Kupple: Cameron Wetherby
Cameron offers valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of being a founder and provides tips for aspiring entrepreneurs.
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Cameron Wetherby
At 19 years old, he started her career in real estate and learned to close deals quickly. A few years later, he worked with one of the nation's most well-known teams until he finished college.
He then transferred to investment banking, working with consumer products and tech companies. He left that to become the CEO and Founder of Kupple, a double dating app that is a safer, more social way to date.
What are the top 3 challenges singles face with online dating apps?
- Safety: Every week, there's a new story in the news about sexual assault or violent crime that stemmed from people meeting on a dating app. On top of that, there are a ton of scammers that use the app to take advantage of people. It's sad that sadly, ng, it's unfortunate that legacy companies aren't doing more to protect their users.
- Ghosting: Many users are on dating apps just for validation and to have fun but don't intend to go on dates. It wastes a lot of time for users serious about dating and has psychological implications.
- Awkward: Aside from the safety implications, meeting up one-on-one with a stranger you met on an app is embarrassing. You can try your best to get to know them better before the date, but it's law, as it will always be different in person. A lot of people are very different over text than they are in person.
Are you bootstrapping or raising VC funding? Why?
I initially tried to raise VC funding and had a pre-seed round from investors, but I turned it down. Once you start operating and building the business, you realize what areas to improve to find product-market fit.
You also realize deep down that raising money won't get you to product-market fit. Sometimes it's hard to take a step back and fully realize that because raising VC funding is so glamorous. In most industries, you haven't built the right team if you haven't found product-market t fits. The right team should be able to get you there, and then you can get VC funding to fuel the fire.
Are you a morning person or a night person? Why?
In general, I'd say I'm a morning person. This is because I get much better work done in the mornings than late at night after a long day. Plus, there are many more distractions at night, whereas in the mornings, I have nothing else that needs my attention.
What was your inspiration for starting Kupple?
I was already discussing potentially starting a dating app with friends and the problems we see in the dating industry. I then wanted to create a double dating profile with my friend on one of the legacy apps, and it hit me. Why isn't there an app specifically for this? Plus, it helps solve many issues we see with dating apps. So I just knew we had to make it.
What advice would you give founders looking to break into the same space?
Action is everything. Ideas don't matter, find a way to start, and you'll learn. You're failing by talking about what to do. It truly is a big waste of time. Fail, understand, fix, repeat. That's your best chance at success.
Who are some of your biggest influences?
It may surprise people because he's not an "entrepreneur," but" I would," said Bob Iger. Besides defying the odds to become the CEO of Disney, he's someone who I think has shown impeccable judgment over a long period. He's gotten so many big decisions right and seems to never waver on his morals. It's excellent to witness.
What is your biggest tip for founders preparing for a pitch competition?
Don't let it keep you from executing. Progress is everything, and it's easy to get caught up in fake progress. So be prepared, but if you can't get anything done on the business while prepping, it may be a sign of a deeper problem.
How many sick days have you taken in the past year?
I've taken a few when I know I need a break. It's pretty easy to work on weekends when you have a purpose you're working for, but it can lead to burnout oo every once in a while its g I still think about Kup every once in a while on those days, though, not because I want to, but I can't help it.
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