Fundsup spoke to Bastiaan Reurink, founder of the innovative savings app Potje.
Based on his own experiences and frustrations surrounding group expenses, Bastiaan developed a platform that helps friends and family save together for all kinds of goals. In this interview he shares the vision behind Potje, their unique revenue models, and the ambitious plans for the future.
Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for Potje?
“The idea for Potje actually arose from a personal frustration. I always went on vacation with a group of friends, and we often agreed months in advance to save. Yet there were always a few friends who didn’t have the money when we wanted to book, because they had spent it on something else. That made it difficult to make plans together and actually implement them. I noticed there was a gap between individual bank accounts and crowdfunding for group spending. With Potje I fill that gap by allowing people to easily save and manage as a group.”
A recognizable frustration. What are other situations in which people use Potty?
“Yes, we see that it is mainly used for holidays. Think of summer holidays, winter sports or weekends away with friends or family. But there are also other applications, such as raising money for gifts, for example for a colleague, or saving together for a wedding. This is how a family raises money together to finance this. In addition, fine funds are used within sports teams, where, for example, a small fine must be paid if someone is late.”
Interesting how diverse the use is. It also sounds more fun than just ‘sending a Tikkie’. Is that social aspect important in your app?
“It also makes it fun. Jar makes saving visual and social. For example, you can upload a photo of what you’re saving for and see who has already contributed. For some savings goals, you can hide the amount you’ve contributed if you prefer. Potje also takes over the role of treasurer and goes after the defaulters. That social element makes it more attractive to organize a fund and for participants to contribute, and people find it more fun to save this way.”
That sounds smart. How many people are you working with on Potje now?
“In addition to myself and my co-founder Ilya, who I met through the Y Combinator matching platform, we have two other developers and a marketer, and we also have a marketing intern. So we have a small team, but we are working very hard to further grow the platform.”
How are you currently making money with Potje?
“We have two revenue models. The first is directly B2C: each pot costs a small amount, depending on the savings amount. So for a pot of up to 100 euros you pay 2.50 euros, up to 500 euros five euros, and above that ten euros. We also have an inspiration market within the app where commercial providers post relevant offers. Consider discounts for a holiday provider or for a product such as Minibrew, with which you can brew beer together at home. Potje users then receive a specific discount, and that really offers added value.”
Is there anything else on the roadmap that you want to roll out soon?
“Certainly, in addition to a savings function, we also want to offer a payment solution. Our goal is that in the future, users will be able to pay with a Potje card in their Apple or Google Wallet. This makes it even easier to spend from a joint pot.”
That sounds promising. Are there any milestones you are working towards now?
“Our biggest focus is on user growth. We have been growing an average of fifteen per month in recent months and want to maintain that pace to eventually reach hundreds of thousands of users. We are also working on connecting more partners. We want to have at least twenty partners by Q1 2025.”
As an entrepreneur, what would you like to pass on to other entrepreneurs?
“I think the most important thing is to always keep going and keep working towards your goal step by step, even if things don’t go well sometimes. Ultimately, I find that persistence always pays off. It takes a long time, but that is also satisfying.”
About the author: Pieter Bas is Startup relations associate at Fund sup.
Source: www.emerce.nl
