Comedy and entrepreneurship have more in common than you might think. Both require resilience, adaptability, and the ability to read the room. As a tech founder and startup mentor involved in building a tech startup ecosystem, I’ve spent years working with entrepreneurs who are tackling real-world problems with innovation. That’s why my recent conversation with Leanne Linsky, founder of Plauzzable, stood out to me. Leanne is disrupting live comedy in a way that mirrors what successful tech, media, and entertainment startups have done: identifying a gap, innovating a solution, and building a sustainable business around it.
In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, we explored how Leanne transitioned from stand-up comedian to startup founder, why tech is redefining entertainment and the lessons entrepreneurs can take from her journey. Building a tech startup, especially in the entertainment sector, has unique challenges that we delved into thoroughly. Let’s break down the key insights.
The Problem: Why Live Comedy Needed a Digital Revolution
Live comedy has always been about physical presence-packed comedy clubs, laughter filling the room, and performers feeding off real-time audience energy. But comedians, like many artists, struggle to sustainably monetize their work. Streaming platforms favour large-scale productions, while in-person venues are limited by geography. The problem? Comedians lacked a digital-first platform that put them in control of their audience, revenue, and career, much like the gap faced in building a tech startup where founders need complete control for sustained growth.
The Startup Solution: Creating a New Stage for Comedy
Leanne created Plauzzable, a live, interactive streaming platform explicitly designed for comedians. Think of it as a hybrid between Zoom’s real-time audience engagement and Etsy’s monetization model for creatives. Performers can:
✅ Host live comedy shows with an engaged virtual audience
✅ Monetize directly through ticketed performances
✅ Control their brand and exposure without relying on third-party platforms
This model doesn’t just provide an alternative; it solves a fundamental problem: giving comedians ownership over their careers in a way traditional venues never could, which is a principle that also applies when building a tech startup by innovating its foundational structure for ultimate success.
What Startup Founders Can Learn From This
I see a lot of early-stage founders struggling with the same challenges Leanne faced:
🔹 Validating an idea before building – Leanne understood the needs of comedians because she was one. Many tech founders skip this step and build something the market doesn’t need.
🔹 Building as a non-technical founder – She didn’t write a single line of code but still built a platform by surrounding herself with the right people. I often talk about this when mentoring startup founders trying to succeed in building a tech startup: you don’t need to be a developer to run a successful tech business.
🔹 Adapting to market needs – Originally, the idea was about keeping comedians connected, but she evolved it into a full-scale live performance marketplace. Survival startups are those that iterate and pivot based on real-world user feedback.
🔹 Understanding the power of direct monetization – More founders should be thinking about how to help users monetize directly instead of relying on ad-driven models. Plauzzable gives performers financial independence, a concept many industries (beyond comedy) can learn from.
Why This Matters to Entrepreneurs in Any Industry
Leanne’s journey isn’t just about live comedy—it’s about solving problems through technology, creating value, and building something sustainable. Whether you’re in health tech, SaaS, or e-commerce, the same principles apply:
🔸 Identify a pain point that no one is solving well
🔸 Create a unique, user-friendly solution
🔸 Validate, iterate, and keep refining the product
🔸 Think beyond immediate trends—build for the long-term in your quest to build a tech startup that truly holds potential for the future.
Final Thoughts: The Tenacity of Founders Who Change Industries
I rebuilt and launched MenuSano and Field Eagle to address industry gaps that desperately needed innovation. Watching Leanne disrupt live entertainment reminds me why I love working with early-stage founders. It takes courage to challenge the status quo, especially when building a tech startup from the ground up. Take notes from this episode if you’re a founder (or thinking about starting something new). The future belongs to those who create, adapt, and execute.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode here. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram or Email
By Sonia Couto | Startup Mentor | Founder | Speaker | Host of Tenacity with Sonia C
