Planning a visit to a school campus, live performance or Northwest landmark? Portland startup HitchPiggy is betting the trip you want might already be headed out on the highway.
The corporate’s new market permits drivers to put up journeys they’re already planning and join with passengers heading the identical method. Not like on-demand providers reminiscent of Uber or Lyft, HitchPiggy is specializing in regional journey, permitting drivers to decide on who rides with them and what passengers contribute towards the journey.
Founder Skylar Windham says the thought has been percolating in his head for years, sparked from experiences touring by way of Europe. Solely just lately, AI-powered coding instruments allowed him to construct the platform he all the time imagined.
The bootstrapped startup is small, with a little bit greater than 100 registered customers signing up for Pacific Northwest journeys since its launch on June 1. No rides have been accomplished by way of the platform simply but, however Windham is seeking to develop faculty ridership this fall by way of a partnership with the Portland State Enterprise Accelerator.
Arsh Haque, director of the Portland State Enterprise Accelerator, stated he loves startup concepts like HitchPiggy which might be hatched from worldwide experiences.
“I acquired to firsthand expertise an answer like HitchPiggy overseas, have all the time needed it within the U.S., and assume Skylar has the uncooked expertise to convey it right here,” stated Haque.
Windham — a therapist and sailboat teacher by coaching — believes the service is on the appropriate course because it tackles the advanced problem of matching drivers and riders. In reality, Windham’s background as an authorized counselor and sailor is proving to be a helpful in getting HitchPiggy on the highway.
Counseling has honed listening expertise, whereas crusing has taught adaptability.
“While you’re attempting to achieve a vacation spot and the circumstances change, you must keep calm and alter your course with out dropping sight of the place you’re going,” Windham tells GeekWire. “That applies to constructing a startup too.” Let’s meet our newest Startup Highlight firm: HitchPiggy.
In 50 phrases or much less, give us your elevator pitch.
HitchPiggy is like Airbnb for the empty seats in your automobile. It helps drivers already touring between cities join with passengers heading the identical method, making journey extra reasonably priced and placing current empty seats to higher use.
What downside are you obsessive about fixing?
There are already 1000’s of empty seats touring between cities day-after-day. I need to assist drivers and passengers fill them as a substitute of letting them go to waste.
What stunned you after speaking to clients?
I’ve been pleasantly stunned by how encouraging and useful individuals have been. Even when there’s been a hiccup, customers have been affected person and supportive. I believe HitchPiggy naturally attracts community-minded individuals who genuinely need to assist one another.
How has AI modified the way in which you construct your organization?
I first tried constructing this concept in 2016 by hiring engineers abroad, however getting the product proper was troublesome. Ultimately, I put the venture on the again burner. In the present day’s AI instruments gave me the flexibility to lastly construct the platform I had envisioned, regardless of having no coding background.
What’s one factor individuals misunderstand about your startup?
Many individuals assume HitchPiggy is like Uber or Lyft. It isn’t. It’s a community-based rideshare platform for intercity journey, not native, on-demand rides.
One other frequent false impression is that the thought itself is unusually dangerous. In actuality, individuals have been sharing rides for years by way of Craigslist, Fb teams, and phrase of mouth. HitchPiggy makes that course of extra clear and simpler to make use of. It gained’t be for everybody, and that’s okay. However for individuals who already like the thought of sharing rides, I believe it’s a a lot better possibility than what has existed earlier than.
What about security?
Like all platform that connects individuals on-line, there’s some inherent threat, and HitchPiggy can’t get rid of that completely. What the platform can do is assist individuals really feel extra knowledgeable and cozy earlier than deciding to trip collectively. Customers can see particulars about who they could be touring with, the car, pickup location, route, timing, value, and different vital journey data. They’ll additionally message one another beforehand and ask any questions they want.
What’s the hardest resolution you’ve made prior to now yr?
The hardest resolution I’ve made was deciding to not pursue buyers, at the least not but. There’s loads of strain within the startup world to boost cash and develop as rapidly as doable, however I needed to construct HitchPiggy in a different way. I’d somewhat develop steadily and study from actual customers earlier than attempting to scale. It hasn’t been the quickest path, nevertheless it has felt like the appropriate one.
What’s the one piece of recommendation you give to different entrepreneurs?
Have thick pores and skin. Most suggestions will probably be optimistic, however there’ll all the time be people who find themselves fast to inform you why your concept gained’t work. Something value constructing comes with challenges. Deal with what’s doable as a substitute of every little thing that would go incorrect. If entrepreneurs listened too intently to each critic, little or no would ever get constructed.
We’ll know our firm has made it when…
It’s a family identify and folks naturally examine HitchPiggy earlier than on the lookout for a bus or practice ticket each time they’re touring between cities.
