Stefan is the founder of WhereTheyTalk, a Vienna-based platform that helps early-stage builders find conversations about the problems they solve. By engaging directly with people already discussing their pain points, founders can generate high-quality leads without relying on expensive ads or cold outreach.
What problem does your product solve, and who is it for?
WhereTheyTalk is built for early-stage founders struggling to find their first customers.
The platform tracks conversations across relevant spaces so you can jump in where your target audience is already talking about their problems.
Why this matters
- 92% of consumers trust peer recommendations over ads.(Nielsen)
- Founders who engage directly in online communities often achieve 2–3x higher conversion rates than those relying solely on cold outreach.(HubSpot)
What inspired you to start this? What’s your personal backstory?
I had built several SaaS projects on the side that never got traction. The big question for me became: how do I find my first 100 paying customers?
That question became the foundation for WhereTheyTalk.
81% of customers need to actively trust a brand before buying from them, and trust grows when founders engage in relevant online discussions martal.ca.
What’s your current traction?
- 250 waitlist signups in the first week
- 25 onboarded from the waitlist
- 10 completed onboarding
- 2 paying customers before launch
Launch is set for next week.
What’s one decision or moment that changed everything for your startup?
When I invited the first beta users from the waitlist, 2 out of 10 used the platform daily for a week.
That was the moment it felt real. It was also when I decided to leave my €250k/year VP Product role to work on WhereTheyTalk full time.
