BetweenUs: Techstars Startup Weekend Porto

The challenge: Most safety apps only kick in once something has already gone wrong. We wanted to work on prevention instead: making it easier for women to plan a night out, find company, and know someone has their back before anything happens. Out of 16 pitches on Friday night, only four ideas became teams, and BetweenUs was one of them. From there, we had a weekend to shape the product, figure out how it could make money, and make it all feel real enough to pitch to a panel of judges. What I did: As a team of five, we built the strategy behind the idea together, from the problem and the product to how it should feel. Within that, I took the CRO role and led on how BetweenUs could become a real business: a freemium app for individual users, plus partnerships with venues, events and brands through trust seals, sponsorships, campaigns and trainings. I also worked on how we’d reach women in the first place, starting with universities, festivals, gyms and restaurants. The outcome: BetweenUs took 2nd place. Beyond the result, it was a weekend of building something that matters with people I’d just met, and a reminder of how quickly a clear idea can become a believable product when the right people are in the room.