20 Things You Didn’t Know about Launch House
Have you ever heard of something called Launch House? It’s definitely a unique concept, serving as a collective area where entrepreneurs who are working on tech startups can live and work together. Depending on how you look at it, it could be one of the most innovative concepts to come around in years or it could be nothing more than a frat house for people who are trying to come up with the next big thing that will make them rich. Either way, it’s somewhat of an interesting idea. Here are 20 things about it you probably didn’t already know.
1. It exists for the sole purpose of helping people succeed
The only reason Launch House exists is to help people succeed in achieving their dreams. As a matter of fact, it was born out of the very resistance that many entrepreneurs and other people like them sometimes feel around those who work more traditional jobs. There is no doubt about it, entrepreneurs think differently than a lot of other people. Instead of meeting resistance and a lot of closed doors, Launch House exists to help blow those doors wide open.
2. The idea is to inspire people to do their best work
The idea behind it all is to help people become inspired. Think about how many people could potentially succeed with their own business ideas, if only they had someone to believe in them. A lot of entrepreneurs hear nothing but negativity from other people. Some people tell them that they need to get realistic. Others tell them they should have a practical job with a safe bet for a paycheck. Still others think of entrepreneurs (and other individuals who dream about starting their own business) as lazy. Just because they don’t want to work a traditional nine-to-five job, they are often not well respected by other people. This can be demoralizing in the extreme and it causes a lot of people to choose to abandon their dreams before they even really get started. Launch House was designed to inspire them to do their best work as opposed to listening to all of this rubbish.
3. It’s not just for entrepreneurs
As previously mentioned, it’s not just for entrepreneurs. Granted, there are indeed a lot of entrepreneurs that are involved with Launch House, especially those who have tech startups. However, individuals who dream of starting their own business and those who don’t think about work in the same way as those who hold traditional nine-to-five jobs are also involved. Launch House claims that it is a place for people to come together who don’t fit into the corporate world.
4. It has become a community
As such, Launch House has become a genuine community. Perhaps the thing that makes it work so well is that it is a community of like-minded individuals, people who are very driven to succeed in their chosen field. In addition, it’s a place for these people to come together in order to recognize the fact that there is nothing wrong with thinking outside the box. Just because they don’t have a traditional nine-to-five job doesn’t mean that there’s an issue with them. In fact, it probably means that they are ahead of the curve.
5. People often bounce ideas off one another
The people that are involved in Launch House frequently bounce ideas off one another. After all, who better to listen to a potential sales pitch or an idea for a new startup than another person that has the same types of desires and experiences? It’s like having the opportunity to sit down and brainstorm with the best qualified people in order to help a young entrepreneur succeed.
6. The goal is to have homes like this in multiple locations
The first Launch House was located in Tulum, but there are plans for multiple homes in cities all across the United States. Eventually, Launch House could potentially exist in various cities around the globe. Right now, they’re starting relatively small and working their way out. If they’re successful, there’s no telling how far they might be able to go.
7. They are raising millions in order to pull it off
So far, the people associated with Launch House have raised $3 million for additional houses to be built throughout the country. That’s no small amount of money, especially when the funds are being used to build houses that will largely be supported by community members. After all, anyone living and working inside one of these houses must pay rent and show steady progress on their startup in order to stay there.
8. They’re focusing on the biggest cities first
For now, they’re focusing on the biggest cities in the United States first. As such, they’re planning on building more houses in both Los Angeles and New York City. They’ll also be focusing on startups that are pertinent to those two areas. From there, the plan is to continue their growth, depending on their level of success with this particular project.
9. They also decided to go digital
These days, you don’t have to actually live inside the house in order to be a part of the community. In fact, a lot of individuals have chosen to live in their own homes and be part of the community on a digital basis only. While they don’t have to pay rent, there are certain responsibilities that are involved, which are outlined on a case-by-case basis. While they have about 18 entrepreneurs currently living in the Tulum house, there are literally hundreds of individuals who have become online members.
