"Swiss products always have a chance in the US"
23.02.2015
David Becker and Daniel Dessauges from zkipster launched their Guest List App for event professionals in 2009, solving the problem of paper lists for ever. Their idea was a good one: They now operate their business from New York and where virtual doormen at this year's Oscar Parties.
 Daniel Dessauges and David Becker.
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In an interview, we asked zkipster's co-founder and venture kick Alumnus David Becker about how to be successful on the US market and what is it like to live and work in New York.
David, zkipster has become a big success since its débuts. How did it all start and when did you realize it was a great business idea?
We are in a middle of a growing phase and see our successes rather as milestones. Six years ago, when we launched zkipster, we didn’t know what it meant to build a company. We’re now in the middle of this process. It is an exciting and fruitful time. We felt a company the first time we could pay salaries with our cash flow.
Can one still have the chance to see you in Kaufleuten in Zurich?
zkipster emerged from the student party “use it”! Once a year, the spring party “Sechseläuten” rocks the place in Kaufleuten. I always try to be there, even if New York is not exactly around the corner.
Meanwhile, a lot of competitors have emerged. How hard is the battle to be the leader on your market?
When we started, there was one competitor and now, dozens worldwide. It is important that we position ourselves clearly and we are working hard for this. Our customers make so-called "invite-only" events, as well as events where there are no tickets to buy. We are not a ticketing platform either. We rather concentrate on the needs of the guests: Simple registration, express check-in, personal greeting with face detection – guest management has still much room for improvement and we are building the technology to do so.
You have been based in the United States since two years. How is it to live and work in New York?
Actually, our life is almost entirely dedicated to work. I live five minutes walk from our office. On weekdays, we rarely come out before 9PM. In front of our Broadway office tower, we often see open roof buses for tourists. Seeing those passing by makes me realize I live in New York. It’s a great and satisfying feeling.
How did venture kick help you and your business to be successful?
venture kick helped us understand what it takes to build a company. With the money from our first round of financing, we have adapted the product to the market’s needs; something that we could not have managed on our own. The shift from the nightlife to the professional event management was a crucial step and made our product ready for fashion houses, museums and PR agencies of New York. The good thing about it is that what works in the Big Apple has good chances outside.
What would be your tips for startups that want to make it in the States?
The question is whether the product works better in the States than in Europe. For us it was clearly the case because Americans absorb new technologies into their processes quicker. When the iPad came on the market in 2010, the question here was not whether our app was going to be used, but when. Europe moves slowly, particularly in the B2B sector. Patented, solid and well-thought Swiss products always have a chance in the US. As such, we are an exception: our product can hardly be protected.
In January this year, you announced that Julian Jaeger would be your new Chief Business Officer. What has changed since then and how is the collaboration going?
Julian is thoroughly Swiss like us - we understand each other almost blind! He spent the last 15 years at the World Economic Forum and at the Clinton Global Initiative. He built extremely strong relationships there which we can now translate into new contracts and strategic partnerships. He is a godsend for us, and we for him - he wanted to work for a tech startup. We are a Swiss company with a strong presence in New York, which was very likeable for him.
What are the next steps for zkipster?
We build the guest list app as a suite of products for guest management, open up new regions and industries. We set ourselves high goals but remain “Swiss realistic” and stick to our principles. This is important just now, as we are coming into the New York tech scene and investors radars.
Want to go global, just like zkipster? Become a venture leader USA!
David, zkipster has become a big success since its débuts. How did it all start and when did you realize it was a great business idea?
We are in a middle of a growing phase and see our successes rather as milestones. Six years ago, when we launched zkipster, we didn’t know what it meant to build a company. We’re now in the middle of this process. It is an exciting and fruitful time. We felt a company the first time we could pay salaries with our cash flow.
Can one still have the chance to see you in Kaufleuten in Zurich?
zkipster emerged from the student party “use it”! Once a year, the spring party “Sechseläuten” rocks the place in Kaufleuten. I always try to be there, even if New York is not exactly around the corner.
Meanwhile, a lot of competitors have emerged. How hard is the battle to be the leader on your market?
When we started, there was one competitor and now, dozens worldwide. It is important that we position ourselves clearly and we are working hard for this. Our customers make so-called "invite-only" events, as well as events where there are no tickets to buy. We are not a ticketing platform either. We rather concentrate on the needs of the guests: Simple registration, express check-in, personal greeting with face detection – guest management has still much room for improvement and we are building the technology to do so.
You have been based in the United States since two years. How is it to live and work in New York?
Actually, our life is almost entirely dedicated to work. I live five minutes walk from our office. On weekdays, we rarely come out before 9PM. In front of our Broadway office tower, we often see open roof buses for tourists. Seeing those passing by makes me realize I live in New York. It’s a great and satisfying feeling.
How did venture kick help you and your business to be successful?
venture kick helped us understand what it takes to build a company. With the money from our first round of financing, we have adapted the product to the market’s needs; something that we could not have managed on our own. The shift from the nightlife to the professional event management was a crucial step and made our product ready for fashion houses, museums and PR agencies of New York. The good thing about it is that what works in the Big Apple has good chances outside.
What would be your tips for startups that want to make it in the States?
The question is whether the product works better in the States than in Europe. For us it was clearly the case because Americans absorb new technologies into their processes quicker. When the iPad came on the market in 2010, the question here was not whether our app was going to be used, but when. Europe moves slowly, particularly in the B2B sector. Patented, solid and well-thought Swiss products always have a chance in the US. As such, we are an exception: our product can hardly be protected.
In January this year, you announced that Julian Jaeger would be your new Chief Business Officer. What has changed since then and how is the collaboration going?
Julian is thoroughly Swiss like us - we understand each other almost blind! He spent the last 15 years at the World Economic Forum and at the Clinton Global Initiative. He built extremely strong relationships there which we can now translate into new contracts and strategic partnerships. He is a godsend for us, and we for him - he wanted to work for a tech startup. We are a Swiss company with a strong presence in New York, which was very likeable for him.
What are the next steps for zkipster?
We build the guest list app as a suite of products for guest management, open up new regions and industries. We set ourselves high goals but remain “Swiss realistic” and stick to our principles. This is important just now, as we are coming into the New York tech scene and investors radars.
Want to go global, just like zkipster? Become a venture leader USA!