We asked Pocket Board founder, Erika Gemzer, about building an app that makes it easy and accessible to find the guidance and coaching you need through mentorship. Erika has a background in engineering. She chose Bubble because the no-code platform has the backend services and database built in, allowing her to build her app a lot faster.
Tell us about your app and what it does.
We've all struggled to find the right mentor to help us navigate critical moments in our career, and we all know the cost of missing out on an important opportunity because we weren't adequately informed or prepared. Whether it's because we don't have the right network on hand or don't have enough time to seek out the right mentor, it's clear that traditional mentorship isn't working for everyone.
Pocket Board wants to modernize mentorship, making it easy and accessible to find the guidance and coaching you need, when you need it. Imagine having access to hundreds of expert mentors who are one or more steps ahead of you in their careers and willing to guide and teach you to help you grow, on your schedule. That's what Pocket Board is all about. Pocket Board is a platform that makes it easy to find skilled, 1:1 mentorship by making it a no-brainer for accomplished industry mentors to offer paid mentoring sessions.
How does your app work?
Growth-minded workers can search our marketplace of mentors to find a skilled industry mentor who has the background and skills that they are looking for. Once the potential mentee finds a few mentors that they like, the mentee can check out the mentor's profile, read their bios, and check their rates. To work with that mentor, the potential mentee can ask a "Quick Question" to learn about the mentor's style or approach, or can go ahead and book 1:1 sessions with that mentor, at times that fit their schedule. Mentees can favorite mentors to find them easily in the future, and over time they can even become a mentor themselves and help others grow and catapult their careers.
Tell us a little about your background and how you discovered no-code tools like Bubble.
My background is in engineering, so naturally I'm inclined to build from scratch. I was looking for a fast way to build a functioning prototype, and that's what landed me at Bubble. I selected Bubble over other options because it had the backend services and database built in, reducing my configuration time to stand up the prototype.
Why did you build your app on Bubble?
After standing up the prototype (and getting over the learning hump), I understood the power of Bubble and its capabilities. I just kept building on it, telling myself that when it stopped working for me, I could rebuild from scratch -- but I haven't hit that wall yet. I'm constantly amazed by the power of this platform.
What have been your milestones or successes so far?
We launched the alpha in June with only two mentors, and we had 30 bookings in the first 30 days. Our average net promoter score is a perfect 10, which means that our mentees are getting a lot of value and willing to refer their friends. In fact, most of the mentees have booked multiple sessions already, and that's what we want to provide -- the ability to get the mentorship and guidance that you need, when you need it, from the right person with the best experience in your area of need. It's like having a dream team of mentors in your pocket whenever you need them!
We even had one mentee become a mentor as well, showing the power of mentorship and the value that mentees and mentors get from the platform.
What are your next steps or future plans for your app?
I am currently recruiting mentors, especially in Sales professions, to build out a robust mentorship offering for all Sales roles. I’ve found that Sales is a profession where there are many young professionals and mid-career professionals trying to break in and build their pathway to success, and also where there are many experts who are exceptional in the field and excited to teach and grow the next generation of sales professionals. And while Sales is a great starting point, the platform is home to many other accomplished and impressive mentors from software engineering to product management, program management, hardware engineering, consulting, medical, freelancing, and other professions. Pocket Board mentors hail from impressive backgrounds, from Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania to Google, McKinsey, Airbnb, Uber, and more. I’m always interested in meeting experienced mentors who want to join the platform, and I love hearing from mentees who are looking for a specific type of mentor so I can find that mentor for you and get them on Pocket Board. Reach out to me personally at [email protected].
Learn more about Pocket Board
About Bubble
Bubble is a leader in the no-code movement. Bubble offers a powerful point-and-click web editor and cloud hosting platform that allows users to build fully customizable web applications and workflows, ranging from simple prototypes to complex marketplaces, SaaS products, and more. Over 500,000 users are currently building and launching businesses on Bubble - many have gone on to participate in top accelerator programs, such as Y Combinator, and even raise $365M in venture funding. Bubble is more than just a product. We are a strong community of builders and entrepreneurs that are united by the belief that everyone should be able to create technology.
Do you want your app featured by Bubble? Reach out to us and tell us about your app. In addition to this series, we sometimes select our best apps to showcase on our website.
