How The Weekend Club’s Smallest City – Hsinchu – Became the Most Profitable one!
Hey Partner,
This is Jennifer! Last week, I had the chance to sit down for a one-hour interview with our Hsinchu (Taiwan) partner, Nien-Nien.
Why? Because I was blown away by how she’s been promoting The Weekend Club, in ways that go far beyond what I had imagined possible. She’s running The Weekend Club in one of the smallest cities we’ve launched with only 1 million population… and yet somehow, she’s built one of the most stable, consistent operations, with multiple tables every week. I was curious: how did she do it?
What follows is a full Q&A transcript from our conversation, it gave me a ton of insight and inspiration, and I hope it brings you the same.
I know this work can feel lonely sometimes. If you’re in the middle of that, I hope her words bring you some comfort and encouragement 💛
Q: What did you do to prepare before launching in Hsinchu? How did you collect over 360 email leads?
Nien-Nien: First, I just did what you told me to do — hit the baseline tasks first, then think about what more I could do. The KPIs were clear. The numbers were right there every day. I could instantly see what worked and what didn’t.
I started by going through all the group chats on my phone — every community, every friend who could help spread the word. Even if they weren’t from Hsinchu, I’d ask: “Do you know anyone in Hsinchu? Can you help me share this with them?” Everyone I knew got hit with my ‘friendly pressure’ 😂 I told them, “I’m running this now, I’m the city partner of this app.” And if they helped, I’d give their friends a discount code.
I also used old class groups — I’ve always loved taking courses, so I had groups with hundreds of people. I’d message the admin and ask, “Hey, I want to post this, how should I word it so it fits in the group vibe?” Some of them even let me post by saying, “After taking this course, I decided to build this project — and it’s going super well.” That worked. I didn’t care if they weren’t in Hsinchu. Their friends might be. Maybe someone lives in Taoyuan or Taipei but wants to meet people in Hsinchu, it all counts. I didn’t filter too early.
Even now, my Google Form leads are still growing. Don’t forget to go back and check your forms and follow up.
Q: What worked best? What didn’t?
It depends on your past life experience. You start to reflect on your social circles and how useful they’ve really been. This app is about social connection, and you need to embody that. You need to believe in what you’re doing. You have to think: “If I didn’t have this project, I wouldn’t survive.” That’s the mindset. It has to feel like your thing. Even if I lose face, I’m doing this. Worried someone won’t like it? That’s their problem. You can’t control how others feel, but you can control whether you finish what you started.
Q: Hsinchu only has about a million people. When you said you wanted to launch there, we were honestly worried, it’s so small. But you ended up with the best results.
The truth is: I really believe in this product. And mindset is everything. If you’re only relying on the materials and tips you were given, it won’t be enough. Everyone has the same resources, but not everyone gets 200+ emails in a month.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who only gets 80–100 emails after a month of trying?
Sometimes we need to look case-by-case. Some people are stuck on method, some are stuck on mindset. Maybe their marketing doesn’t match the local culture. I work at a school, I understand how schools operate, and Hsinchu has a ton of students. I also used to go to lots of events, so I had a lot of chat groups. I just mass messaged all of them.
Q: What if someone says, “But I don’t have any groups to post in”?
Then go join some. There are so many, dating groups, interest groups, workshops. You can always join something. It’s not about whether it’s possible. It’s about whether you want to.
Q: Can someone who’s shy or introverted still do what you’re doing?
Absolutely. Everyone has their own social style. Extroverts network a certain way, but introverts can offer steady presence and calm energy. You just need to find the groups that match your vibe, and promote the app in a way that’s aligned with how you naturally connect.
Q: How do you choose which influencers to work with?
I check who follows them. If it’s a male influencer and most followers are women, great. I’ve worked with several pretty and stylish creators lately , honestly, even just showing up at the event adds value. I ask them to post once before the event and once after, and I pay USD 50. After that, they’re welcome to join future events for free and bring friends. Once they have a good time, they promote naturally.
Q: Some people say influencer marketing doesn’t work. Thoughts?
Even if it doesn’t lead to signups today, the exposure is still useful. People need time to warm up. Especially introverts, they observe quietly for a while. Today might be no action, but next month they might be in.
Q: You’ve signed nearly 10 company partnerships. How did you do that?
You have to reach out directly. Big companies often outsource perks to third-party platforms, contact those platforms. Small companies often have HR or a committee in charge. Look at their websites. A lot of the time they’ll say: “Just fill out this form and mail it back.” I also ask my attendees if they can intro me to their HR, I put that ask in my weekly emails. Some companies even reward employees for helping sign new partnerships!
Q: You have a full-time job. How do you make time to do all this?
Honestly, my full-time job is what lets me keep doing this. When I get stressed at work, I scroll through my messages and copy-paste DMs. This is my real passion. My day job is just a placeholder. I believe in this, and I know it’ll grow.
Q: Why did you want to do this in the first place?
I’m married, and I love meeting new people. But there are no good options for married people to make new friends. If you use a dating app, people assume things. I’ve been searching for something like this for years. When I saw this product, it felt like a miracle. Even in my past 1-on-1 coaching work, people would say they want a relationship, but really they just lacked a network. This solves that.
Q: Are there any tactics you think aren’t worth the time?
Everything works, just in different ways and on different timelines. As long as people see your face and associate it with this project, you’re building awareness. Maybe they won’t sign up now, but they’ll think of you later.
Q: What if someone only has 60 followers on IG? Should they still post?
Yes! But don’t just do that. You have to try lots of things at once. A bit of this, a bit of that, it all adds up.
Q: How did you get restaurants to support you?
I book the same restaurant each week and bring influencers there. It gives the restaurant consistent exposure with no cost. Now they reserve seats for me, even message me to ask if I’m booking this week. I also screenshot positive reviews and send them to the restaurant owners — so they see the value clearly.
Q: Have you tried any unusual tactics that others haven’t thought of?
I created an NFC tag and brought it to every event I go to, when people tap it, it opens our APP’s intro page.
I also post our APP on multiple ticketing platforms to gain exposure.
I leave comments under other people’s ads, or jump into Reddit/FB/Line discussions about loneliness or dating and recommend The Weekend Club.
Q: Do you ever get discouraged when some tactics don’t seem to work?
Not at all. I define “success” differently, doing it = success. Just showing up. Over time, all the effort adds up.
Q: What would you say to people who claim they “don’t have time”?
That’s just an excuse. If you care enough, you’ll make time. If you really want this, you’ll stay up late, skip a show, wake up early. It’s not about time. It’s about how much you want it.
Q: Have you done anything that’s more systematic or scalable?
Yes. I send a weekly email to attendees asking them to introduce me to their company HR or perks team. I’ve scraped emails from school websites, gov agencies, and student departments. A lot of them are public. You just have to look.
Q: Any final advice for city partners in other places?
Don’t do this alone. We should be teaming up, creating an alliance. It’s not about “I just run Taoyuan” or “I just handle Tainan.” If we think big and support each other, this can go far.
[Final Note]
What I learned from Nien-Nien is this: There’s no single right way to promote this. The goal — getting more exposure as you can — is universal, but how you get that exposure can look completely different for each person. What matters is that you make it yours.
What moved me most was her optimism and belief. That kind of mindset is everything when you’re doing lonely, slow-burn work. Her story reminded me: “There’s no such thing as wasted effort. One day, it all adds up.”
Let’s keep going — together.
