Pia Poppenreiter is the CEO and Founder of paid dating App Ohlala. As our third speaker she talked about her experiences and problems , but also ethical aspects of her app.
„Is paid dating prostitution?“ - „If yes, would that make me a pimp?“
For Pia, who studied ethics the answer is clear. There is a big stigma in society and people’s heads. We have to consider paid dating as a normal thing and society and laws should adapt and be more liberal. Because of this stigma she said that it is quite difficult to find funding for her app. Even though it is a 4$Bn market in Germany alone and margins exceed 25$ or more per customer, investors hold back.
„I’m a troublemaker“ - Pia found a clever solution to generate more attention and came up with a viral marketing event at this year’s NOAH conference. After calling several escorts the media went crazy and her startup became well known and associated with that so called #escortgate.
„I want that product so bad that I don’t want to give it up!“
Pia made clear that she is very ambitious and won’t stop working on her app until she is completely satisfied. „I don’t compromise on my vision“
At a Q&A session at the end of her speech she explained that it is quite difficult to expand to different countries(e.g. the UK or US) since every country has got its own legal and moral standards. But she added that „You will definitely see me next year“ and that we can expect much more from Ohlala. - „I want that product so bad that I don’t want to give it up!“ - now that is a statement!
