Welcome back to the Ideas to Impact podcast, powered by Techscaler, where we bring you unfiltered conversations with founders and ecosystem leaders reshaping the future of work, tech, and entrepreneurship.
In our eighth episode, we sit down with Craig Somerville and Geoff Todd, founder of WITR a simple but powerful networking tool designed to make in-person events less awkward and more intentional.
In this episode of Ideas to Impact, Charlotte sits down with Craig and Geoff, the co-founders of WITR (WITR – “Who’s In The Room”), a simple but powerful networking tool designed to make in-person events less awkward and more intentional. They talk about how an introvert’s frustration at traditional networking sparked the idea, how WITR helps attendees see who’s in the room and why they’re there, and how the product has evolved with live events, GDPR and AI in mind. The conversation also dives into the realities of being a founder, the importance of community and encouragement, and how a trip to Silicon Valley reshaped their mindset around scale, failure, and ambition.
Having been to quite a few networking events, I discovered that I was proper introverted, and I didn't realise it until that point. I didn't want to go and navigate 99 other people in a room, find out who they are, small talk etc. I just wanted the meat on the bone and to not miss out on potential opportunities. - Craig Somerville
Craig & Geoff – Co-founders of WITR (WITR)
Craig is a repeat founder and self-described introvert who discovered, at a crowded showcase, just how inefficient and intimidating traditional networking can be. Spotting a gap between event registration lists and real, in-the-moment connections, he came up with WITR – a lightweight networking layer that shows “who’s in the room” and what they want to talk about.
Geoff, a fellow founder with a background in digital and product, heard the idea and immediately called it Craig’s “best one yet” – then jumped in as co-founder to help build it. Together, they’ve turned WITR into a browser-based tool used at meetups, showcases and networking events, championing consent-driven data, post-event follow-up, and now AI-powered matchmaking that helps attendees start better conversations, faster.
In this episode of Ideas to Impact, Charlotte is joined by Craig and Geoff, the co-founders of WITR (WITR – “Who’s In The Room”), a networking tool born out of one simple frustration: walking into a room of 200 people and having no idea who’s there or who to talk to. Craig shares how a Techscaler showcase and a chance conversation with another founder sparked the idea, and how quickly an early prototype came together to solve a very human problem—especially for introverts who dread small talk and aimless mingling.
Geoff walks through how WITR actually works: event organisers create an event, generate a QR code and display it around the venue. Attendees scan, add a short conversation starter, and immediately see a live list of everyone who’s actually in the room. From there, they can shortlist who they’d like to meet, connect on LinkedIn, and follow up within 48 hours—before the data is automatically deleted to stay privacy-focused and GDPR compliant. The pair explain why they’ve deliberately avoided becoming a full event platform, focusing instead on being a lightweight “networking layer” that works brilliantly for small and mid-sized events.
The conversation turns to the realities of building a SaaS product: resisting the temptation to add every feature suggestion, choosing a lower, accessible price point, and designing features like sponsor logos and tracking links only when they create a genuine win for organisers, sponsors and attendees. They also talk about WITR’s affiliate model and their vision for user-led growth, where serial networkers and community builders introduce WITR into rooms all over the world.
Craig and Geoff then open up about the founder journey itself—juggling multiple ideas, living without a guaranteed salary, and relying on communities like Techscaler, CodeBase and local meetups for encouragement. They contrast the UK’s cautious attitude to failure with Silicon Valley’s “what have you failed at?” mindset, and Craig shares how a recent trip to San Francisco shifted their thinking on risk, scale and speed, while still keeping WITR bootstrapped and grounded in real customer value.
Finally, they give a sneak peek into what’s next: AI-powered matchmaking that not only suggests who you should talk to in a crowded room, but can even propose an opening line to break the ice. Their goal isn’t to replace human interaction, but to make it easier for people to find the right conversations faster. If you run events, love networking, or secretly hate it but know you need to do it, this episode offers both a practical tool and a candid look at building a people-first startup.
Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe to stay updated on future conversations with founders and exciting guests.
Find out more about WITR on Linkedin and through their website.
.svg)
