Pools (fka Withfriends) GTM brain

Pools gives independent event organizers ticketing, discovery and membership tools to turn attendees into recurring supporters.

category

Event ticketing and community memberships

market profile

  • text: Independent cultural venues need recurring community support alongside episodic ticket income.
  • text: The product combines local event discovery, ticketing, contributions and memberships in a two-sided community.

personas

  • title: Independent music venue owner
    pains:
    • Ticket sales fluctuate while rent and staffing remain fixed
    • Convert regular attendees into sustaining members without extra manual work
  • title: Arts collective event organizer
    pains:
    • Promote events beyond social algorithms with limited staff time
    • Manage member benefits, check-in and cohost coordination across events
  • title: Community museum director
    pains:
    • Turn one-time visitors into recurring donors or members
    • Show supporters a tangible reason to contribute

icp

  • text: Independent art, music and activist spaces that run recurring in-person events and have an existing local audience.
  • text: Small community organizations and volunteer-led organizers seeking ticketing and recurring contributions without a monthly platform commitment.
  • text: US city-based cultural communities where local discovery and collaborations can generate additional attendance.

message pillars

  • text: Build community sustainably with tools made by organizers.
  • text: Turn the ticket checkout into a membership opportunity.
  • text: Run event operations and audience relationships in one place.
  • text: Provide flexible pricing for community events.

objections

  • objection: Will another platform add to the cost of hosting?
    response: There is no organizer monthly fee, but compare ticket, membership and donation fees against existing tools and expected volumes.
  • objection: We already use Eventbrite and cannot afford a complicated migration.
    response: Start with one recurring event and compare checkout, membership conversion and attendee experience before consolidating.

competitors

  • name: Eventbrite
    why: Provides event ticketing and discovery for organizers.
  • name: Patreon
    why: Offers recurring supporter memberships that compete for community budgets.
  • name: Multipass
    website: https://www.multipass.com/social-club-memberships
    why: Combines event ticketing and paid memberships for community organizers.

keywords

  • event organizer membership platform
  • venue recurring memberships
  • community event ticketing
  • music venue membership software
  • event ticket membership upsell
  • sliding scale ticketing

voice

  • community-first
  • warm and inclusive
  • independent DIY culture

signals

  • text: A venue schedules frequent events but relies on one-off ticket revenue or contribution drives.
  • text: An organizer launches a membership campaign or asks for member-only ticket access.

pricing

model: usage
starting price: $0/month; 10% of membership fees, plus transaction-based ticket and donation fees

motion

product_led

channels

  • event discovery
  • organizer meetups
  • word of mouth
  • SEO

confidence

high

Founders

  • name: Joe Ahearn
    title: Founder
    role: Founder
    bio: Dedicated to building creative, diverse, and sustainable communities. Started off organizing underground music spaces in New York, rose in the international arts community. Watched a lot of inspiring and historic projects and small businesses close in NY despite having record community support. Founded Withfriends to try and solve the obstacles behind running the independent art, music, and activist spaces that make cities special.

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