On this ongoing sequence, we’re sharing recommendation, ideas and insights from actual entrepreneurs who’re on the market doing enterprise battle each day. (Solutions have been edited and condensed for readability.)
Justin Gordon is the founding father of ShakaCode, an organization specializing in internet and cellular app growth with a give attention to React and Ruby on Rails. His newest enterprise, HiChee, is reworking the way in which individuals e-book trip leases by permitting customers to check itemizing costs throughout main platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Reserving.com.
How did you begin your small business?
I have been a pc fanatic since childhood. As a contract programmer, I used to be lucky to have a consumer who noticed my potential and inspired me to increase my crew. That is how ShakaCode was born. Little did I do know that I used to be embarking on an entrepreneurial journey! By 2013, we have been early adopters of React and Webpack, which later grew to become business requirements, because of our well-liked React on Rails gem.
Even whereas constructing tasks for purchasers, I could not shake the dream of making my very own product. The entrepreneurial spirit is contagious in Silicon Valley, the place everybody appears to have a marketing strategy. I assume I caught the bug!
What sparked the concept for HiChee?
Dwelling in Hawaii, I used to be naturally drawn to the trip rental house. After an preliminary concept did not fairly pan out, I stumbled upon a standard frustration amongst vacationers: the identical property may have wildly completely different costs throughout completely different platforms. In different phrases, if a rental is on each Airbnb and Vrbo, who would not wish to know the costs on each platforms? I knew there needed to be a greater approach. That is when the lightbulb went off: HiChee, a platform that aggregates trip rental listings and empowers customers to check costs and generally e-book immediately for even greater financial savings.
How did you get your small business funded?
Proper now, HiChee is totally funded by ShakaCode. It is a labor of affection, and we’re targeted on constructing a loyal consumer base and establishing a robust popularity earlier than exploring monetization choices. Delivering worth to shoppers is our prime precedence.
What’s been your largest problem?
Scraping and matching international trip rental information isn’t any stroll on the seashore — it is technically complicated. However with the U.S. Ninth Circuit of Appeals ruling on internet scraping’s legality, we have been capable of remodel this problem into a possibility. Leveraging our experience, ShakaCode now gives refined information scraping providers showcased on HiChee. This has attracted a rising clientele who acknowledge the worth of data-driven insights within the AI period.
One key approach HiChee has advanced to satisfy consumer wants is by addressing the inconvenience of copying and pasting hyperlinks from Airbnb, Reserving, and Vrbo to verify costs. HiChee addressed this inconvenience in two methods.
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A Chrome Extension permits customers to entry the complete energy of HiChee immediately on Airbnb, Reserving, and Vrbo web sites, though this characteristic is at present restricted to desktop Chrome customers. Nonetheless, that requires utilizing desktop Chrome.
To handle the restrictions of the Chrome extension for cellular customers, HiChee additionally launched the Journey Checklist characteristic, which gives synchronization of WishLists on Airbnb to HiChee in order that customers can coronary heart a list on Airbnb and see the comparability info on HiChee. Even higher, HiChee gives value and availability alerts so as soon as a list is saved, a HiChee consumer might be the primary to snag a fantastic deal when a number has dropped a value.
What’s been your most rewarding second as a enterprise proprietor?
Witnessing the spectacular natural development of HiChee — over 200,000 distinctive customers per 30 days for a number of years — has been extremely rewarding. It is a testomony to the worth we’re offering to vacationers. And the optimistic media consideration from retailers like Fox Information, The Washington Put up, AARP, and famend journey columnist Chris Elliott has been the icing on the cake.
What’s your finest enterprise recommendation?
Embrace challenges as alternatives for innovation. Take heed to your clients and adapt to their wants. And by no means underestimate the ability of perseverance and a fantastic crew.
The place do you see your small business in 5 years?
I envision HiChee turning into the go-to platform for trip rental comparability and reserving, empowering vacationers to make knowledgeable choices and get monetary savings. With ShakaCode’s experience in internet scraping and information analytics, we’ll proceed to increase our providers and assist companies harness the ability of knowledge.
