He built a $1M/MRR dinner club app in 2 weeks with 0 employees
My First Million
Deep Dive
How did Maxime Barbier build the Time Left dinner club app?
Maxime Barbier launched the Time Left dinner club app in three weeks using a Typeform for sign-ups, a WhatsApp account for coordination, and a Stripe account for payments. He manually matched participants for the first three months before transitioning to low-code solutions.
What is the Time Left dinner club app about?
The Time Left dinner club app organizes dinners where strangers meet weekly in various cities, matched by a personality algorithm. Participants pay a monthly fee and split the dinner bill at the restaurant.
Why did Maxime Barbier create the Time Left app?
Maxime Barbier created the Time Left app to address the loneliness epidemic and help people reconnect through shared activities. The app evolved from a bucket list creation tool to a platform for organizing dinners with strangers.
How much revenue does the Time Left app generate?
The Time Left app generates over $1 million per month, with an annual run rate of $10 million. It took seven months to reach $1 million in revenue and another seven months to grow to $10 million.
What challenges did Maxime Barbier face before the success of Time Left?
Before the success of Time Left, Barbier faced multiple failed iterations of the app, including a bucket list creation tool and a dating app for shared dreams. He also struggled with scaling and user safety concerns, particularly with women feeling unsafe in one-on-one meetups.
How does the Time Left app scale its operations?
The Time Left app scales by using booking platforms like OpenTable to reserve restaurants and organizing dinners in hundreds of cities without requiring Barbier or his team to visit each location in person.
What is the significance of the name 'Time Left'?
The name 'Time Left' reflects Barbier's realization that he had approximately 600 months left in his life, inspired by the 'Your Life in Weeks' concept from Wait But Why. It emphasizes the urgency to live life to the fullest.
How does the Time Left app address user safety concerns?
The Time Left app addresses safety concerns by organizing dinners in groups rather than one-on-one meetups, ensuring that participants feel more comfortable and secure during the events.
What is the primary revenue model for the Time Left app?
The primary revenue model for the Time Left app is a monthly subscription fee, which allows users to participate in weekly dinners organized by the app. Participants also pay for their meals separately at the restaurant.
Why is the Time Left app gaining popularity?
The Time Left app is gaining popularity because it taps into the growing loneliness epidemic and provides a solution for people to connect in real life. It also aligns with current trends of declining marriage rates and post-COVID social isolation.
- TimeLift reached $10 million ARR in 10 months
- Founder Maxime Barbier's background as a nightlife promoter and media company owner
- Several iterations of the app before finding success with the dinner club model
- Focus on solving the loneliness epidemic
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