Rythmeet: Turning Isolated Musicians into Thriving Communities

From lab research in New York to launching a platform uniting musicians worldwide, Alan Hegron’s path is proof that transferable skills can spark entrepreneurial breakthroughs. What started as a scientist spotting the struggles of friends and family in music has evolved into Rythmeet, a gamified networking hub connecting bandmates, teachers, studios, and venues. In this Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Spotlight, Alan reveals how turning fragmented connections into a thriving ecosystem is empowering musicians with visibility, credibility, and opportunity—while helping teachers and venues strengthen communities through smarter, more accessible collaboration.

Hi, Alan Hegron! Thanks for joining us today. Tell us about your business. Who do you serve, how do you serve them, and what's the impact that your business and work makes?

Rythmeet is a gamified networking hub for musicians that connects them with bandmates, teachers, studios, and venues. Musicians gain visibility and credibility, while teachers, venues and organizers manage bookings and track participation with ease.

The impact is simple: musicians access more opportunities and recognition, and teachers and venues grow stronger, more reliable communities. Rythmeet turns fragmented connections into a thriving ecosystem.

Tell us about the moment you finally felt like you went from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur.

For me, the turning point was when I stopped just thinking about the idea and actually put my own savings, time, and energy into building an MVP. That decision turned Rythmeet from a dream into something real, with users, partners, and a product I could show to others.

Another moment was when I started reaching out to studios and a live venue in New York, and they were very excited to collaborate. It showed me that people outside of my own circle believed in the value of what I was building. At that point, I no longer felt like I was just aspiring, I was truly operating as an entrepreneur.

Describe the moment or period in your life/career that motivated you to make the entrepreneurial leap.

The shift happened while I was working full-time as a researcher in New York. I loved science, but I also saw friends and family who were musicians struggling with the same challenges over and over, like finding bandmates, teachers, rehearsal spaces, and ways to grow their careers. It felt like such a basic need, yet no one was solving it in a comprehensive way.

At some point, I realized I had spent more than a decade in research identifying problems, designing and testing solutions, and building teams, exactly the same skills you need to launch a startup. Once that clicked, I decided to stop waiting for the “perfect time” and put my own savings and energy into creating Rythmeet.

Describe a tool, service, or software that has been a game-changer for your business. How does it contribute to your success?

For me, Bubble.io has been key. I used it to draft and test early versions of Rythmeet on my own, which allowed me to quickly understand how the platform should work and what users really needed.

Once I had the concept, I invested in hiring a professional development team to build the MVP in a more reliable and scalable way. Bubble made me save time and money compared to starting with a native website, while still giving me real user feedback to guide the build.

We know that success is very often a non-linear path. Tell us about a failure, pivot point, or lesson that changed your course or direction and helped to get you where you are today.

At first, I wanted to build a very big, all-in-one platform for the entire music industry, lessons, gear, rentals, gigs, and more. But as I spoke with other founders, mentors, and investors, I realized this approach was too broad and would spread resources too thin.

The big lesson was to narrow the focus. I pivoted to what musicians need most: a networking hub that connects their full ecosystem, bandmates, teachers, studios, and venues, with gamification to track progress and AI to make connections smarter and safer. That shift not only made the vision clearer but also more attractive for both users and investors.

What unconventional strategy did you employ that significantly impacted your business?

One unconventional strategy I used was building and testing Rythmeet myself before hiring a technical team. Instead of waiting for funding or a cofounder, I used Bubble.io to create a draft platform and tested it with early users. That experience gave me direct insight into how musicians, venues, and teachers interacted with the product, which shaped the design of the professional MVP.

What’s something you wish you knew sooner that you’d give as advice for aspiring or newer entrepreneurs?

My unconventional strategy comes from my background in science. I approach Rythmeet the way I approached research: designing solutions, testing, analyzing results, and improving through iteration. I applied this not just to the platform itself, but also to deciding which features to prioritize and even to our early marketing strategies.

I’m very methodical and “protocolaire,” but also open-minded. I believe that everything that works can always be improved, and that listening to feedback is as important as running experiments. This mindset has helped me move faster, avoid costly mistakes, and build a product shaped directly by community needs rather than assumptions.

Want to dive deeper into Alan's work? Check out the links below!

• Visit Rythmeet's website: rythmeet.com
• Follow Rythmeet on LinkedIn: Rythmeet
• Find Rythmeet on Facebook
• Follow Rythmeet on Instagram: @rythmeet
• Find Rythmeet on Tiktok: @rythmeet