E93: We Sent 1000 Cold Emails Before Getting Our First Yes - Koalo App Founders | TechBBQ

What happens when two German cousins send 1000+ cold emails to build their dream startup?

Meet Eric Garsleitner and Benjamin Buthmann, the founders behind Koalo (formerly Whyzer), who turned a Silicon Valley inspiration into a creator community platform. Their journey includes landing a Hollywood actress as an early investor and strategic partner, expanding into the Brazilian market, and now closing their seed round while approaching the US market.

In this episode, they reveal:

• The exact cold email strategy that finally worked after 1000+ attempts
• Why they pivoted from biographical content to community building
• How family dynamics work in high-pressure startup environments
• Their brutal lessons from countless rejections before breakthrough
• Why "sell first, perfect later" changed their entire approach

About Eric and Benjamin:
Eric Garsleitner & Benjamin Buthmann are German cousins and co-founders of Koalo, a platform enabling creators to launch and grow their own communities. Eric is a product-focused entrepreneur with experience building and scaling digital platforms, turning ideas into products and leading teams through execution. Benjamin brings operational leadership and business strategy expertise, skilled in growing teams and driving strategy from early stage to scale. Together, they've navigated pivoting from biographical content to creator communities while maintaining their partnership as both co-founders and cousins.

Learn more about Koala App: https://www.koalo.app/ 

🎙️Hosted by Zivile Einikyte:

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🎵 Music by Luca Nioi: 

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:10 The Birth of Whyzer and Cold Outreach

05:42 Building Partnerships and Networking

08:26 The Pivot to Koala: A New Direction

12:54 Understanding the Mission Behind the Business15:04 Navigating the Creator Economy

18:49 Building Community and User Engagement

22:25 Engaging with Sports Fans and Clubs

24:31 Building a Master Platform for Creators

27:51 The Role of AI in Content Creation30:00 Balancing Work and Personal Life

36:31 Challenges in Scaling a Startup

39:18 Navigating Tech Events Effectively

42:23 Final Thoughts and Reflections