We had an interesting chat with Mr. “Patrick Ncho”, Co-Founder at the California – USA based Startup “MyTourDeal”
Below is the interview we conducted with him:
1. What is it exactly that you do and what your start-up is all about?
MyTourDeal app a mobile ONLY booking app to help leisure and business travelers who book travel products in mobile discover personalized recommendations and offers on in-destination things to do tailored to their own personality smarter and faster. MyTourDeal app will help mobile travelers get out the friction of discovering personalized recommendations of in-destination tour and activities in
mobile.
2. When has your startup been founded? And what stage is your startup currently at?
We started this startup one year ago. We already build more than 87% of our MVP. Since the beginning, we are building Mytourdeal app in a lean startup mode, taking time to test every features and hypothesis, to interview customers and iterate product feature even unique value proposition based on feedback we are getting. In order to understand the expectation of travelers in the search for in-destination activities, We are constantly out of the building to share every version of the product.
3. What is your startup’s business model and how does it work?
MyTourDeal App’s revenue model is commission based. Anytime members purchases tickets of experience listed directly from tour operators we’ll charge a percentage We’ll also partner with organizations that have network of local tour operators. In that case, MyTourDeal app’ll share revenue with the third party partner and the activity suppliers. For more profitability, we will focus efforts to distribute operators directly.
4. How did your team meet? And who in your team does what?
My co-founder Hermann Ncho is software engineer with 7 years experience build infrastructure in tech industries. We are brothers. Since the beginning, we are building Mytourdeal in a lean startup mode, taking time to test every features and hypothesis, to interview customers and iterate product feature even unique value proposition based on feedbacks we are gaining.
5. What, exactly, makes you different from existing options, what will make your product and/or service stand out in the marketplace? In other words what’s unique about you and what’s new about what you make?
There is not yet App like MyTourDeal App which is exclusively focus on mobile booking for personalized tours and activities, with a recommendation engine to tailor offers to every unique mobile traveler lifestyle and personality. MyTourDeal will bring value to by coming up with Analytic tab to provide tour operators with metrics and trends about inventories. Measure their experience’s performance and engagement on the marketplace and help them manage and run their sales and increase revenue.
6. What is your growth like? And what milestones has your startup achieved so far?
We have validated the idea, we build the wireframes and we at about 87% to deliver our first MVP. We are now recruiting beta testers and offer them to sign up to be among the first to try Mytourdeal App long before public launch. We are also recruiting small independent tour operators to on the mobile tour and activity booking revolution that is is about to start.
7. Who are your competitors? And what is your start-up’s competitive advantage over them?
Being mobile only, all the user experience with MyTourDeal App is meant to address specificity of mobile in term of personalization, speed, ease of use, navigation, check out experience, flexible plans and real-time search result based on the user needs of the moment, current location. On top of that we’ll Help mobile travelers live more spontaneous lifestyles by challenging and rewarding them.
8. What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge would be to install our brand. We are coming in a market where traditional actors have years of operations, large networks of providers. I believe that the fact of offering a solution that does not exist, not yet in the tour and activity market will help a lot.
9. What are the key things about your field that outsiders don’t understand?
Most of us have traveled for leisure or business and it is really painful to find things to do that fit with your own lifestyle, personality and needs. You spend time reading brochures, browsing review websites, travel forums and blogs… Finding personalized things to do in-destination is a way stressful, time consuming, and the recommendations you receive are not personalized at all. We believe, It is time for something easier, faster, smarter.
10. Why are you going to succeed?
We are taking time to test every features and hypothesis, to interview customers and iterate product feature even unique value proposition. In order to understand the expectation of customers We are constantly out of the building to share every version of the product. We building this start-up hand in hand with customers. The objective being to build something the market is really expecting, a product that solve a problem.
11. If your startup succeeds, what additional areas might you be able to expand into?
We will remain focus on scaling our mobile tour and activity booking tool. But we will attention to other vertical markets. We will engage strategic partnership with other actors of the tourism industry in order to drive the market toward more personalization in travel services offers specially tours and activities.
12. Why did you choose this idea and concept to build your start-up based on?
I started this company based on my own experience, traveling and feeling the need for a way to find easy and faster things to do that match with my personality. I started first as last minute mobile tour and activity booking app and pivot as we run user tests and interview, to offer a personalized travel activities recommendation mobile app
13. What have you learned so far from launching your idea?
We learn during our different phase, testing our prototype that last minute booking was not a critical pain. The booking context in this kind of cases is not the same with the last minute hotel booking. People want more unique experience tailored with they style, more personalization.
