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Unite
buy a pass. Skip the line. why wait?
At Unite, we believe everyone deserves to feel like a VIP. Our platform provides an easy solution that caters to both venues and night owls, enhancing the experience for everyone.
The Problem
One of the worst aspects of a night out is the inevitability of waiting in line. At the very best it's boring, but with unpredictable weather in metropolitan cities like New York, Chicago and Boston it can be downright painful. ​
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If people value their time as much as their money, then shouldn't they be able to sacrifice a small fee for a quicker, more efficient and pleasant experience?
Our Solution
A mobile app that gives users the ability to cut lengthy lines and keep their nights moving as efficiently as possible.
Unite serves as a real-time ticketing platform that allows venue owners to sell digital VIP passes ensuring direct access and entry to their specific venue on that night.
The Why
Long lines is something I've always dreaded whenever I would go out with my friends on weekends. We would easily spend 30-mins to over an hour almost every Friday or Saturday night waiting in line to get inside one of the 3-4 bars we would cycle between in a given month.
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Are they at a capacity? No. Is the bar super busy to the point where it justifies 1 in 1 out? Maybe but highly unlikely. But what I do know for certain is that venue owners purposely create displays of long lines as a business strategy to attract wandering patrons roaming the streets looking for their next stop. Long lines imply high demand with little supply, giving venues the appearance of exclusivity and leading to a fear of missing out, or "FOMO" amongst night goers.
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What's the solution today? Have a connection to one of the staff members, obtain celebrity/influencer status, or the most obvious approach- bribing the bouncer and hoping for the best. None of these methods are ideal for the average Joe or Joanne.
If I can push a button and go from one location to another using an app like Uber or Lyft, why can't I do the same thing with a bar or club of my choice? Buy a pass. Skip the line. Why wait? My thought process: Give me a chance to show the venue I'm a preferred customer because I'm willing to pay a premium to expedite myself inside your establishment and likely spend additional funds. Win-Win for all parties involved.
After sharing the idea with a few close college friends, I received a lot of positive feedback, which boosted my confidence to assemble a small team of enthusiastic individuals excited to create an innovative digital product focused on Boston's nightlife.
As the founder and lead designer on the team, I was responsible for research, journey mapping, prototyping, and pitching our app to both potential users and venue partners.
2 approaches to User Research
Attitudinal
Listening to what they say.
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Interviews
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Surveys
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Focus groups
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Social media
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Market research consultants
Behavioral
Observing what they do
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Watch patrons from a far and see how they react to long lines at a specific venue
As a financially-strapped college student and a young professional with tight budget, I completely understood the struggles that come with a night out in the city.
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Everyone has their own perspective on nightlife, and my aim was to speak to as many students and patrons as possible as well as bouncers, managers, and owners as well since our intention is to build a two-sided app (Guest & Venue). Surprisingly, I found that each participant had a distinct story or experience related to nightlife. After conducting numerous interviews, we gained intriguing insights that helped guide our team's focus.
Sample Interview Questions
1. Warm-up (understand lifestyle/habits)
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How often do you go out in Boston and where (bars, lounges, clubs)?
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When you go out, what is your typical night like from start to finish?
2. Discovery (How they find & plan nights out)
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How do you usually decide where to go on a night out?
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Do you use any apps or websites to find or buy event tickets?
3. Pain Points (stories about frustration)
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What's your experience been like waiting in line to get into popular spots?
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What do you usually do when a line is too long - wait, try another venue, or go home?
4. Concept probing (gauge app interest)
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Would you be will to pay a small fee to skip the line or guarantee entry?
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What would make a ticketing app stand out or feel authentic to Boston nightlife?
Alexa, MA
Young professional, 22
“I normally work late on Fridays. By the time I make it to the city, almost every popular bar has a line out the door."
Morgan, NY
Young professional, 28
"I'm pretty impatient these days, so yes I would easily pay to skip a line if it was long enough, especially in the winter time."
Kevin, MA
Student, 21
"I could see myself paying to skip a long line if I was on a date and wanted to impress her for a night."
User Persona 1 : Sarah
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Young professional
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Has disposable income
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Values time & efficiency
User Persona 2: Alex
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College student
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Frequently visits the same college dive bars
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Tends to follow their friends' plans
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Eager to skip lines for most bar events
Industry challenges
Our research shows that most venues in the nightlife space experience:
Long lines & minimal loyalty
43% of patrons cite long lines as the main factor discouraging them from regularly visiting bars and nightclubs. As a result, more than 45% of partygoers change 2-3 venues per night.
Lagging technology
Millennials want speed and efficiency that responds to real-time technology.
They want make last minute plans – no planning in advance.
Lack of analytics
Venues want to launch marketing initiatives based on accurate analytics.
Solutions
Our research shows that most venues in the nightlife space experience:
Reward loyalty
Millennials represent more than 25% of the population.
They express loyalty to venues where they feel highly valued - drink deals, ticket discounts, loyalty rewards etc.
Speed & Efficiency
Millennials want access to all of the content and experiences they desire without speed and quality being affected.
Live reporting
Venues will receive real-time data to control crowds and actively change ticket and quantity pricing based on demand.
Buy a pass. Skip the line. Why wait?
Here's a short video showcasing our apps line-skipping feature, promoting a fun and more efficient way to experience nightlife in Boston.
Promotion video
User benefits
Eliminates the need for cash
E-Marketplace & Social network
Expand VIP status to larger audience
Venue features
Since this is a two-sided service, we have a separate admin app dedicated to venue managers and owners.
