Frugl - a Q&A with founder Suzanne Noble

by Startacus Admin

Love London but think ‘doing stuff’ can be a tad on the expensive side? That needn’t be the case thanks to the innovative new events app Frugl. Since we’re a curious bunch here at Startacus we decided to have a chat with Suzanne Noble, Frugl Founder, Startacus member to find out some more about what it’s all about...

So, Suzanne, what made you want to switch from the fast-paced world of PR into running your own tech startup?

Well, probably because I’m crazy! But seriously… ever since I was a kid I have enjoyed technology. Whether it was taking apart a toaster and figuring out how it worked to tinkering with computers and software while running a PR Agency, I always knew that at some point I would get around to working in tech.

Why Frugl?

I think that every business has to be driven by passion and anyone who knows me knows that I like a bargain and finding quirky things to do. I love a good sale and I love going to comedy clubs and gigs where I may discover a star of the future. That’s what Frugl is all about - discovering all those under-the-radar events in London that don’t cost the earth.

Frugl has a really nice, clean design. How did you find your team?

It wasn’t easy. I spent the better part of a year getting messed around by developers who said they could do what I wanted and clearly weren’t up to the job. Eventually I found Inktrap, the guys we used to build the App, through a recommendation. They were young and enthusiastic and really understood the brief. We’re really happy with what they have produced.

How did you fund the App?

The app has been completely self-funded.

So you’ve been up and running for a couple of months now. How’s it going?

I’m really pleased with how it’s going so far. We’ve had a few thousand downloads thanks to great word of mouth and PR. I’m enjoying putting all my years of experience in PR and marketing to good use; it’s fun to promote a product that I really believe in and so far the media has been very responsive and positive.

How do you make money?

I don’t! I think it’s very difficult to create a revenue stream while you’re acquiring users. Creating an App is not the same as having a PR agency or a building firm or any other bricks and mortar business. Of course we know that we need to make money but we need the eyeballs to do so. The UK has a different attitude to Silicon Valley when it comes to how they view tech. In the US it’s all about get the eyeballs and work out the revenue later. Here’s it’s about create the revenue stream and acquire the users. I don’t think one is necessarily better than the other but there has to be some degree of compromise on both sides.

And the road ahead? What are your plans for the future?

To keep innovating, grow our user base. We have some ideas for further technological developments that we will be putting into place but really it’s just about user acquisition and to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to keep our users coming back. As anyone who has ever started a business from scratch will tell you, it’s very hard work! But, I have to admit, I’m enjoying the challenge.

So there you have it - an app that helps you do more and spend less. Gotta love that!
Our thoughts? If you’re London based or bound, we reckon Frugl is well worth checking out.

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Published on: 11th June 2014