Matt Morrison, Founder & CEO of Openly, explains how his platform breaks down barriers to evaluating jobs in the sports industry, providing greater transparency to job seekers. Matt built Openly using Bubble, a no-code web app builder that he discovered while completing an OnDeck fellowship. He launched Openly's first MVP about 6 weeks later.
Tell us about your app and what it does.
Openly is the first and only community bringing transparency to jobs in sports. Over the last 8-10 years, this industry has completely evolved with the rise of technology and social media but the amount of information around jobs has not. We are a "Glassdoor" like concept for the sports industry, providing insight that has never been captured previously.
How does your app work?
Users can browse and leave job reviews, interview reviews, and pay reviews for thousands of employers in sports including professional teams, colleges and hundreds of "3rd parties" in sports. They can also interact and network on our Forum as well as update their job preferences in their Profile.
Tell us a little about your background and how you discovered no-code tools like Bubble.
I’ve never really considered myself a “builder.” The roles I’ve had in the past have been largely functional, i.e. Recruiting, Sales, People Ops, Marketing. I was accepted into OnDeck earlier in the summer and with a push from some of my ODF4 Fellows, I dove in to learning Bubble, and about 6 weeks later, launched version 1 of our MVP.
Why did you build your app on Bubble?
I knew the backend of Bubble was robust enough to handle the amount of data we have been getting in from our users, in addition to receiving credits from the On Deck cohort. I also loved how there was a strong "community" element to Bubble and with their Forum and tons of online videos and tutorials, it made me feel like I wasn't on an island alone.
What have been your successes or milestones so far?
We've spent zero dollars on marketing and really only have pushed via Twitter. As I got closer to finishing the app, we launched a waitlist sign up that surpassed 300 users. After our closed beta test group with waitlist members, we launched live and within 1 week now have over 550 active users.
What are your next steps or future plans for your app?
Next step is to focus on the users to continue growing that side, as well as start engaging the Professional Teams, Colleges, and other Sports Companies side. In early 2021 we will launch a job component as well that will revolutionize how people in this industry find jobs.
Learn more about Openly: Twitter
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.
