Launch House : Kickstart your Entrepreneurial Community

If you are a founder or creator looking for the fastest, most meaningful way to up-level your network and recharge your entrepreneurial energy, join Launch House.

If you are a founder or creator looking for the fastest, most meaningful way to up-level your network and recharge your entrepreneurial energy, join Launch House.

Launch House is an experience and community that brings ~20 founders and creators to live together for a month in one space while facilitating creating connections, supporting each other, sharing knowledge, and more.

I joined Launch House Cohort 4 in a gorgeous LA Beverly Hills mansion. Little did I know I would leave with a completely new perspective, determination, knowledge, profound connections, and so much more.

Pre-Launch House : Feelings & Expectations

Though Launch House was new, I heard rumblings about it starting last fall. Lucky for me, I had a phone call with a friend who had joined Launch House, and I decided to ask her about the experience.

Next thing I knew, I was on a call with a Launch House co-founder. Their community and vision resonated with me immediately. I signed up the next day and hopped on a flight to LA two weeks later to join the next cohort.

Though I jumped on the opportunity immediately, I was still a little nervous about the experience.

• I was worried about regenerating energy. I hadn't shared a bedroom, let alone a bunk bed, since college. I was worried I'd have trouble sleeping or finding solitary places to recharge when needed.

• I needed to be productive. There is no time to reduce velocity when you work at a startup. I was reassured that the excessive space and respectful work environment would not cause problems, but I was still concerned when joining.

• Covid was in full swing. This was a large group. If other members are not consciously following safe practices, everyone in the space would be at risk.

• I had unexpected social anxiety and Imposter Syndrome. I'm a social person (as described in my first post) so this reaction really surprised me. However, this would be the first time in a very long time I'd meet ~20 new people and live with them for an entire month. Additionally, my social chops were out of practice because of covid. Could I jump into such an extreme social situation like I used to? On top of that, Launch House residents are experts. I was intimidated. I was worried I wouldn't bring others as much value and so they wouldn't be interested in getting to know me.

I leveled my expectations. When you're an early adopter to a product or just trying something new, you have to embrace anything that's thrown at you. However, even with that mindset, there were a few goals I wanted from the experience.

• I was seeking that founder & creator energy. I left Airbnb mid-covid to found a startup for the first time and was missing the community and fervor of being around others who are hustling. I only met investors and other founders over video and barely saw my co-founder in-person once a week. I work best with others around me. I've even experienced the motivational energy that exudes when everyone is working in-sync on a pressing launch, I was involved in a few back at Airbnb. That intensity is vital, especially during the early stages of a startup. This was my first opportunity to finally be in the middle of it.

• I hoped to gain founder resources. Between networking, advice, and just plain inspiration, I knew anything would be better than the silo I was currently working in.

• I wanted to connect with literally anyone. Novel and large-group social interactions had been at a standstill...because covid.

• I craved something new to look forward to. Covid took away excitement for the future. We didn't know if we'd see family during the holidays, we couldn't anticipate events that make work weeks worth the grind, we couldn't expect to explore new places yet. I was excited about the next month.

Greatly Exceeded Expectations

Launch House changed my entrepreneurial and personal life. There is nothing I could have done better with my month.

To start, after a couple hours in the house, all my anxieties and hesitations were addressed.

• The space was super large, everyone was very respectful, and there were ebbs and flows in activity. I could easily find a place to reset (or nap) whenever I needed to.

• Launch House multiplied my productivity! More on energy below.

• There were strict covid policies and regular testing in place. Everyone was respectful and careful.

• The Launch House residents were so welcoming and overall great people. Everyone wanted to meet everyone and was eager to learn more about you and how they could help. More on connection below.

Then, my goals were blown out of the water.

• The entrepreneurial buzz, energy, & acceleration was palpable. Everyone was hustling. It was contagious. People ask if I was productive and BOY was I. The first week, I couldn't sleep. I wanted to stay up continuing to meet, connect, and learn. And even with those late nights, right when I slightly woke up when the sun came up, I couldn't go back to sleep. My mind was buzzing. I had so much inspiration, ideas, and objectives to accomplish. I had to get going.

• I gained strong, meaningful, & valuable connections. My new housemates were extraordinary. I was surrounded by top-tier, talented, passionate, hard-working, experienced, tenacious, driven, and accomplished people across all industries, locations, & expertise. However, even as impressive as they were, I was floored by their kindness and genuine interest to support each other. This kind of connection cannot be replicated in any other setting. Living together is so different. We hiked, cooked, played games, laughed, surfed, relaxed, hustled, worked out, hosted, learned, dined, yes, partied little too, and grew together. I am grateful to have these people in my corner from now on. And this network doesn't stop here. The community is growing and I'm continuing to engage and meet new people with each new cohort.

• I still can't believe how much founder support and incredible resources I gained at Launch House. I'll name a few. My co-founder and I both have engineering backgrounds and one designer at Launch House kicked off our rebrand from logo to landing page design. We received ideation for our company and even participated in a "Company Teardown" where we received deep feedback that shaped our strategies and perspectives. Launch House hosted its own fireside chats with many successful founders, influencers, VCs, leverage experts, and more. Some are even getting involved in my own business because of that intro. My company received 1:1 marketing advice from a virality guru who has multi-millions of followers across his accounts. I gained a new appreciation for the power of social media to up-level a brand and company after a "Twitter Talk". I subsequently got back on Twitter, made my first tweet in years, then had not only people in Launch House support it, but one fellow resident (with QUITE the Twitter following), went above and beyond and tweeted an endorsement for me. I couldn't believe it, my heart was filled. My perspective absolutely changed from all my interactions, advice and knowledge I gained. These exceptional people and the Launch House network will power me through any future endeavor I take on and I'm excited to contribute back to them whenever I can.

• I'm leaving Launch House with a strengthened co-founder relationship. I wasn't expecting this one. Originally, my co-founder wasn't going to go at all. However, after just two days gushing over how much value I was gaining from my experiences, he hopped on the first plane he could to join (apparently, so far, 100% of co-founders who go alone have had their co-founder join eventually). I'm grateful he did. It was invaluable for us. We grew closer and gained a new level of openness, transparency and trust. Additionally, we worked in the same space for the first time since we founded our startup. Our sheer velocity on decision-making, feedback, product work, ideation, vision, alignment, was remarkable. After our experiences, we are changed. We will replicate our time at Launch House in the future to continue to unlock this intensity and momentum.

• I can't describe the amount of renewed energy I felt. Launch House reset my mental state. After a day, I felt happiness and a lightweight demeanor I hadn't felt in a very long time. I could finally socialize and even hug people without being afraid again. Additionally, this experience refreshed my excitement and confidence around building startups. I know I shouldn't be doing anything else. I profoundly feel my potential and the incredible opportunity that is laid out in front of me. That renewed confidence and determination is not easy to find. If you are as lucky as I am to join Launch House, you will feel it too. 

Conclusions

My simple recommendation : Join Launch House.

Joining Launch House was the best decision I made as a founder. I bet the same is for you.

Jumpstart your entrepreneurial journey, no matter where you are in it. Find a way to get in on the ground floor. You'll come out with lasting and meaningful connections, friendships, resources, knowledge, inspiration, and a home to return to whenever you need it.