You love cooking or just crazy about eating? Let’s meet in the middle using DinnerHood.
https://DinnerHood.com
Some background.
Before we get into the application, there are 2 things I’d like you to know.
First, during Covid, I picked up web development as a hobby. I worked on all sorts of small projects to learn content upload & verification, all blog-related functions, interaction between users, data processing, record keeping, API data fetching, payment gate integration, date and time(zone) movements, and more good stuff.
Second, I absolutely love fresh, home-cooked food. But I don’t like the cooking. Restaurants are the solution, but not for my budget. From time to time, sure, but that’s it. So besides fast food, there is nothing out there that can help me. So I was thinking, why can’t I buy dinners in my neighbourhood, from people that love to cook? Preferably, I collect while driving home from work, delivery for those that want it, and for the brave, a dinner at home, meeting new people, tasting new flavors. Cooks can do what they love to do, and make a bit of money, Eaters can buy that delicious fresh food, a bit more budget friendly. Sounds like a win-win to me?
I decided to put it all together.
https://DinnerHood.com Resource Planner for Individuals.
- Requirements to use the application, confirm location and phone number.
- As a Chef, compose dinners and pin them on a 35 day (moving) calendar.
- As an Eater, search the calendar or easy access your favorite Chefs, and confirm purchase.
- The free version is non rated. Numbers are released after confirmation, and payments happen directly between the users on the meet & greet.
- The paid version has a star rating for both Chef and Eater. An internal wallet to transact, with a $.20c seller’s fee. With PayPal integrated to deposit and withdraw funds.
- All transactions are recorded and reconciled for accounting and legal purpose.
- It has timezones and location depths that can be scaled up and down however we like.
- Users can blog their recipes (with comments, likes, photos, a YouTube video, a link).
- It was submitted to plenty of testing, all works, all reconciled.
It is still basic and not high-tech (yet), as it does not track location, does no analitics (but is code prepared with all models being related), has no push app, and only has PayPal integrated. But this means plenty of opportunities ahead, while it’s already packed with functionalities to do exactly what it’s supposed to do.
Now what?
That’s the question. I’ve been pondering over it for some weeks now, since the application is ready in its current form. Normally, projects fade away when I decide to close domain and server accounts. I don’t promote or try to promote what I create. The brain is fed, a job properly performed, now carry on. But this time it’s different. The application makes sense to me, it solves a problem and I actually want to use it. But it has no users, nobody knows about it, you are the first. So shouldn’t I at least ask your opinion? Does the service make sense to you? Would you use it? Do you see potential?
Ownership.
If your answer is yes, then we need to think about what’s next. Without you, DinnerHood is nothing, absolutely nothing. So right off the bat, 40% of legal ownership goes to those joining this round. 30% is reserved for a second round. 10% is reserved for partnerships and the remaining 20% will be allocated to future team members and myself. There is one condition. The 20% team shares will be non-dilutive. For clarity, this means that for any future need for money, 80% of the total shares, yours included, will be eligible for dilution. Is this an acceptable proposition? If not, what would you think is acceptable?
Expectations.
DinnerHood incentivizes the use of the wallet by linking it to the ratings. Generating fees that should support infrastructure. But besides that, don’t expect your investment to pay off any time soon. As a matter of fact, if we attract users and growth kicks in, more money will be needed, and your shares will eventually be diluted. But if successful, whatever you have left will be worth more than what you have put in, I have no doubts about that whatsoever. See the bigger picture, what we are aiming for is a level-up shareonomics. We are are not here to follow, we are here to introduce a new style of resourcing. This could become big.
Let’s talk some numbers.
A realistic approach is to start small and locally. I live in the Flemish Region of Belgium. With 7 million people living on a small surface, it is one of the most densely populated regions in Europe, and we love all things food-related. The location structure is simple, a day’s work in the database, and we’re good to go. In my opinion, it’s the perfect candidate for launching a marketing campaign. If we could get 1% of the people using the application two times per month, we’d already be running 5k daily transactions, generating potentionally $1k in fees, while attracting attention.
What I think is needed to start:
- Front end professional for 2 months to freshen up the visuals. Estimated costs €7k.
- Back end professional for 4 months to help with implementing extra payment gates, wrapping the webapplication in an app, audit the code and improve efficiency. Estimated costs €32k.
- Legal entity, of which you will legally own 40%, Estimated costs €5k.
- Marketing TV: +3million views, 3 x 20-second ads on national TV, close to prime time, during 30 days. Estimated costs €90k.
- Marketing News: +2million views, local newsapp ads during 30 days. Estimated costs €30k.
- Marketing Socials: +2million views, 200 shout-outs by influencers, Estimated costs €40k.
- YouTube Campaign: +300k clicks. Estimated costs €30k.
- Fundraise costs ~$13k
Minimum funds required to kick-start DinnerHood: €252k representing 40% ownership
It’s a lot of money, but marketing doesn’t come cheap. And I need to inform you that failing is very possible. Many interesting ideas enter the market, but only few stick around. But I’m very committed and know what needs to be done. I’ll work very hard to get us in the money. Every dollar will be spent wisely and fully reconcilable by you. Shareholders will get access to an added application, to review accounting, to vote and to communicate. If the goal is not reached, all funds will be returned. If the goal is exceeded, the funds will still represent 40% ownership.
- Follow @DinnerHood_ on X
- Spread the word (but not too loud, we don’t want to wake up Uber & Co :)!
- info@dinnerhood.com, ask me whatever is on your mind
Kindest regards,
wouter, founder