After the typical question, “Can you hear me?” Tim Betzin, Founder and CEO of Rausgegangen, begins to explain how he never gave up despite setbacks. He shares the extraordinary founding journey of Rausgegangen and offers valuable tips for young founders facing similar challenges. One thing becomes especially clear: going out feels good!
How would you describe Rausgegangen in one sentence?
We recommend the most exciting things you can experience in your city every day.
How did you come up with the name “Rausgegangen”?
We started our idea with a newsletter sent to 30 friends. Originally, it was just a side project because we were frustrated with existing recommendation sites. So we sent four well-curated and written texts to our friends. Before the first email went out, we thought about what to call it. Our first idea was “Rausgehen,” but it sounded too forced. Finally, we chose “Rausgegangen” because it sounded more like the moment when you come back from a cool concert or maybe a party at dawn – it just conveyed the right feeling. We sent the email, the name was set, and it hasn’t changed since.
You just mentioned that your platform started in 2015 with an email to 30 friends. How did things progress from there?
The most important thing at first was to get good feedback. We had tried other products before, but with Rausgegangen, we realized we had found a product-market fit. My co-founder Björn then built the website and the app within a month. Two months after the newsletter test phase, we went online. In Cologne, where we started, we grew quickly and were able to establish ourselves well in the event platform market.
Your journey has been bumpy. How did you manage to never give up?
We are now nine years old and received a small investment in 2016 and 2017. In the first seven years, we received a total investment of €155,000. Sometimes we got grants, for example from EXIST, but only little support from business angels. Therefore, we often had to take detours and start various side projects, some of which worked better, others worse. Strategically, this was not always ideal, but we are very happy to be where we are now. Our core project, “Rausgegangen,” works well, and we can build our company on it without constantly searching for new projects.
There are three reasons why we never gave up. First, we saw that the project was highly relevant. We received a lot of positive feedback from both B2C and B2B customers. Second, we always had the confidence that a relevant project could also be built into a solid business. And finally, I always had full trust in our team, especially in the early days of the founding team. I was convinced that we complemented each other perfectly to build something together, no matter what.
What tips would you give to young founders facing similar challenges?
First, I recommend having a strong, complementary team that you want to work with for the coming years. It is important to iterate quickly, be honest with yourself, and reflect on where you may have failed. If you stay consistent and always keep in mind the combination of your own goals, customer needs, and market requirements, you will find something that fits well together. And you should engage with a topic you are passionate about. Without passion, the motivation to keep going is missing.
How did you originally come across the BACB?
Sebastian Schwenke, the current Managing Director of the BACB, was actually once an intern with us, which allowed us to establish the connection to the BACB.
What are your future plans?
In the short term, this year we want to expand Rausgegangen across all of Germany. We plan to add 1–2 new features to better address individual user needs and provide personalized recommendations. Another goal is to connect users with each other. We have a fantastic community, all eager to go out and explore. At the same time, we recognize that loneliness in big cities is an increasing problem, and we want to contribute to addressing this issue.
In the medium and long term, we plan to expand beyond Germany.
Any final words?
Going out feels good. So, if you feel like going out and experiencing something exciting, we are your partner for great experiences and events.
Thank you, Tim, for the fascinating interview. We wish the entire Rausgegangen team all the best for the future and their visions.
More information about Rausgegangen can be found here: https://rausgegangen.de/en/berlin/
Photos: Rausgegangen
Text: Mayline Harnisch (BACB)
