As the title already indicates, I am a KU Leuven student and a part-time student worker at TPO Agency. Before we dive into this blog, let us rewind to the beginning of my journey and see how I landed this job. In the summer of '21, TPO Agency selected me for a no-code internship for a few months. I learned many new skills and met many talented people during this time, so I decided I did not want to leave. 🤷🏻♀️
The initial scope of my internship was to investigate different no-code platforms. I had to define which platforms are big and booming and could become real competitors to the status quo. As my internship ended, TPO Agency presented me with a bit of challenge. They asked me if I could further work on CrowdCollect, my ‘mini-product’ that I created with a favorable no-code platform: Bubble. I took this challenge with both hands, installed myself in the driver seat, and have been having sparring moments ever since with Charlotte and Thomas, both active at TPO Agency.
Bubble
After extensive research, I was encouraged to pick a platform on which I could build CrowdCollect as TPO Agency is eager to test SaaS tools and see which ones are worth using. We went for Bubble, which seemed like the most appropriate tool for this project.
Bubble is a powerful no-code platform for creating digital web-based products and platforms. In Bubble, I can prototype, design, build, and launch CrowdCollect as and when possible. The platform has a drag-and-drop editor, making it possible to create robust products without coding.
In new daylight, where I can test and create prototypes without much technical background, Bubble ticks many boxes and enables me as a ‘non-techie’ to create value for my target group. So now, we’ve reached the fun part where I get to explain in detail what I’ve been building for the past couple of months. 👩🚒
CrowdCollect: crowdfunding done differently
CrowdCollect is an internal platform where TPO members can share crowdfunding projects with coworkers. They can discover these projects on multiple crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and Indiegogo. We believe that this way, a few things coincide:
- We want everybody to get to know each other better through personal interests
- Moreover, we love to support new initiatives that are being launched on crowdfunding platforms
- Longterm, we believe that this new crowdfunding economy entails a lot of interesting values. Think of ‘creativity’, ‘dare to launch’, and ‘community’, which we also stand for
Besides just sharing these interesting crowdfund projects, TPO Agency recurrently adds credits to every TPO member account, which they can use to support and buy rewards presented by these creators. This way, everybody wins:
- You get your reward, which is always nice!
- Coworkers get to know each other better through original initiatives
- The crowdfunding creators get funded
- TPO Agency helps team culture, which we hold in high esteem
That is why after each funded project, of which everybody gets their reward, we gently ask every TPO member to give a review of their ‘gift’. That way, we get to know that person better, learn more about the project, and maybe some are motivated to purchase the reward.
In short, CrowdCollect offers the chance to share exciting crowdsourcing projects and aid these projects with the help of the company funds 🥳. We genuinely hope that this will create an environment where not only everyone feels inspired but also where creativity is flourishing.
We’ll launch CrowdCollect in the following months; start monitoring excitement, of which we will share our insights in a different blog later. Can’t wait and want to start ‘crowd collecting’ too? Shoot us a message, and maybe you’ll get an invite to join our bèta!
