I wrote an indepth article at Tnooz about the business opportunity I saw in building a mobile booking platform for the $28B tour and activity market. The article shed light on data I had researched and a 4-6 month analysis of the market potential. I had been thinking for a long time that this was a great opportunity to enter. I am an innovator, entrepreneur and a travel business consultant. I build and help other entrepreneurs build travel companies. That is what I do. I also write, comment and share my travel business ideas through websites like Tnooz.
My articles intent was to share my idea with other entrepreneurs, see what they thought and to raise awareness for the idea for other entrepreneurs. Was I thinking about starting a company? Yes and No. I ask the question at the end of the article, “wanna start a mobile booking app?” This declares my interest as an entrepreneur. The reality is that the business idea requires a massive marketing undertaking. It’s not really a technology play but a marketing business.
Most people launching or starting a company would not divuldge as much information as I did in the article. I basically laid out the entire business model and why the business would be successful. I believe ideas are a dime a dozen and I am open with my ideas.
After the article was published Tuesday, I received a diludge of emails and phone calls, more so than any article I had ever written. So I knew I was onto something. I shifted gears and started networking with my contacts about what they thought about building a company based on what I had written. Many were on board so I started seeking out the pieces of the puzzle to move me forward. I don’t sit around too long.
What has come about in the last 7-days is the following.
1) I have a few of the travel industry elites willing to help advise me. Advising runs the gamet from answering a few emails to talking on the phone.
2) I am looking for a technical co-founder to help me build a prototype. You can also call this a proof of concept, nothing more nothing less. I have wireframes/mockups that I drew up myself in less than 24-hours using Keynote. I’ve sent these off to a few people.
3) I am in Orlando and for the past few months have talked with suppliers directly. I discuss this in the article. Many have said that they would participate in a mobile booking app like the one I discuss in the article.
4) I was approached on Thursday by an entrepreneur that has patent pending mobile app technology that she feels would work with what I wrote about in the article.
5) An entrepreneur at the Founding Institute in Europe is building a mobile booking app as we speak. He read the article I published and used most of the data and ideas I presented in the article in his pitch sesion. I wish him well and will help advise him as he goes forward.
In summary my article was not a piece to recruit people. I’ll recruit directly through my network, via social media (LinkedIn and Twitter). I have not started a company but I am moving in that direction.
Best,
Matt Zito