We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Robert Giosa. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Robert below.

Alright, Robert thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

In 2017, I faced a decision that would forever alter the course of my life. At 25 years old, working in a call center for an insurance company just outside Philadelphia, I was juggling my first startup while living the grind of a 9-5 job. It felt like a huge risk at the time, but little did I know, it would become the defining moment that pushed me into the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship. The journey I embarked on would teach me the true meaning of risk, failure, reinvention, and ultimate reward.

Risk has been a constant theme in my life, but it wasn’t the kind of risk most people imagine—putting all your money into a high-stakes business venture or launching the next big tech product in a volatile market. For me, the biggest risk was the shift in mindset. Growing up in Northeast Philadelphia, I was raised in a blue-collar world where the path was undoubtedly clear: get a steady job, work hard, buy a house, and maybe one day, if you’re lucky, you can retire to a NJ shore house after 30+ years of labor. My family—my mom, who worked tirelessly cleaning houses and later became an insurance agent; my dad, a Teamster at DHL; and my stepdad, an ironworker—instilled in me an unyielding work ethic. They taught me to never make excuses, to be relentless, and to always provide for your family. Deviating from this norm wasn’t just risky—it was rebellious, reckless, and downright crazy. The idea of creating something outside of that linear path felt like defiance…but deep down, I knew there had to be more to life than simply following the script.
Entrepreneurship wasn’t something I’d planned—it was born out of a series of bold, risky decisions. In college, I had ideas but never followed through. One of those ideas—driving people to and from bars before Uber existed—was the first seed that hinted at a future in entrepreneurship. But it was after the passing of my godmother in 2015, when my great uncle gave me three life-changing books, that my perspective truly shifted. The advice I received—combined with mentorship from my Uncle Joe, a successful entrepreneur himself, who constantly challenged me to think bigger—ignited something within me that had been lying dormant. Joe’s belief in me and my ideas gave me the confidence to consider possibilities I hadn’t dared to think of before.

In 2016, I launched my first business, Fitciety, a fitness app that aimed to merge social media, fitness tracking, and gym connections. Although it didn’t gain the traction I had hoped for, the experience of building it ignited a deep passion in me — a burning desire to create something meaningful. It was in September 2017 that everything shifted. A friend introduced me to a new idea: an app designed to help people discover real-time events and activities wherever they were. The idea immediately resonated with me, and felt like a perfect opportunity to disrupt the way people experience social events. I saw potential in it immediately, but there was one problem: I was already stretched extremely thin—juggling my full-time job, developing two apps, and bartending on the weekends to make ends meet.
In early 2018, I decided to take the leap and commit fully to SCENE. It meant letting go of Fitciety and diving headfirst into an uncertain future. My family and friends rallied around me, helping fund the project, and by July 2018, we started developing SCENE head-on. The risks were immense—poor development decisions, inexperience, and countless battles of self-doubt—but I kept pushing forward. I understood that in order to build something truly extraordinary, I had to lean into the uncertainty and embrace those risks head-on.
By 2019, after a transformative trip to Los Angeles, I made the bold decision to move there and fully immerse myself in SCENE’s development. That’s when I encountered my first major setback: the global pandemic. SCENE’s momentum came to a halt, the partnership I’d worked so hard for crumbled, and I was forced to move back to Philadelphia, emotionally drained and financially broken. I questioned whether it was worth continuing.
But SCENE wouldn’t leave my mind. Despite the setbacks, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was something worth fighting for. In 2021, I started reimagining how to move forward. With the support of my family, my new job at a casino (which allowed me to fund the project myself), and Shannon—who became the anchor I never knew I needed—I finally had the confidence to take the final leap. In March 2023, we began working with a new development team, and by August 2023, we launched SCENE’s beta version. Less than a year later, on May 23, 2024, we launched the app to the public.
Looking back, every risk, every setback, every late night working after a 9-5 job, and every moment of self-doubt was absolutely worth it. Entrepreneurship has been a constant balancing act between risk and reward. The rewards—seeing an idea come to life, overcoming obstacles, and knowing that I’ve built something that could change the way people experience life—have been worth every single risk.

But none of this would have been possible without the work ethic instilled in me by my family. They showed me that hard work, dedication, and perseverance are the foundations of any success. SCENE isn’t just an app—it’s the culmination of everything I’ve learned along the way: the lessons passed down from my parents, the risks I took, the mentors who believed in me, and the people who supported me, especially Shannon, whose belief in me has been the greatest reward of all.
This is just the beginning. SCENE’s journey is far from over, but the risks have already paid off, and I’m ready for whatever comes next.

Robert, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Scene is a multifunctional mobile application that provides real time updates of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs through photo and video provided by the users of the app. You can share your experiences throughout the day/night with the community, explore options for your next stop on your night out, or search for your desired Scene for the day/night. We have one goal and that is to fundamentally disrupt the way we go out.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

See first prompt.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

See first prompt.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sceneapp.info/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downloadscene/

Image Credits

Robert Giosa Jr.