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Features:
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Create multiple venue profiles
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Set ticket prices
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Set ticket window hours
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Set quantity of tickets available for purchase
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View redeemed ticket history
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View daily, weekly, & monthly statistics
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User Acquisition Challenges
Based on user interviews, surveys, and early concept testing feedback
1. Low Awareness & Mobile App Fatigue
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"There's already so many apps for nightlife, tickets, and events - I don't wanter one unless it saves me time or money."
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Insights:
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Patrons often feel oversaturated by social and events apps (Eventbrite, Dice, instagram, etc)
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Mitigation:
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Lead with a single, emotional value prop: "Buy a pass. Skip the line. Why wait?
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Launch with exclusive early-access or partnered nightlife hosts to create FOMO and credibility.
2. Trust & Security Concerns
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"If I buy a ticket from an app I've never heard of, how do I know it's legit and my payment is safe?"
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Insights:
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Users hesitate to provide payment details into new apps without brand recognition.
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They need assurance that venues are legitimate partners and transactions are secured.
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Mitigation:
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Integrate Stripe for credibility.
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Feature venue verification badges and display known venues prominently.
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Include visible refund policy and support options early in the user flow.
3. Perceived Lack of Venues​
"If only a places are listed, it doesn't feel worth it to me to use the app."​
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Insights:
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This is a classic chicken & Egg problem in two-sided marketplaces.
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If users open the app and see limited options, they churn fast.
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Mitigation:
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Manually onboard 3-5 venues at launch to ensure depth in a popular nightlife area (Fenway, theatre district, Seaport, etc)
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Market targeted content tailored to specific audiences (Back to school events, holiday celebrations like Halloween or St. Patrick's day)
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Use a ticket waitlist for sigh-ups to show real "demand" to venues.
Venue Acquisition Challenges
Based on interviews with venue owners, managers, bouncers, and promoters.
1. Skepticism Toward New Startups
"We've had people pitch apps to us before. They get excited about all these innovative ideas, then disappear after a few months sometimes weeks.​"​
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Insights:
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Venue owners constantly receive pitches are wary of unproven startups, especially without brand backing or known promoters.
Mitigation:
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Lead with pilot partnerships and risk-free trials (no fees for first few events)
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Highlight local traction - i.e. "We already have 100+ users signed up in the Fenway area."​
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Showcase my UX design background as proof of professionalism and product polish, and expertise in developing digital products.
2. Fear of Losing Control or Splitting Revenue
"We already handle tickets ourselves - why would we give a cut to someone else?"
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Insights:
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Venue managers often see ticketing platforms as middlemen that take revenue and add friction to current operations.
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Mitigation:
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Offer custom branding or venue-branded pages (which they retain control over).
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Start with a flat monthly pricing model instead of per-ticket fees to reduce any perceived risk. (Worst case scenario - no one is interested in paying to skip the line).
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Emphasize data insights: "See real-time attendance and demographics - info you can't get from other apps like Eventbrite."
3. Operational Complexity
"My staff doesn't have time to learn a new platform just for a single event."​
Insights:
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If onboarding feels too technical or adds friction to existing workflows, they will likely resist. ​
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Mitigation:
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Simplify venue onboarding: 5 minute setup, no tech experience required.
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Offer in-person setup help (a short walkthrough video or tutorial).
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Start with a single flagship event to demonstrate simplicity and results.
Storyboarding
Here is a visual representation of the typical customer journey when using Unite to expedite themselves past a long line and get direct access inside the popular venue.
What we've done so far
We went from idea inception to a working web-based application in less than 2 years. We pitched the idea to 7 different startup pitch competitions and applied for various incubators throughout Boston: MassChallenge, Pitch-a-thon, Brand-a-thon, and Startup palooza just to name a few. Soon after, we came in contact with an interested Angel investor at venture fund based in Boston. This interaction led to our first pre-seed investment of $130k which we used to form a team and fund our app design and development initiatives.
Fast-forward to a year later, and we have two working native mobile apps live on the app store for both users (patrons) & owners (venues). We established partnerships with 3 popular bars in strategic locations where nightlife is the most active. We began to generate significant revenue at each partnered venue every month and I started to contemplate working on Unite full-time.
Before I decided to make the plunge into entrepreneurship, the Covid-19 pandemic suddenly struct and the world as whole came to a complete stop. Connections with venue owners began to unravel as more and more managers began to get furloughed from their positions. The nightlife industry was significantly affected, and I could no longer keep my in a state of uncertainty due to the unpredictable environment we in. We had to make the difficult decision to pause operations indefinitely and refund the remaining investment to our investors.
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Rather than drown in my sorrows, I used this memorable experience to plan my next career move as I deeply fell in love with the process of product development and user-centered design. I decided to take another risk and make a career shift from Corporate finance to UX/UI design which has undoubtedly been the best decision of my life thus far. I now have the privilege to do what I love on a daily basis and work for a company whose culture and mission I truly in- Strengthening the financial well-being of its customers and deliver the best outcomes for its client and businesses they serve.
Our Timeline
2016
Idea inception
After building my first app in college, I was eager to take on another creative challenge and solve a problem that I was passionate about.
2017-2019
First investment leads to app development
We vetted the idea across various of groups of people in the space to gauge user and venue interest. Started with a simple web app which proved to be very successful. Pitched our product and user feedback to a plethora of investors. Received funding to build a team and go live in 12 months. Partnered with 3 top venues in Boston and ran operations for 3 months.
2020 - present
Operations put on hold indefinitely.
The Covid-19 pandemic was something no one could have foreseen. True entrepreneurship requires field work, speaking with people, and forming relationships. This was something we physically were unable to continue given the climate we were in. Once the world returns back to normalcy, my intention is to re-launch Unite with a completely new team of ambitious individuals looking to build, innovate, and learn alongside me.