Venue first
The physical room is the main event. Online play extends the week instead of replacing it.
Why DriftTable exists
Built from behind the restaurant floor.
DriftTable was built by Steffen Hogan while working inside the same kind of room the product is meant to help: a restaurant where staff still has tables, drinks, food, and customers to take care of while trivia is running.
The beginning
Start with the room, not the feature list.
The earliest version was a prepared video on a screen with paper answer sheets. Each weekly run exposed what was too slow, too easy, confusing, or difficult for staff to operate. The software grew from those field problems.
Built by a bartender who understands bar flow is not a slogan added later. It is the reason the product works the way it does.
Product principles
What stays true as DriftTable grows.
Prepared before service
The show and materials should be ready before customers are waiting.
Simple player entry
The venue should be able to say “scan the QR” and stop there.
Teams should persist
A returning identity creates more value than a disposable score label.
Honest proof
Real observations are useful. Guaranteed attendance and revenue claims are not.
Field learning continues
The product is expected to improve when another room exposes a better way.
The next room matters