L.In Article #12: Lunchclub

~ There are many that are tired of their 9-5 jobs and of the status-quo -- ready to create a business. Some are just starting, some don’t know where to start, some are not risk takers, or some are shy. Whatever the case may be, the world is progressing and is in desperate need for people to start thinking creatively, innovatively, and independently.

Well, I am on a mission to find them and showcase them, as it's time to start working together to make this planet a better place to live. ~

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*Nice music to listen to while reading this article*

Music: Rainy Day (part 1 of 2) by Flotron (an Austin, Texas artist)

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Feedback on Lunchclub:

I first came about Lunchclub from an entrepreneurial event. I have mentioned to someone that I've been looking for a 24/7 networking platform to connect with smart individuals from around the world anytime, and I was recommended to check out this startup-- Lunchclub.

Lunchclub's claim to fame is -- "An AI superconnector that makes introductions for 1:1 video meetings to advance your career".

Doesn't that sound splendid?! Let's take a deeper look!

First Glance:

Simple UX/UI: 4.5/5 Rating

Founder’s Passion and Charisma: 4.5/5 Rating

Valuable for Everyone?: 5/5 Rating

Dark Theme Available: NO

UX/UI Experience:

Making an account is just beautiful... well, quick (that's what makes it beautiful!) ---> One click to your Google account! No need to remember yet another password for a website.

Given that Lunchclub utilizes a sophisticated AI to match users, the AI has to be fed information about each user to better know and show relevant connections. Therefore questions such as what are your interests, and what your objectives are for the 1:1 calls you'll be having, are asked. 

After the initial onboarding process, there's a bumpy ride on the home page. There's a substantial amount of information that is thrown out to the user. All in all, it takes around 22 minutes to get well acquainted with the platform and all of its uses.

22 minutes is not acceptable for someone that's an impatient entrepreneur. But I assume as more time and resources are put into this startup, the platform will be much, much smoother and seamless!

Nevertheless, to not get sidetracked, booking a 1:1 meeting is simple: (1) Click on the calendar icon, (2) select the times desired to meet, and (3) select the key objective you have for this specific meeting, 

Founder’s Passion and Charisma:

As mentioned before, Lunchclub uses AI to better connect its users with people they actually want to meet. But in order for that to happen, the AI must continuously receive data from the specific user. How? Gamification! The gamification of Lunchclub is quite intuitive, fun, and simple.

Vladimir Novakovski (with quite an extensive and prolific work experience under his name!) created Lunchclub in 2018.

COVID was not taken into consideration when building this, albeit this platform is built wonderfully for the virtual world that we currently live in!

Many apps/startups have implemented a "Freemium" model into their platform. Horrendous! Well, fortunately, Lunchclub has not! And many, if not all, users are greatly appreciative of that! Not incorporating a "Freemium" model, shows that the team behind Lunchclub are not lazy! It also shows that they care to treat all of their users with respect and give the most value that they can!  

Many kudos to Vladimir and his team!

Is it for Everyone?:

Just on top of my head, three scenarios in which Lunchclub is of great value:

[1] Entrepreneurs seeking to attain great talent to the team, or find a co-founder.

[2] Job seekers looking for quick interviews with industry specific professionals (yes, it's possible to get a job if you make an amazing first impression!), and/or

[3] Amazing startup founders seeking to build early relationships with investors!

Casey and I just really wish it didn't initially require lots of navigating through the platform to get the value we're seeking-- booking 1:1 calls! Entrepreneurs are busy people, and when looking for a new gadget/tool to use for our everyday purposes, the value attain should be close to immediately.

Needless to say, who would benefit from Lunchclub? Everyone! Especially now, where a lot of people have been severely affected by COVID, while at the same time there are others that were not affected much and would love to help others. As Charlie Chaplin once said, "All human beings simply want to help one another. We want to live by each other's happiness - not by each other's misery".  

Lastly, to keep users engage within the Lunchclub platform long after finishing the 1:1 networking calls, the Activity Feed --- or in Lunchclub's case, Explore Feed -- provides you opportunities to earn points (clubpoints), engage/like other user's activities, answer questions for the AI to better know you professionally, and more!

To the team behind Lunchclub (and to all the founders out there) ~~~> Having a customer-first mentality + creativity, will take your startup far! Don't believe me? Go and check out Sam Walton's: Made in America (Wal-Mart)...... or The Everything Store (Amazon)..... or The Upstarts (Uber/AirBnB).

Song of the week recommendation: BARANOVSKI - Lubi? by? z ni? (Polish for: I like being with her) **Thanks Anna for the recommendation! (=

~ To current and future status-quo changers, if you’re still hesitant about whether you can make a positive dent in the universe: Rest assured, you can. It is hard and you CANNOT do it alone. Some people are born with talent, but to those who are not: Do Not Settle! Keep looking and you will find something that you are good at and can succeed in. Curiosity is an amazing thing, embrace it! ~