• Episode Summary & Player
• Full Transcript
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth podcast Summary

Episode 307: Maxime Barbier – Timeleft Co-Founder, Loneliness Fighter

Maxime Barbier, the Co-Founder and CEO of Timeleft, joins the show to share his journey from going all in on vertical video to connecting strangers for dinner around the world every Wednesday. Hear the logistics behind Timeleft, how they match people, what’s driven their growth, how to keep your business concept strong and simple, and the Sydney Segment of operations questions. This episode covers everything from restaurants to different cultures. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What were the early days of vertical video like
• How did Maxime come up with the idea for Timeleft
• Is Timeleft a dating app
• Does Maxime ever get caught going undercover at Timeleft dinners
• How does Timeleft pick their restaurants
• Where is Timeleft most popular
• How does Timeleft change their business model for different countries
• Ginjinha

Connect with Maxime at Timeleft.com, on LinkedIn, and Instagram @MaximeBarbier.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Vertical Video
  • [0:27] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:36] Connect with Maxime at Timeleft.com, on LinkedIn, and Instagram @MaximeBarbier
  • [2:15] Nailed it
  • [3:14] How did Maxime start Vertical Station
  • [3:16] MinuteBuzz
  • [3:25] TikTok, Instagram Stories
  • [3:52] Snapchat
  • [4:04] What were the early days of vertical video like
  • [4:42] iPhone
  • [5:32] Who was the ideal client for Vertical Station

• The Timeleft Story
  • [7:02] True
  • [7:24] What makes Timeleft different
  • [8:23] How does Timeleft work
  • [9:45] Fear of the Unknown
  • [9:54] How did Maxime come up with the idea for Timeleft
  • [10:17] IRONMAN
  • [11:30] Is Timeleft a dating app
  • [11:49] MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
  • [13:42] What icebreakers are on Timeleft
  • [15:08] Undercover Boss, Market Research
  • [15:15] Does Maxime ever get caught going undercover at Timeleft dinners
  • [15:49] What are the logistics behind Timeleft
  • [17:05] Yes, please!
  • [17:15] How does Timeleft pick their restaurants
  • [17:47] Google Maps Reviews
  • [18:25] Why is Timeleft on Wednesday
  • [19:15] Hump Day aka Hump Dayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
  • [20:01] Who is Timeleft for
  • [21:15] Epidemic of Loneliness
  • [21:28] Social Media
  • [22:15] What’s driven the growth of Timeleft
  • [24:11] How does Maxime sleep or have any down time
  • [25:03] What’s the least stressful day of the week for him
  • [25:25] Customer Support
  • [25:50] How does Maxime celebrate a successful Timeleft day
  • [26:28] WhatsApp
  • [26:03] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Maxime
  • [26:04] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • [26:05] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23

• The Sydney Segment
  • [27:12] Shoutout, Sydney Haber!
  • [27:28] Amazon
  • [27:48] How does Timeleft match people
  • [30:02] Let’s do it
  • [30:25] What’s the percentage of one-time users vs. members on Timeleft
  • [30:25] VC (Venture Capital)
  • [31:19] Ops (Operations)
  • [31:28] Where is Timeleft most popular
  • [33:18] How does Timeleft change their business model for different countries
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [34:38] What’s the most underrated thing to do in Lisbon
  • [35:40] Dana & I in Lisbon
  • [36:01] What’s the most underrated thing to do in Paris
  • [37:02] LA-NY Quote
  • [37:25] What’s Maxime’s advice for anyone who wants to do an IRONMAN
  • [38:50] Ricotta Peach Ice Cream Lisbon
  • [39:14] Ginjinha
  • [39:38] Connect with Maxime at Timeleft.com, on LinkedIn, and Instagram @MaximeBarbier
  • [40:10] What are Maxime’s Final Thoughts
  • [40:32] Follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [40:45] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Maxime
  • [40:55] Check out the Wild Business Growth podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [40:56] Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and Threads @MaxBranstetter and TikTok @WildBusinessGrowth
  • [40:57] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [41:01] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding and professional-looking podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Maxime Barbier on the Wild Business Growth podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about it. And Timeleft it up with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!