Why I Choose to Live My Life First: A Founder’s Perspective

Building Join inCrowd While Traveling the World—My Story, My Way

Hey there, fellow inCrowders! Welcome to the very first article in a series where I’ll be sharing my journey as the founder of Join inCrowd. If you're reading this, you’re part of a growing community that’s more than just about business networking—it’s about connection, collaboration, and recognizing the “whole human” behind every contact.

Right now, as I type these words, I’m sitting at the Nomads Co-living Hostel in Cancun, Mexico (yep, you read that right!). I’ve embraced a 100% digital nomad lifestyle, traveling from globally, with my laptop, phone and a backpack that fits under the seat in front of me. I’m writing this from a shared workspace overlooking the Cancun. There's something about the hum of multiple langages from travelers coming and going—it’s a vibe like no other.

So why am I here, in Cancun, writing this article? Well, besides soaking in a new culture, I’m also celebrating a milestone—I just added the inCrowd Articles feature, which I’m using right now to document this journey. And this series is all about taking you along with me—through the highs, lows, and everything in between that brought Join inCrowd to life.

How It All Started: The “Blue Card” That Flopped

Let’s rewind to 2019, the year when I first had my “Ah, ha!” moment for Join inCrowd. It all started in Vegas (as many good stories do) with my landlord and neighbor John, when I received in the mail the digital business card I had ordered called the Blue Card—which was touted as “the last business card you’ll ever need.” Sounds fancy, right?

But, it was a total flop. The idea behind it was solid, but the execution? Not so much. The Blue Card was based on the "Tap" feature. But when I tried using it at events, either people didn't have their NRF setting turned on, or they kept it off for security reasons. That sparked the intial concept for Join inCrowd. I had already built a digital card feature back in 2016, within our larger social platform Dezignwall. So, the idea of setting up a stand alone platform like Dot, or Popl or HiHello was an easy nect step.

Join inCrowd Takes Shape in a Las Vegas Hostel

Fast forward a few months, and I was gearing up to launch Scan Unlock, another tech project of mine. I checked into the Las Vegas Hostel, and over the course of the next 72 hours, I binge-wrote 188 pages of specs and wireframes that would lay the groundwork for what would eventually become Join inCrowd "digital business cards". I sent the drafts to my developer Lisa, and called up Paul for the initial startup investment. Lisa would take 2020 to code and build Join inCrowd, with our official launch in February of 2020.

Buty six months later, after reviewing our member data, we realized that our peak user times were Thursday through Saturday, 9:30pm until 3:30am...Our members were NOT networking during "normal business hours". It turns out that people were using our digital business card to simply swap phone numbers with people they were meeting, beyond business. It turns out that our most poplar feature was our "Send Text" button. This simply lets our new contact text you directly.

So in 2021, we rebranded as Join inCrowd - digital contact cards (dropping the "business" card focus). From launch until the summer of 2024, Join inCrowd organically grew from zero members, to 1.7 million members. But, (unbeknownst to our members) at some point in 2023, we lost communication with our developer Lisa, and all credit card processing stopped. This was great for our members, who still continued using the platform for free. But is was horrible for us as a business (not making money is bad for a business). With room on my cap table, I searched for a developer, but had no luck finding a co-founder/developer, to work for equity.

The Realization at a Starbucks in Playa Del Carmen

Fast forward to 2024—after many evolutions, challenges, and unexpected turns, I was sitting at the Denver airport, looking at a departures board covered in delayed and canceled flights due to a storm hitting the east coast, when I booked a quick $128 flight to Playa Del Carmen. I had just been in Las Vegas for a trade event, and was now at a hostel in Playa Del Carmen when I realized the stark contrast in the way different groups of people stay connected. In Vegas, during the day, business people use LinkedIn. But at night they might use HiHello, Facebook, or Instagram. While traveling, most international travelers use WhatsApp or Instagram.

It dawned on me...Why should they have to choose one over the other? Why not create one source to quickly toggle between them all?

