Grace Rigdon of deetz
An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Grace Rigdon (co-founder and COO) of deetz, which was honored in our:
Tell us the origin story of deetz – what problem were you trying to solve and why?
“Being an international student at my university, it was next to impossible to find fun things to do each day and I’d constantly miss out on things, which led to a sad college life” said Ethiraj, my co-founder and deetz’s CEO. I would add to that that information was predominately shared through word of mouth or flyers! Being new to the city, I didn’t know anyone, and several out of state students had the same roadblock leading to an isolating college life taking a toll on our mental health.
The deetz team has worked the past year to pioneer a platform for students and visitors to quickly make a last-minute decision and discover what their vibrant community has to offer at that very moment.
Everything on the app expires in 24 hours, so users only get that day’s information on daily drink deals, food deals, and live events near them! Local businesses share 4 times more on deetz than their social media through a proprietary deetz texting system.
The deetz app allows every student to be “in the know” without the noise and clutter of social media, leading to lively experiences and everlasting memories.
Ethiraj and I quit our jobs during COVID to build deetz. The deetz app is working to bridge the gap between people living in a city and what’s happening in their city, helping our #deetzfam live their best life.
What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?
After a year of doing customer and small business discovery in Cedar Rapids with our app up and running, we realized we were pushing the app to several different demographics, which all wanted very different things from it. It was difficult to acquire new users from such different age groups, all wanting different experiences from their cities. After launching in Des Moines, we launched several promotions around Drake University’s campus. In three hours, we brought 361 deetz users into a local pizza shop. After several promotions on Drake’s campus had similar success, we took notice of the quick user growth that could happen on college campuses. Students are used to trying new things several times a day on campus, enjoying freebies, and desperately looking for fun things to do to help them create everlasting memories. We quickly knew that the student demographic would be a fabulous place for deetz to start. It took a lot of focus and listening to our communities, but we finally found our niche and have been soaring ever since.
What does the future hold for deetz?
We are thrilled to announce that our plan over the course of the next 13 months will be to take over the entirety of the Midwest region, launching in 21 states. Starting in March, deetz will launch across the state of Texas.
What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in Cedar Rapids?
The local tech startup scene is blossoming in Cedar Rapids! The residents and visitors are looking for ways to connect with the city, and luckily, there are several entrepreneurs here looking to bring tech to the forefront of the city.
What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
If you believe there’s a problem, put yourself out there and work to create that solution. Work to listen to the market and consumers.