Today marks the end of the first chapter in my entrepreneurship journey. Did it end the way I envisioned? No. Would I make some different choices if I could? Likely. But would I trade this experience? Not for anything.
The goal was simple yet ambitious: to help people move abroad more smoothly—especially to Germany. This journey started in 2020, after over four years of my own expat experience. A chance encounter with Christine James at a brunch sparked a conversation about building a company to support expats moving to Germany. She had the same idea, and soon we joined forces, inviting Gabrielle Soria, and launched Jetztpat within a few short months. Starting a company in Germany felt like the expat experience on steroids, but we successfully set up our GmbH and quickly connected with companies in need of our services. The market was there, ripe and waiting, and we took off running.
In early 2023, Gabrielle and I decided to branch off and focus on creating a digital product tailored directly for the individual moving abroad. Worldify GmbH was born in March, and we poured ourselves into building that vision with the help of the brilliant Leonard Kinzinger.
Then, right on the cusp of launch, we hit a wall. Bootstrapping could only take us so far. Investors hesitated, and angel funding was elusive. Grants were out of reach since we’d already been founders. We needed a CTO. We were stuck.
The vision had always been to offer people the support we so desperately needed during our own moves. But we refused to launch a product only to pull back on delivering that essential support. And so, we stopped.
Just like that, the first chapter of my entrepreneurship journey came to a close. I’ve filed away my binder of ideas and company documents (a binder—true German integration!). It’s a bittersweet moment, but I’m deeply grateful for every lesson along the way.
The problem remains, and I’ll continue to cheer on Jetztpat and every other company tackling it! For me, this is the end of a chapter, not the book. Another idea is already taking shape, now fortified with four years of invaluable experience.
Thank you—from the bottom of my heart—to everyone I met during Chapter 1. I hope to see many of you in the next!
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After an incredible journey, we’ve made the tough decision to shutter Worldify. While it’s not the outcome we had hoped for, we’re proud of what we built and the milestones we achieved along the way.
A huge thank you to everyone who supported us—we couldn’t have come this far without you. ? That goes especially to Leonard Kinzinger, Anna Juhász, Isabel Campos Klotz, and Mary Kate Hogan—your dedication, passion, and belief in our product made this ride worthwhile. We’re excited about what the future holds for everyone involved.
This isn’t goodbye, just the start of something new.
With gratitude,
Gabrielle + Britt
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VP, brand experiences + partnerships
1 个月Love me some Jet’s! ??