Episode 58

How To Start & Scale An IRL-Meetup App (Approachable) - w/ Matt

Apr 23, 202500:44:51On YouTube too
How To Start & Scale An IRL-Meetup App (Approachable) - w/ Matt cover art

In this episode featured not-expert is Matt Williams. Matt is the Founder of the Approachable app, which helps people find friends to explore their city or go to events with - in a day and age where adults are lonelier than ever in AmericaPlease support the podcast by subscribing on Spotify/Apple Podcasts/any of your favorite podcast apps All my links: campsite.bio/readysetdo Timestamps:00:00 Intro + background02:34 Why did Matt build Approachable05:18 On pivoting away from the original AR platform idea08:24 If decent alternatives exist, should founders not build?11:07 Build process for the app14:09 “Do not hire US Engineers to build your apps”18:10 When do you know app is good enough to ship?19:59 What was the near‑term plan POST launch?22:36 Pitch decks and pitching for investment24:21 Revenue & making $18 K on launch party26:53 Individual people posting events is not the focus anymore29:14 Learnings about human psychology from user behavior data31:07 Security concerns arising from people meeting in‑person33:17 Conducting regular user interviews34:30 Differences in how both sexes behave on the app36:39 Leveraging Apple iOS Store data to drive UI/UX decisions41:27 Finding a unique niche amongst other in‑person social apps44:07 Outro + gratitude ​

First moves to steal

  • Start & Scale An IRL-Meetup App (Approachable) - w/ Matt
  • Why did Matt build Approachable
  • Build process for the app
  • “Do not hire US Engineers to build your apps”
  • Matt is the Founder of the Approachable app, which helps people find friends to explore their city or go to events with - in a day and age where adults are lonelier than ever in AmericaPlease support the podcast by subscribing on Spotify/Apple Podcasts/any of your favorite podcast apps All my links: campsite.bio/readysetdo Timestamps:00:00 Intro + background02:34 Why did Matt build Approachable05:18 On pivoting away from the original AR platform idea08:24 If decent alternatives exist, should founders not build?11:07 Build process for the app14:09 “Do not hire US Engineers to build your apps”18:10 When do you know app is good enough to ship?19:59 What was the near‑term plan POST launch?22:36 Pitch decks and pitching for investment24:21 Revenue & making $18 K on launch party26:53 Individual people posting events is not the focus anymore29:14 Learnings about human psychology from user behavior data31:07 Security concerns arising from people meeting in‑person33:17 Conducting regular user interviews34:30 Differences in how both sexes behave on the app36:39 Leveraging Apple iOS Store data to drive UI/UX decisions41:27 Finding a unique niche amongst other in‑person social apps44:07 Outro + gratitude ​

Fast scan timestamps

00:00Intro + background
02:34Why did Matt build Approachable
05:18On pivoting away from the original AR platform idea
08:24If decent alternatives exist, should founders not build?
11:07Build process for the app
14:09“Do not hire US Engineers to build your apps”

Show notes

In this episode featured not-expert is Matt Williams.

Matt is the Founder of the Approachable app, which helps people find friends to explore their city or go to events with - in a day and age where adults are lonelier than ever in AmericaPlease support the podcast by subscribing on Spotify/Apple Podcasts/any of your favorite podcast apps


All my links: campsite.bio/readysetdo



Timestamps:00:00 Intro + background02:34  Why did Matt build Approachable05:18  On pivoting away from the original AR platform idea08:24  If decent alternatives exist, should founders not build?11:07  Build process for the app14:09  “Do not hire US Engineers to build your apps”18:10  When do you know app is good enough to ship?19:59  What was the near‑term plan POST launch?22:36  Pitch decks and pitching for investment24:21  Revenue & making $18 K on launch party26:53  Individual people posting events is not the focus anymore29:14  Learnings about human psychology from user behavior data31:07  Security concerns arising from people meeting in‑person33:17  Conducting regular user interviews34:30  Differences in how both sexes behave on the app36:39  Leveraging Apple iOS Store data to drive UI/UX decisions41:27  Finding a unique niche amongst other in‑person social apps44:07  Outro + gratitude ​