David Cascón (Barcelona, 1987)

“My path was going in a different direction”. David Cascón graduated in Environmental Sciences at the UB, until dance came into his life. Since then, he changed the course of his professional career until he had his own physical dance school and flew “towards something much more scalable”, Rebaila: an online dance academy that in June closed a €225,000 pre-seed funding round.

We spoke to its CEO in this new TB Members Calling.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

DC: I want everyone to have access to dance classes at any time, with the best professionals and at an affordable price. The solutions on the market don’t satisfy what I would be looking for if I were a dance student, so together with my cofounder Vivian, we have created something that can help many people enjoy the immense benefits of dance.

TB: A good idea you have had.

DC: Phew…! As an friend used to say, every morning before I even had my first coffee, I have had twenty new business ideas. When we were at the physical dance school, for example, we set up private bridal dance classes, i.e. the classes you take so you don’t make a fool of yourself at your wedding in front of the people you care about. Nowadays Dance Emotion is the biggest bridal dance school and we work with about 150 (I think 200 this year) bridal couples every year. It’s crazy.

TB: A bad professional experience.

DC: They are supposed to be an apprenticeship, but… it’s a hard time! Recently, I have had the worst experience with developers, as I am very demanding with deadlines and I had to fight against a team that exceeded them five times over. And, to make matters worse, without completing the tasks. It was horrible and I learned a lot from the experience.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever been given.

DC: I’m a big fan of inspirational quotes and this is one of my favourite: “If a problem can be solved with money, it’s not a problem, it’s an expense”. However, the most important piece of advice – and one that I don’t apply as much as I should – is not to worry: if you can solve it, there’s no point in worrying, and if you can’t solve it, why should you worry?

TB: An inspiration.

DC: David Esteban from i3D and Retoornado, because he has told me about negative experiences that make me dizzy just thinking about them, and yet he has gone ahead with the greatest peace of mind in the world, with new ideas and projects. A genius!

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

DC: I’m with Zuckerberg and his metaverse on this. I think it will give us immersive experiences by making the barrier between the digital and the physical thinner. Another one that I love is autonomous driving: it will take us to another level in terms of transport and mobility.

TB: What are you worried about?

DC: About churc, CAC and LTV -just kidding-. As an entrepreneur, I think there are too many people looking to take advantage of those who are starting a project, selling them things that are not necessary at the point they are at, including accelerators that charge huge amounts for incubations that are honestly not worth it. I think that new entrepreneurs need better advice so that they don’t fall into these traps.

TB: A start-up.

DC: Only one? Right now a project called Grovy comes to mind, which allows you to work every day in a different place, taking advantage of the spaces available in amazing places: yoga schools, hotels, coworkings… You can also take advantage of some of their services such as yoga classes or catering.

TB: A book to recommend.

DC: On the one hand I loved the book “Never Split the Difference” by FBI negotiator Chris Voss. I also recommend any book by Mario Alonso Puig, very necessary to help your mental balance, something we startuppers need.

TB: A series or film or song that defines your moment in life.

DC: My reference is always the Matrix. It could not be more faithful to the reality we live in. Let everyone draw their own conclusions.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

DC: Since I’m not much of a cook, one recipe I do very well is avocado hummus. My favourite food ever is yaya’s macaroni, and as a favourite restaurant, I’m currently a fan of Honest Greens.

TB: A city, a journey.

DC: I like Los Angeles a lot, I see a similarity with Barcelona, despite the distances. And the same goes for Rio de Janeiro. A trip I loved is Venezuela: it’s so rich in nature with Angel Falls, Los Roques… Not to be missed!

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

DC: Right now I don’t have my head for new investments, so I would go straight into Rebaila to quickly expand the subscriber base through marketing actions. I would also improve the platform and create more content.

TB: And a million euros?

DC: I would love to have them because I would get a lot out of them, I wouldn’t waste anything. In addition to taking Rebaila to new countries ‘ipso facto’, I would keep an item for real estate business and to continue improving the physical school, which we have recently expanded with the absorption of a new centre. A million well invested would put everything on the right track, really.

TB: If you were not an entrepreneur…

DC:I wouldn’t really know what to be because it is printed in our DNA. But I could probably go back to being a dance teacher and a teacher of environmental workshops in schools for children with my association Bioescola (because I remember that I am an environmentalist). I would probably opt for giving more classes in schools, because I believe that we need to improve people’s education, and starting at the grassroots is much more effective.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

DC: I love the fact that there are associations dedicated to supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem without expecting a return and, without a doubt, everything you organise is ‘top’, so for me today you are a 10. You are also a reference in terms of entertaining and well-written newsletters.

Check out other TB Members Calling here.