10. New applicants are vetted by existing members
In order to make sure that they only choose the best candidates, new applicants are always vetted by existing members who volunteer to spend their time ensuring that the next group of individuals brought in are dedicated and driven enough to get the job done. There is actually a rather substantial waiting list, so this can be a long process. It is not uncommon for there to be 50 applications for a single opening. That means that the existing members who volunteer to work in this capacity spend countless numbers of hours reviewing not only the candidates themselves, but also their work up to that point.
11. Most of the people there have plenty of past experience
Some of the people that have been involved with the program have worked with companies like Airbnb and Uber. That gives them a vast amount of knowledge to pass on to some of the younger individuals who are just starting their projects. After all, who wouldn’t want to learn from people who have been involved with some of the biggest startups in history? The very opportunity to learn from such individuals is worth everything. These individuals have numerous people like this at their disposal from which to learn. It’s an environment like nothing else in existence.
12. It didn’t exist until the pandemic
The very idea for this project didn’t even exist until the pandemic. It was when everybody was forced to stay home as opposed to being able to go out into the world and present themselves to investors and potential employers that the idea for the project came to pass. If anything good comes out of the pandemic, it’s possible that this could very well be at the top of the list.
13. People are there for you if you get stuck
One of the best things about this entire concept is that people are there for you when you hit a speed bump. Entrepreneurs and creators of all kinds have moments where they’re a bit stuck. They may be struggling with an issue and they don’t know quite how to get around it. It’s a tremendous benefit to have people that are there for you when you experience these types of things, especially when it’s people who have been through the very same thing in the past.
14. Residents have the benefit of integrated social networking
One of the biggest issues that entrepreneurs and creators face involves networking. When you’re just starting out with an idea, how do you know who to approach as a potential investor if you don’t already have a list of people that are at least willing to listen to your pitch? Unless you have a way to get your foot in the door, this can be one of the biggest problems associated with getting any idea off the ground. Residents, as well as those who participate on a digital basis, don’t have that problem because they have ready access to a whole pool of individuals that can be used for networking purposes. It essentially eliminates one of the biggest hurdles to entrepreneurial success in existence.
15. There are plenty of other perks involved, too
Of course, that isn’t the only purpose associated with being involved. Residents and digital participants alike have access to special events, information about special contests that are geared to help startups succeed and anything else that pertains to living life as an entrepreneur or creator who wants to be successful. It’s sort of like taking all of the potential obstacles and moving them out of the way. What creative individual hasn’t wished for that in the past?
16. They chronicle everything on social media
One of the things that makes this project truly unique is that everything the entrepreneurs are doing is chronicled on social media platforms like Tik-Tok. This basically serves two purposes. It keeps everybody busy creating because they have to show progress, but more importantly, it gets them much-needed exposure that can make all the difference in the world when it comes to being successful.
17. Participants say that living in the house keeps their energy up
The overwhelming majority of participants say that living in the house helps them keep their energy up when it comes to creating. For them, the frenetic pace that exists within the house is exactly what they need in order to keep thinking of new ideas and keep pushing forward, even on the days when they might otherwise not be feeling as motivated as they typically would. Most of the people who live in the house enjoy the experience and say that it’s something they would do again if the opportunity were to present itself.
18. They got the idea from those who came before them
While the idea was born during the pandemic, it really came from the desire to replicate the basements and dorm rooms that some of the best entrepreneurial ideas have ever come from. Ideas such as Apple and Microsoft come to mind. This is definitely a more upscale version, but some people consider it the new and improved version of the iconic places where some of the most successful startups in the entire world began.
19. They have a close relationship with social media influencers
At the house, they have a very close relationship with a number of social media influencers. That’s great for any person that’s creating a new project. If they end up getting their project featured by one of these influencers, it can go viral in a matter of minutes. A single mention could potentially change their lives forever. That’s one of the reasons that every member has a constant presence on social media. They use these platforms as a springboard in order to make more people aware of what they’re doing.
20. Participants get plenty of exposure on social media
As you might have guessed by now, participants don’t have any trouble getting exposure on social media. In fact, it’s one of the things that makes the whole prospect of living and working in the house so appealing. There is a whole new dimension of potential exposure for entrepreneurs that simply didn’t exist two decades ago. It is something that provides a new avenue of potential success for anyone who’s willing to seize the opportunity. Living in this house allows them to do exactly that.