14. Six months from now, what’s going to be your biggest problem?
When we launch, the biggest challenge would to get more users in. We are building the technology already. We will work hard to get users in. We will also recruit small independent tour operators to on the mobile tour and activity booking revolution in order to fuel the supplier side.
15. What’s the benefit for the customer/user?
MyTourdeal app will bring value to mobile travelers by helping them to discover easily personalized things to do, browse tours, Book experience smarter. We will enable them to save time, have more fun, save money and get unforgettable lifetime memories. MyTourDeal App is meant to address specificity of mobility in term of speed, ease of use, navigation, check out experience, flexible plans and real-time search result based on the user needs of the moment and current location.
16. How did customers / users find out about you?
We will rely on social network to buzz about the product. our app is coming with social feature to enable users to invite and share with friends. We are planning PR and Adwords campaign. We are now recruiting beta testers and offer them to sign up to be among the first to try Mytourdeal App long before public launch. We are also recruiting small independent tour operators to on the mobile tour and activity booking revolution that is is about to start.
17. Who are your current customers / users? Who are your target customers / users?
MyTourDeal will help leisure and business travelers who book travel products in mobile discover personalized recommendations and offers on in-destination things to do. We are also coming to help independent and local operators who provide guided tours, attraction tickets and passes, outdoor activities, events and other special offerings will have a platform to connect with a large audience of global travelers, distribute their inventory in mobile channel and sell to mobile buyers.
18. Where do new customers / users come from and what makes new customers/users try you?
New customers will come from word of mouth, emailing, blogger outreach program, rewards program. We will scale organically with referrals programs. We will implement some strategic alliances with other businesses that have a similar type of customer base but are non-competitive. We’re also planning to build out some successful advertising campaigns.
19. What do your customers / users say about your product and/or service?
The market is expecting a mobile tour and activity booking app. Tour operators we met, travelers that tested our prototype are really exited about the concept and expressed a desire to be among the first to try it. Our goal is to align with the existing consumers needs, their expectation for personalized travel services offers and solve the pain of the activity provider that search in-destination mobile only sales tool.
20. How are you going to scale?
We will scaling organically with referrals and rewards programs. We are also doing some strategic alliances with other businesses that have a similar type of customer base but are non-competitive so that we will provide them value. We’re also planning to build out some advertising.
21. What’s the biggest missing feature? The one thing customers/users keep asking for?
Our supplier platform will not deliver only distribution and transaction capabilities as it is the case on market. MyTourDeal will bring value to by coming up with Analytic tab to provide tour operators with metrics and trends about inventories. Measure their experience’s performance and engagement on the marketplace and help them manage and run their sales and increase revenue.
22. Are you going to internationalize? And if yes how are you planning to expand your start-up’s operations accordingly?
We are planning to launch a pilot phase in 10 international metro cities. We will test the market reaction in these areas during few months and than expend to new ones.
23. How big do you think you can get? Why? And how you are planning to achieve your goals?
We solve real existing problem and we work in collaboration with potential customers to deliver the exact solution that solve their problem. In order to understand the expectation of travelers in the search for in-destination activities, We are constantly out of the building to share every version of the product, of the business model. We building this start-up hand in hand with customers. The objective being to build something the market is really expecting, a product that solve a problem.
24. Are you looking to hire a new workforce? And if yes, what job vacancies do you currently offer and where can potential applicants contact you at?
At this stage, we are focus on launching, bootstrapping and learning. We are bootstrapping right now and learning every day. The stage of the project and our resource do not allow any additional workforce until we launch.
25. Are you looking for partnership opportunities or funding from Venture Capitals (VC) or other funding sources? Or your business is self-sustainable? And if the first option applies where can potential partners / investors contact you at?
We are willing to consider opportunity for enroll in an incubator and build our app. We would appreciate and consider any opportunity to partner with third parties that have direct networks with small independent and local operators who provide guided tours, attraction tickets and passes, outdoor activities, events and other special offering.
26. What advice do you have for fresh entrepreneurs?
Dream big and work hard to make your dreams come true. The most import is to solve a problem. Take time to learn from successful persons and be motivated to achieve great things. “It always seems impossible until it is done” Nelson Mandela said once.
27. Finally, do you have any other comments that you would like to add?
I invite mobile travelers to sign up for MyTourDeal App beta phase. We are building a revolution in the tour and activity market and we need people to join the movement.