The perfect base for generating a business model: food
Whether you are looking to create your own startup, or just interested in the details of startup culture, it’s important to follow the Lean Startup idea and go out there and gain some experience. We wanted to go and see the real deal, so we met up with Giuseppe Colucci, who is running the Ploonge show here in Berlin. Headquartered in Milan, Ploonge received an investment in the summer of 2012 and decided to expand in Berlin, which was a great decision.
In essence, Ploonge can help you turn a startup idea into a startup masterpiece. “What we do is promotion, you first come to us with an idea and we can help you with a lot of the logistics”. Colucci said that they typically help people figure out their budget and “find all of the pieces of the puzzle to create a great event”. In addition, Ploonge can also help you find the perfect venue to have your networking event, since they have a lot of partnerships with different spaces around Berlin.
Not only that, but Ploonge also has a ticket booking service integrated within the platform. “We have the same deal as other ticket booking services, like Eventbrite" explained Colucci, “but we also provide the social side and the chance to connect and network with people“. Now you know where to go if you are looking to promote your startup, but if you are looking to gain similar success like Ploonge, you might ask: how exactly did they do it?
Ploonge sets up shop in Berlin
Colucci explains that Ploonge has been active in Berlin, since September last year. “We knew that it was a great place for startups, and a great location to meet our target”. Much like Lean Startup suggested, Ploonge saw Berlin as having great potential, where they could do a little trial and error. “Our target at the moment is the professional unprofessionals. We want to target them to use our platform, and Berlin is the perfect place because it is full of people like this”.
While Ploonge is well established in Milan, there wasn’t a guarantee that it would be as successful in Berlin; it was purely a speculation, but a very insightful one. “The main targets are the people (young professional unprofessionals) who are open to going out and experience things. For example, we are proposing food related events, of course food can be for anyone”.
Colluci explained that that the networking approach that involves food and networking works really well with people who are new to a city, which is often the case in Berlin. “They are open to having new experiences and so they can really use our service”.
Colucci, Ploonge intern Michele and the 11 other ambassadors that represent Ploonge, help to coordinate events and have already created a vast and impressive network. Lean Startup also put emphasis on the importance of connecting with people. “Berlin was in the perfect startup mood. The first thing for us was to find a coworking space, and then start to network”.
Putting the plan into action
Just like Lean Startup explained in the class, Colucci made the important first step, and started by using his personal network to build contacts. While Lean startup did make a point to discourage startups from testing their product on their families, due to an inevitable bias, they did make a point to say that it was a good idea to use your personal network, but to use it wisely. Colucci said that he informed many people in Berlin about Ploonge by word or mouth, and also found that their experience coworking has brought them many connections as well.
Lean Startup took us to the next step, by explaining that once you have your contacts, then you can learn how to make a valuable connection. “I am really interested in what people are doing,” said Colucci, which is a very important part of making sure that your network stays interested in you as well.
Once you have your startup plan, then it is time to solidify the core of your idea and expand from there. For Ploonge, their core idea is food: meeting, connecting and creating, is centered around the meal. Ploonge’s staple event is "Startupizza", which is an event that serves the same purpose as many of the networking breakfasts and events that take place all over the city. But, Colucci realizes that people do get bored. He explained that going from networking event to networking event when you are beginning your startup can get tedious, and that it’s always good to have something special in the mix.
Ploonge does this by creating games and activities that actually get people involved. “To make people interested you have to make sure to give them new things,” says Colucci. “One time we had a partnership with a lawyer firm for startups, so as a prize we offered the winner a free consultation for their startup, which is super useful”. To keep people engaged they change up the program for each event, for example Ploonge held a networking event where, “instead of having people simply wear a name tag at an event, they instead wrote their best skill, afterwards they formed teams and created a business model that combined their best skills".
