Podcast Summary: My First Million – "He Built a $1M/MRR Dinner Club App in 2 Weeks with 0 Employees"

Introduction

In this episode of My First Million, hosted by Hubspot Media, Sam Parr and Shaan Puri delve into the fascinating journey of Maxime Barbier, the founder of Time Left, a dinner club app that rapidly scaled to a $1 million Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) within just two weeks of its launch. The episode explores Barbier's entrepreneurial path, the challenges he faced, and the innovative strategies that led to Time Left's impressive growth.

Background of Time Left

Maxime Barbier's story begins as a nightlife promoter who transitioned into the media industry, founding a media company focused on uplifting news. Despite initial success and a significant viewership, Barbier's venture faced a tumultuous acquisition by a French broadcasting company, leading to a challenging exit with minimal gains. This setback prompted Barbier to embark on a solo travel journey during the COVID-19 pandemic, which became a catalyst for his next big idea.

Early Attempts and Challenges

During his travels, Barbier became acutely aware of the pervasive loneliness epidemic exacerbated by the pandemic. Motivated to address this issue, he initiated several app-based projects aimed at connecting people over shared dreams and bucket lists. These early attempts included:

1. Bucket List App: Launched in 2020, this app allowed users to create and share their bucket lists. Despite initial interest, the app struggled as users created lists but failed to act on them. (Timestamp [10:14]).

2. Dream Matching App: In 2021, Barbier developed a dating-like app that matched users based on shared dreams, facilitating connections to pursue these aspirations together. However, this venture also failed to gain traction as it remained too abstract for meaningful engagement. (Timestamp [11:37]).

3. Group Activity App: By 2023, Barbier pivoted to organizing small group activities, allowing users to participate in shared experiences without the discomfort of one-on-one interactions. Despite thoughtful features like photo uploads to build trust, the app inadvertently fostered judgment among users, detracting from the intended experience. (Timestamp [13:23]).

Pivot to Dinner Club

Faced with continuous setbacks, Barbier reassessed his approach in 2024. He identified key limitations in his previous models, such as scalability issues and lack of revenue generation. Determined to create a sustainable business, Barbier established three core principles:

1. Rapid Launch: Develop a product that can be launched in two weeks without the need for a technical team.
2. Revenue Generation: Ensure the business model is monetizable from the outset.
3. Group Engagement: Facilitate meaningful connections through group activities without relying on personal photos.

These principles led to the conception of Time Left, a dinner club app designed to connect strangers over shared dining experiences.

Implementation and Growth

Barbier's implementation of Time Left was both lean and strategic:

• Fast Launch: Within three weeks, Barbier launched Time Left dinners using simple tools like Typeform for sign-ups, WhatsApp for coordination, and Stripe for payments. Initially, he manually matched participants, acting as the human algorithm. (Timestamp [16:20]).

• Scaling Operations: As demand surged, Barbier transitioned to low-code solutions, automating parts of the matching process. This scalability allowed Time Left to expand to over 300 cities, featuring the app in 18 languages and hiring a team of 70 operations staff to manage 18,000 dinners weekly. (Timestamp [19:07]).

• Marketing Strategy: Time Left's success was bolstered by targeted advertising and organic buzz, aligning with societal trends of increased loneliness and the desire for authentic connections post-pandemic. The app's simple yet effective marketing message—"Dine with five strangers, all matched by our algorithm every Wednesday night in your city"—resonated widely. (Timestamp [18:56], [19:07]).

Barbier emphasized the universality of dinner as a social activity, highlighting its natural flow and familiarity as key factors in facilitating comfortable interactions among strangers. (Timestamp [20:28]).

Insights and Conclusions

The episode underscores several critical insights from Barbier's journey:

• Simplicity is Key: Time Left thrives on a straightforward concept executed efficiently, proving that complex solutions aren't always necessary for success.

• Adaptability: Barbier's ability to pivot multiple times in response to user feedback and market conditions was instrumental in Time Left's eventual success.

• Addressing Core Needs: By tapping into the fundamental human need for connection, especially in a post-pandemic world, Time Left positioned itself as a solution to a widespread problem.

• Scalable Operations: Leveraging simple tools and gradually automating processes allowed Time Left to scale rapidly without compromising on quality or user experience.

Barbier's story is a testament to the power of resilience, strategic pivots, and the importance of aligning business models with genuine societal needs. His approach to building Time Left offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs aiming to create impactful and scalable businesses.

Notable Quotes

• Shaan Puri: "I can't believe we just agreed to do public math. Like, we only have, like, two rules here. One, don't get canceled. Two, don't embarrass yourself by doing public math. And we did it." (Timestamp [00:00]).

• Sam Parr: "I feel like I could rule the world. I know I could be what I want to. I put my all in it." (Timestamp [00:12]).

• Sam Parr: "Every man has two lives, and the second begins when he realizes that he only has one." (Timestamp [12:41]).

• Shaan Puri: "I think this is like the new Meetup.com. I think this is going to scale and I think that you could build a kind of ritualistic thing." (Timestamp [22:09]).

• Sam Parr: "I realized that dinner is a technology that if I wanted to get people together to actually have a good time, dinner is a piece of tech that just works." (Timestamp [20:28]).

Conclusion

Maxime Barbier's journey with Time Left exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit—leveraging simplicity, adaptability, and a deep understanding of human needs to create a thriving business. By addressing the loneliness epidemic through a universally relatable activity like dining, Time Left not only achieved remarkable financial success but also provided a meaningful solution for its users. This episode offers invaluable insights into building scalable businesses that resonate with authentic societal needs.