Rappo: Empowering Startup Success

The Challenges, The Struggles, The Pain-Points

Building a tech startup can be challenging, even for second time founders. Less than 50% survive, with 63% facing closure and a quarter shutting down in their first year. Bad partnerships, poor marketing, lack of expert advice, and weak connections are just some of the many reasons why startups struggle at the initial stage. Taking a startup from 0 to 1 is one of the hardest parts of the journey for any founder.

Having a great idea is just the start—the real challenge lies in finding the right network to turn that idea into a successful business. The not-so-good news is that building this network through cold emails, cold calls, and LinkedIn outreaches can be time-consuming and often don’t yield the desired results. The good news? You’re in good hands, because we’ve been there too. As former tech founders who were able to scale our business and raise $1.5M in funding, we also understand the importance of meeting, connecting with, and learning from seasoned industry leaders, whom we call “Champions.”

That’s why we built Rappo, a safe place to meet, learn, and build meaningful relationships that drive success between founders and Champions. At Rappo, we believe “the future of sales is about combining data, AI, and relationship-led growth. After all, sales has always been a game of relationship and reciprocity.”

Bridging the Gap

Rappo is a platform that helps tech founders connect with like-minded Champions. At Rappo, founders and Champions connect in two ways: First, Rappo is a marketplace that aims to reduce the friction between buyers and sellers, or Champions and founders, respectively. This form of connection is designed for founders seeking introductions and opportunities to showcase and sell their tech solutions directly to Champions who need them. Similarly, it’s designed for Champions who are seeking solutions to their challenges and want to streamline vendor-selection. Ultimately, it’s about creating real opportunities for growth through actionable connections. Next, Rappo is a platform for expert feedback and insights, but better. We believe it’s not exactly about making one-time, greet and meet connections, it’s about maintaining lasting connections that are truly impactful. In fact, we believe it’s so important that we named our company Rappo—short for Rapport. Hence, we’ve taken various steps to encourage these connections between our founders and Champions. One of the most significant approaches is our Double Opt-In process. Double Opt-In is where both parties—the founder and the Champion—must both agree to connect before further interactions take place. This process can be beneficial to both parties in a few ways:

• Quality Over Quantity: Double Opt-In ensures that both founders and Champions are equally committed, leading to more meaningful and productive interactions, one of Rappo’s core values.
• Respecting Time and Expertise: Champions are busy professionals with valuable insights to share. By allowing them to choose to opt-in, we ensure that they are only engaging with founders whose projects align with their expertise and interests. This mutual respect creates a more positive experience for everyone involved.
• Tailored Guidance: With Double Opt-In, the matches on Rappo are not just algorithm-driven; they are human-driven. Champions have the ability to choose the founders they feel they can truly help, which leads to more personalized and effective guidance.
• Building Stronger Relationships: Because both parties have agreed to the connection, the partnership starts on a good note. This leads to stronger, longer-lasting relationships that go beyond just one-off mentorship sessions.

We know from experience that the best outcomes happen when both parties are equally committed, and that’s why Rappo operates strictly on a Double Opt-In process. By ensuring that both parties are fully committed to the connection from the start, we help build lasting partnerships that lead to real, measurable results.

Win-Win

Rappo is a reflection of the journey we’ve all been on as founders, and we’ve built something that we wish we had when we were starting out.

For founders, Rappo offers a medium to connect with Champions who can provide not just advice, but real opportunities to scale. So what’s in it for Champions aside from compensation, recommendation, and network?

For Champions, evaluating and choosing vendors can be time-consuming. Rappo streamlines the process of finding the right vendor with the right solution by offering a carefully screened selection of startups aligning with your needs. The impact of Rappo is felt on both sides. Founders receive the support, guidance, and opportunities they need to take their startup to the next step. Champions gain access to cutting-edge solutions without the hassle of traditional vendor selection.

Rappo is a community driven by mutual respect, shared growth, and the belief that when we work together, we all succeed.