So, I posted up at a Starbucks on Ave 5 and Ave 36 in Playa Del Carmen, and spent the next two weeks redesigning and developing the New Join inCrowd. This "new" version is centered on the idea that "you are more than just a job title".

You see, when traveling the US, the first question I hear when meeting someone new is, "So, what do you do [for work]?". But when traveling internationally, people tend to ask more personal questions, like: "Where are you from? Are you traveling? Do you travel much?". It dawned on me that we are more than just a job title. And how we connect with other people should be based in who we meet, where we meet them and how we want to connect. This is what led to our promary feature "Toggle".

Toggle, lets you share a full contact information "card", or a simple cell phone number "card" (our Quick Share), your WhatsApp Code, or your LinkedIn Code, or if you are like my 25 and 26 year old kids...your Instagram Code. When you meet someone new, simply toggle to the card you want to share!

So, it was with that in mind that I redesigned Join inCrowd to reflect something deeper. It’s not just a digital "business" card. It’s a space for you to be human. To share different aspects of yourself with different people on your own terms—whether you’re at a networking event or just hanging out with friends.

In Between Flights and Inspiration

Speaking of airports, did I mention that I wrote the Instagram Code sharing feature while sitting at the Denver Airport during a 26-hour layover? Yep, that’s the life of a digital nomad and tech founder. I’d just visited my kids in Orange County, California, and was stuck in limbo between flights. Instead of binge-watching shows, I coded. It’s funny how those quiet, seemingly inconvenient moments often become the most productive.

Intrducing inCrowd Articles

The entire bases for the New Join inCrowd is YOU. I believe that your digital contact card should be a reflection of you as a human. We customize our Crocks, why shouldn't you customize your digital conatct cards? So, in this new version you have the ability to customize the backgrounds of your cards, you can create custom backgrounds and positioning for your lockscreen, and now you can event share your story with inCrowd Articles!

I believe that everyone has a story to tell. the world's history has been passed down from generation to generation through story telling. Books helped document stories. But now we have digital. My thought process was very simple, "Why couldn't you use your digital conatct card to share your story?"

My vision for inCrowd Articles? I hope that if you are a foodie, you use Articles to share your foodie journey. Or if you're a real estate agent, I hope that you post stories of your listings or neighborhood insights. if you are a global traveler, I hope you share stories of your adventures. And if you are a tech founder, I hope you share your latest updates and journey as a startup or entrepreneur. What ever your journey is, I believe your digital contact card is a great way to share with people more than a quick contact swap...I thinnk this is a great time and place to share YOU.

Reflections as a Digital Nomad & Founder

You know, raising kids, I used to work to earn my weekends and vacations. I used to clock in, grind, and then live for that time away from work. But somewhere along the way, I had a shift. Now, I see my whole life as mine first. Every day. Every moment. The work I do is no longer to earn my "free time"—Now, if people or brands want me to focus my talents on their business needs, they must pay me to STOP vacationing, and focus my hard earned experience on solving their business issues. But my life is always mine first.

This journey as a digital nomad, a tech founder, and now a published author has made one thing clear—this is your life. I mean, think about it: how much of your day is really yours? How much time do you dedicate to what you want, versus what others expect from you?

With Join inCrowd, I hope to help people bridge the gap between business and personal life, by simply toggling between work and play. And creating a platform that is centered on you as a human, first.

What’s Next?

This is the first of many articles where I’ll be documenting the ins and outs of this journey—sharing insights, lessons, and those unexpected “Ah, ha!” moments that keep popping up along the way. Whether you’re a fellow entrepreneur, a digital nomad, or someone just curious about the behind-the-scenes of building something like Join inCrowd, I’m excited to have you along for the ride.

So, keep checking back! I’ll be sharing more about the challenges, the triumphs, and the moments of clarity that keep shaping this journey. And feel free to reach out—after all, Join inCrowd is all about connecting with people on a deeper level. Let’s keep that conversation going.

Until next time!

Joseph

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Published on

6 sept 2024

Published on

5 sept 2024

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