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Raphael Baumann
Founder of Frently (Faiture) - Green Future Enthusiast - Passionate Surfer 🌱🏄🏽♂️🤙🏽
Professional Background
Raphael Baumann is a dynamic and innovative entrepreneur with extensive experience in business development, finance, and technology. As a founder of Frently - The Furniture Activist, he is at the forefront of promoting sustainability and responsible consumption within the furniture industry. His entrepreneurial journey is characterized by a commitment to enhancing consumer experiences and driving impactful business strategies.
Before establishing Frently, Raphael played pivotal roles in various organizations where he showcased his talent in business development and strategic planning. He served as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and co-founder of Inflight VR Software GmbH, where he was instrumental in creating immersive virtual reality solutions that revolutionized the in-flight entertainment experience. His leadership capabilities shone further as he took on the role of Head of Business Development in the same company, where he was responsible for formulating growth strategies and fostering partnerships.
Prior to his ventures in the tech industry, Raphael founded Swoice and was the CEO and co-founder of Appics, contributing significantly to the development of next-generation applications that bridge the gap between user experience and engagement. His work at Möbelmanufaktur Baumann in Business Development & Finance underscored his versatility and adaptability across different sectors.
Education and Achievements
Raphael's academic journey lays a strong foundation for his professional achievements. He pursued a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) through an exchange program at ESADE Business & Law School, where he honed his understanding of global business dynamics. This experience complemented his Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Business Administration and Management, where he excelled academically, ranking in the top 5% at WU (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien). His educational background equipped him with a robust understanding of business principles, finance, and management strategies that he applies in his entrepreneurial ventures.
Raphael’s commitment to lifelong learning and professional development is evident in his diverse range of experiences across industries. The combination of his formal education and practical experience allows him to navigate complex business landscapes and approach challenges with a strategic mindset.
Achievements
Throughout his career, Raphael has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in the entrepreneurial space. His founding of Frently positions him as a thought leader in promoting responsible consumerism. The initiative challenges traditional furniture production and encourages sustainable practices, showcasing his dedication to social responsibility.
His work in the tech sector, particularly with Inflight VR Software GmbH, highlights his ability to drive technological advancements within the customer service industry. By creating engaging virtual reality experiences, he has transformed how consumers approach in-flight entertainment, contributing to enhanced customer satisfaction.
As the founder of Swoice and Appics, Raphael has also played a crucial role in developing platforms that empower users and promote interactive engagement. His entrepreneurial spirit resonates through his willingness to embrace new ideas and anticipate market trends, positioning him as a forward-thinking leader.
Through his various roles, including internships and assistant positions, Raphael has gained a comprehensive view of business operations, from advertising sales to architecture. Each experience has enriched his perspective and has laid the groundwork for his success in more prominent leadership positions.
tags':['Business Administration','Entrepreneurship','Sustainability','Business Development','Virtual Reality','Finance','Technology','Management','User Engagement','Marketing','Social Responsibility','Consumer Experiences','Startup','Leadership','Innovator'],
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.