Cupla

How a Couple Built Cupla to Over 100,000 Downloads in Months

January 4th, 2025

Founded By

Will Palmer

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2022

Customer

B2C

Founded By
Will Palmer: Founders
2

Profitable
Yes: Year Started
2022

Customer
B2C

Who is Will Palmer?

Erika and Will Palmer, founders of Cupla, are an entrepreneurial couple from Auckland, New Zealand; Erika was previously the founder of a music stage show, Synthony, while Will founded Movio, a film industry marketing analytics company.

Erika and Will Palmer

What problem does Cupla solve?

Cupla helps busy couples prioritize and plan quality time together, easing the stress of coordinating schedules so date nights don’t fade away.

Founder-Market Fit

Skills

What skills did Will Palmer have that led to their success?

No Code

How did Will come up with the idea for Cupla?

Erika and Will Palmer noticed a gap in the dating app market—a lack of tools to support couples in their relationship journey beyond initial dating. Their personal experience as a busy couple juggling careers, children, and social lives fueled their curiosity about why maintaining regular date nights was so challenging. They realized the absence of an app tailored to help couples manage schedules and prioritize quality time together.

To develop their idea, Erika and Will first got clear on the specific problem they wanted to address: simplifying life administration for couples to enhance connection. They started by creating a low-cost prototype using Figma, conducting rounds of user testing to refine the concept. The feedback revealed a need for shared calendar functionality and integrated features to plan dates, which helped them shape the basic structure of Cupla.

Through their process, they emphasized the importance of understanding market demand and competition, ensuring that their solution was unique yet validated by existing user needs. By testing and iterating their prototype, they learned to adapt their ideas to what truly resonated with couples, ultimately confirming the potential of their app before investing heavily in its development. This careful pre-launch strategy enabled them to attract the right talent and resources needed to bring Cupla to life.

How did Will Palmer build the initial version of Cupla?

Erika and Will Palmer meticulously developed Cupla by initially focusing on a low-cost prototype using Figma, allowing them to refine their solution rapidly through numerous iterations with real users, without significant financial investment into development. They engaged an app designer for creating and iterating a prototype until achieving validation of the problem and the desired feature set.

Cupla

The app integrates advanced software technology to sync calendars, recommend date spots and facilitate bookings, partnering with over 800 restaurants to streamline the date planning process. Throughout the development phase, the Palmers faced challenges typical of startups, such as balancing resources and adapting their plans due to the dynamic environment intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What was the growth strategy for Cupla and how did they scale?

Partnerships with Restaurants

Cupla struck partnerships with over 800 leading restaurants, providing a "Book Now" functionality within the app. This allowed users to book date nights effortlessly, enhancing user convenience and engagement. By integrating with well-known restaurants like The Grove and Baduzzi, Cupla made it simpler for couples to find and book reservations, catering to their key pain point: organizing date nights.

Why it worked: This strategy offered users immediate value by solving the problem of finding and booking date venues, thus encouraging regular app usage. By making date planning effortless, Cupla stood out as a practical tool for busy couples.

Cupla leveraged their social media presence, especially on Instagram and Facebook, to promote the app and engage with their target audience. They shared date night guides and tips, driving interaction and encouraging downloads. Their Instagram account (@cupla.auckland) served as a platform to showcase app features and share user testimonials.

embed:instagram

Why it worked: Social media platforms are effective for reaching a broad audience and fostering community engagement. Through visual content, Cupla attracted couples looking for streamlined ways to plan their personal time together, promoting both brand visibility and customer connection.

Exclusive Promotions and Code Offers

The app utilized exclusive promotions, such as offering three months of free access using promo codes like "LOCALMOMS," to entice new users to try the app. This approach helped Cupla rapidly expand their user base by lowering the barrier to entry.

Why it worked: Offering a free trial hooked users by letting them experience the app's full benefits without initial commitment. This strategy effectively converts trial users into long-term customers as they integrate the app’s features into their daily lives.

Word-of-Mouth and Referrals

Cupla's focus on solving a significant problem for busy couples—coordinating schedules and planning quality time—naturally encouraged word-of-mouth referrals. Users who found value in the app were instrumental in sharing it within their networks, amplified further by positive testimonials featured on their social media and website.

Why it worked: Word-of-mouth is one of the most trusted forms of advertising. When users solve real problems with Cupla, they are likely to recommend it to others facing similar challenges, thus organically growing the app's customer base.

What's the pricing strategy for Cupla?

Cupla offers a freemium model with a free trial period of three months.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Cupla?

Validate Before Building: Cupla learned from past missteps to validate their idea with potential users before fully developing it. This lean approach saved time and resources, allowing them to refine their product based on real feedback.
Focus on Core Metrics: They emphasized keeping track of key metrics like Lifetime Value and Cost to Acquire customers. This focus helped them ensure that the business model was viable and scalable, attracting interest from investors.
Adapt Quickly to External Challenges: Launching a date-night app during a pandemic taught them to stay flexible and shift focus to areas they could control. This adaptability kept the business resilient in uncertain times.
Hire Passionate People: Cupla prioritized hiring individuals who believed in their mission. They learned that a committed team could better navigate the ups and downs of startup life, even under challenging circumstances.
Always Test and Refine: Through continuous testing and iteration, Cupla honed their product to create a valuable user experience. This iterative process was crucial in developing a product that truly met customer needs.

What platform/tools does Cupla use?

Discover Similar Business Ideas Like Cupla

	Idea	Revenue
Wavve Build This Idea ->	'SaaS tool converting audio to social media videos.'	$100K monthly
Tweet Hunter Build This Idea ->	AI-powered Twitter growth tool for audience monetization.	$220K monthly
Metricool Build This Idea ->	"Social media management tool with analytics insights."	$750K monthly
MillionCenters ... Build This Idea ->	Hyperlocal platform connecting learners with nearby tutors.	$1K monthly
Qnary Build This Idea ->	Tech-enabled executive online reputation management platform.	$550K monthly
OneUp Build This Idea ->	Social media scheduling tool with automated repeat posting.	$100K monthly
Messenger for D... Build This Idea ->	"Standalone app for Facebook Messenger on desktop."	$1.5K monthly