01: Designing Experiences That Facilitate Connection w/ Brent Henderson of Zupp
Originally appeared on Making A Scene
Brent Henderson is the founder of Zupp – an app that rewards college kids for going out to local bars and restaurants. I’m usually skeptical of startup dudes trying to “connect people,” but Brent really does care about bringing friends together IRL.
We get real philosophical about bar culture and the nature of going out for college kids. Bar owners have never had to compete against such powerful couch magnets as Netflix and the (mostly) empty calories of Instagram connection, but we talk about the bars that are innovating beyond drinks and a dance-floor. We also get into Brent’s incredible social media playbook. This one bops.
Topics Covered:
The day Brent almost closed Zupp (then called Party Tutor)
Hooked: Strategies that apps use to get their customers addicted
How bars fail their customers when they only focus on drinks
How “Inspired Interactions” can connect people at events
How to introduce quirky games into your event’s culture when people might not be on that vibe yet
Why Brent is not the next Mark Zuckerberg
Which social networks are relevant to college kids
The perfect meme-to-content ratio on social media
