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:
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:
https://www.perceptionparadox.com
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zivileeinikyte/
🎵 Music by Luca Nioi:
http://www.lucanioi.com/
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