The Start
When Sarah Boggs, a professor and UCSB Alumni, first had the idea for College Sauce, she knew it had to be a student-driven initiative. Drawing from her own experiences as a parent and professor, Sarah recognized the challenges many students face in navigating the transition to college, especially those who may not have strong social connections or feel well-integrated on campus. "The well-connected people have a much easier time than those who are first generation college students, out of state students, athletes, non athletes, greek life, or just coming to UCSB not knowing any other student" Sarah explained. "it came from this idea that those who are not well connected should have the same resources of those who are well connected." Sarah's initial concept was to create a platform where students could help each other out, with one student getting paid to provide information to another. However, when she hired a student team to provide feedback, they quickly shut down that idea, noting that students wouldn't be willing to pay for that kind of service.
Undeterred, Sarah pivoted the concept to focus on using technology to help students connect with each other on campus based on shared interests and activities. This student-centric approach has been a key driver of College Sauce's success, with the app quickly gaining traction on the UCSB campus. "The strength of our startup is that the customer is building the startup," Sarah said. "These are students creating something for other students, not some outside entity trying to sell to the student market."
Overcoming Early Challenges
The journey wasn't without its hurdles. Sarah faced a significant setback with her initial engineering co-founder and so she had to decide whether to abandon the project or invest in a new developer. Choosing the latter, she hired an engineer to build the app. "I decided to make that investment because I really, really, really believe in this," she shared.
This resilience paid off. By the start of the spring quarter, College Sauce had an MVP ready, thanks in part to an April Fool's Day marketing stunt that Deltopia was canceled which helped generate buzz. Sarah emphasized the importance of listening to students: "It's a unique position to be in, to be the person funding it and having the most at stake, but really having to completely undo your ego and just say, 'Okay, tell me what to do.'"
Another challenge Sarah encountered was managing the diverse group of students she had brought on to the team. Initially, Sarah had taken an inclusive approach, welcoming anyone who was interested in contributing to the project. While this helped foster a collaborative, community-driven culture, it also led to issues with varying levels of commitment and accountability. "There were different levels of commitment" Sarah reflected. "as we go forward, it's going to be a little bit more formal and organized, people who did a lot of work will really appreciate that...I want to honor and respect the people who are really serious about it." This mixed with regular in-person meetings and social gatherings helped build a strong sense of community within College Sauce.
Despite these challenges, Sarah has remained steadfast in her commitment to empowering student entrepreneurs and putting UCSB on the map as a hub for innovation. She has tapped into the expertise and insights of her student team, allowing them to shape the direction of the app and make key decisions.
Advice for Students
For students hesitant to start their entrepreneurial journeys, Sarah offers valuable advice: "You have to not care what people are going to say because people are judgy." Drawing from her own experience with various ventures, she emphasized the importance of resilience and belief in one's vision. Entrepreneurship isn't for the light hearted, its for "brave people...but you have to not let the fear of failure stop you. You have to do it because you want to do it."