our other premium content with Entrepreneur+

For just $5, you can get unlimited access to all Entrepreneur’s premium content. You’ll find:

  • Digestible insight on how to be a better entrepreneur and leader
  • Lessons for starting and growing a business from our expert network of CEOs and founders
  • Meaningful content to help you make sharper decisions
  • Business and life hacks to help you stay ahead of the curve

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

This 61-Year-Old Grandma Who Made $35,000 in the Medical Field Now Earns 7 Figures in Retirement
A 'Quiet Promotion' Will Cost You a Lot — Use This Expert's 4-Step Strategy to Avoid It
3 Red Flags on Your LinkedIn Profile That Scare Clients Away
'Everyone Is Freaking Out.' What's Going On With Silicon Valley Bank? Federal Government Takes Control.
Leadership

How to Detect a Liar in Seconds Using Nonverbal Communication

There are many ways to understand if someone is not honest with you. The following signs do not even require words and are all nonverbal queues.

Celebrity Entrepreneurs

'I Dreaded Falling in Love.' Rupert Murdoch Is Getting Hitched for the Fifth Time.

The 92-year-old media tycoon announces he will wed former San Francisco police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith.

Business News

Carnival Cruise Wants Passengers to Have Fun in the Sun — But Do This, and You'll Get Burned With a New $500 Fee

The cruise line's updated contract follows a spate of unruly guest behavior across the tourism industry.

Starting a Business

Selling Your Business? Do These 6 Things Right Now.

If you want the maximum price you need to make these moves before you do anything else.

Business News

New Mexico Is Hiring Professional Bear Huggers -- Here's How to Land the Dream Job

The American Black Bear was selected as the state's official animal on February 8, 1963, by the New Mexico Legislature.