Qooper Profile
Last Updated: By TRUiC Team
Qooper is an HR tech startup specializing in digital, personalized mentorship and training programs through their SaaS platform.
Founder(s): Omer Usanmaz
Founded In: 2019
Industry: Software (SaaS)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Website: https://www.qooper.io/
Interview With Omer Usanmaz
Describe your product or service:
“We help companies run mentorship, coaching, and training programs at scale with our software as a service platform.”
Describe your company values and mission:
“We drive employee and student careers, skills, and inclusion through mentorship and peer learning methods.”
How are you funded? I.e. type of funding, number of funding rounds, total funding amount.
“Customer Backed.”
How did you come up with and validate your startup idea? Tell us the story!
“I personally had experience in a mentorship program in a global enterprise but saw that the expenses to run this program were high and the program was only for around 30 employees out of 25,000. Then, checking the market, I saw there was a scalable market for this solution and here we are.”
How did you come up with your startup's name? Did you have other names you considered?
“We're not the best at this. Initially, [we] called it ‘Cooper’ from ‘cooperation.’ Then, since that wasn't SEO-friendly, [we] turned it into ‘Qooper.’”
Did you always want to start your own business? What made you want to become an entrepreneur?
“Yes, always did but never knew it would be like this.”
Who is your target market? How did you establish the right market for your startup?
“Companies with 250+ employees as the primary [market], universities and associations as the secondary markets.”
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What's your marketing strategy?
“PPC, cold outreach, SEO.”
How did you acquire your first 100 customers?
“Through PPC and consultative selling.”
What are the key customer metrics / unit economics / KPIs you pay attention to to monitor the health of your business?
“Can't disclose but [it is] aligned with the SaaS industry best practices.”
What's your favorite startup book and podcast?
“‘Saastr.’”
Is there a tool, app, or resource that you swear by to help run your startup?
“Yes, [my] team and customers.”
What is something that surprised you about entrepreneurship?
“Everything about it. I never knew it would be like this. It's not marketed to be what it is.”
How do you achieve work/life balance as a founder?
“Prioritization, working smart, focused while working and making sure my family is happy, and I'm in great shape, which keeps me focused. And besides my company, family, and form (training), I have nothing else in life.”
What is a strategy you use to stay productive and focused?
“MMA has been my solution for years. This keeps my body and mind sharp so that I always have a fresh approach and can focus because my mind is so clear.”
Did you have to develop any habits that helped lead you to success? If so, what are they?
“Routine is key for me, and following the routine. I check the six areas of my business weekly and what should be happening in each area.”
What was your first job and what did it teach you?
“I was an industrial engineer. It helped me understand how processes and people work.”
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More on Qooper
Founder of HR Tech Startup Qooper Shares Their Top Insights
Omer Usanmaz, founder of HR Tech startup Qooper, shared valuable insights during our interview that will inspire and motivate aspiring entrepreneurs.
Here’s How You Can Support HR Tech Startup Qooper
We asked Omer Usanmaz, founder of Qooper, to share the most impactful ways to support their startup, and this is what they had to say.
