When the founder of Valyo kept noticing prices at his local minimart going up, he had no simple way to confirm it. That small frustration got him thinking about how useful it would be to track prices properly, and what it could mean if that data was shared with others. That idea became Valyo, a price comparison app that lets Malaysians find better deals, track their spending, and contribute price data that helps the wider community shop smarter.
Today, Valyo allows users to compare prices across stores, monitor their own purchases, and make more informed decisions about where they spend. In this interview, he shares the story behind building Valyo, the challenge of marketing a product when it does not come naturally, and why he believes a well-designed system matters more than simply hoping people do the right thing.
1. Hello! For those discovering Valyo for the first time, could you share a bit about yourself and how Valyo began?
I overthink things all the time, especially everyday problems and how they could be better. A lot of the way I see the world is through that lens. I notice things that feel unfair, inefficient, or unnecessarily difficult, and I keep thinking about whether there is some way to improve them.
Valyo came from that mindset. I wanted to build something practical that could actually help people in their daily lives, and this was one of the problems I felt drawn to work on.
2. What were your early experiences or observations that led you to build Valyo as a solution?
It started with something very ordinary. I shop at a local minimart near me for groceries, and I kept having this feeling that prices were going up, but I was not sure. I had no real way to confirm it, and I wanted a way to track that properly instead of relying on memory or gut feeling.
Then I thought more broadly about how useful that could be for other people too, especially if the data could be shared. I also have family members who will willingly check multiple supermarkets, shops, and even online listings just to find the best deal on one item. Seeing that made me think there should be an easier way to do this.
Another part of it was wanting to bring more attention back to smaller local businesses. After COVID, so much attention shifted online, and I liked the idea of building something that could also help people rediscover nearby local shops.
3. For someone hearing about Valyo for the first time, what does the app do and how does it help everyday Malaysians?
Valyo helps people find better value on the products they are looking for. It can show you where to get a better deal, help you keep track of your own spending, and let you make your own local comparisons as well.
On top of that, users can also contribute their own price data, which helps make the app more useful for everyone else too. The main idea is to make it easier for people to spend more carefully and make better decisions with their money.
4. Why the name Valyo — what does it represent to you?
Honestly, I just find wordplay and little puns amusing. “Valyo” is obviously a play on “value,” and I liked that it sounded close enough while still having its own twist.
It felt lighthearted, and since the whole point of the app is helping people get better value, it fit.
5. What keeps you motivated to continue building Valyo, especially in this early stage?
A few things. First, I do want one of my ideas to work and become something real. Financial stability would be nice too, so I will not pretend that is not part of it.
But small moments matter as well. Even something as simple as receiving a message telling me to keep up the good work genuinely helps. When you are building something this early on, those little signs that somebody sees what you are trying to do can mean a lot.
6. From a business and product point of view, what has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
Probably the marketing and communication side of it. I am not really a people person, and social media does not come naturally to me.
I have ideas, and I like building around ideas, but telling people what I am doing in a way that feels natural is much harder for me. I do not like feeling like I am imposing my ideas on people or trying to force them to care. So that whole side of things, trying to communicate the value clearly and consistently, has probably been the biggest challenge.
7. What does your current day-to-day or week look like while building and improving Valyo?
It is not especially structured. Valyo is actually my second attempt at building something, because my first venture is more of a physical service business, so when that needs attention, I focus on that.
My motivation also comes in waves. Sometimes I might not do much during the day, and then suddenly work on Valyo from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. I also spend time thinking through other ideas and writing them down, and sometimes I get distracted fleshing them out, even if I do not end up building them.
On top of that, I spend time with family and run errands for them too. So it is a mix of work, ideas, family, and then these intense bursts of building when the energy is there.
8. Since Valyo relies on price comparisons and data, how do you approach accuracy and building trust with users?
My thinking is that the system should encourage accurate contributions rather than just assume people will behave well for no reason. I have tried to structure things so that there is real benefit in having accurate data, not much gain from abusing the system, and downsides if someone tries to game it.
I am also hoping that as more people contribute positively, good data will outweigh bad data even if something slips through. On top of that, I want users to be able to report bad data too, with some incentive for helping keep the platform useful, like temporary ad-free access or limited-time premium tools.
So the goal is to build trust through incentives, feedback, and a system that is designed to make accuracy worth it.
9. Looking ahead, what do you hope Valyo becomes in the next 3–5 years?
This might sound ambitious, but ideally I would want it to work everywhere in the world. The core problem is not unique to one place.
People everywhere want to know whether prices are going up, where they can get a better deal, and how to spend more carefully. So if Valyo can become genuinely useful, I would love to see it grow far beyond where it starts.
10. What advice would you give to someone who wants to build a tech product or start something, but feels unsure where to begin?
I do not know if I am really qualified to give advice because I would not call myself especially successful yet, and I would not call myself an expert. I am still trying things out myself and hoping something sticks.
But what I can say is that technology is pretty incredible now, and it is easier than ever to prototype an idea quickly. Even if you are using AI or vibe coding tools to help you, I think you should still try to understand what you are building.
Do not just blindly generate things. Have the AI teach you what the code means, or use it as a way to learn while building your idea. That part matters.
11. Are there any founders, builders, or ideas that have influenced how you think about Valyo?
Not really in the sense of one particular founder or person. I am definitely influenced by a lot of things and a lot of information in general, but there is no one specific person I would point to and say I think the way I do because of them.
It is more that I see things, think about them, and ask myself whether they could be different or better.
12. For readers who resonate with what you’re building, how can they support Valyo or get involved?
The biggest help is really to try the app, share it, and tell people about it. That kind of support means a lot, especially because marketing is not my strongest area.
If anyone wants to leave feedback or reach out, they can contact me through the app or through Instagram. At this stage, honest feedback and word of mouth help a lot.
Bonus: Is there anything about your journey building Valyo that we didn’t cover but you’d like to share with readers?
One thing I would add is that a lot of this started from a very normal, everyday feeling. It was not some huge dramatic startup moment. It was just me wondering whether prices were actually going up, wanting a way to check, and then slowly realising there might be something more useful there.
I think a lot of ideas probably start like that. Not with some grand breakthrough, but with a small irritation that keeps bothering you enough that you eventually decide to do something about it.
Final Thoughts
A huge thank you to the founder of Valyo for sharing the story behind what he is building. Creating a crowdsourced price comparison app from scratch, especially as a solo builder balancing multiple things at once, takes real persistence and a genuine belief that the problem is worth solving.
Here are three takeaways we loved from this interview:
- Start with a real, everyday frustration. Valyo did not come from a grand startup vision. It came from a simple question “Are prices actually going up?” and the realisation that more people probably wanted an answer to that too.
- Design systems that make good behaviour worth it. Rather than assuming users will contribute accurate data out of goodwill, Valyo is built around incentives, feedback, and accountability so that accuracy becomes the natural outcome.
- Keep building even when it is uncomfortable. From navigating social media to managing bursts of motivation at odd hours, the founder behind Valyo is figuring it out as he goes, and doing it anyway.
You can try the app or follow along with the journey by Instagram @valyoapp.
