Who and what are you (including personnel and backgrounds)?
GoMiles.com tracks all your miles and points program information via a single integrated interface. We turn that data into insight that helps you use those miles for things you care about – like free travel! Finally, we deliver peace of mind to users that they have a complete picture of all their loyalty program assets. Some users have called us “mint.com for miles.”
GoMiles.com is run by Michael Komarnitsky, a former Booz & Company management consultant, and Marc Kamaka, an entrepreneur who has several years driving product development and building client relationships at a local startup.
What financial support did you have to launch the business?
Bootstrapped so far, but currently talking with Angels on funding a seed round.
What problem are you trying to solve?
People who travel are busy. They don’t have the time, information, and knowledge to effectively convert miles and points into things they care about – like free travel! As a result, they lose points to expiration, forget about their accounts, and generally don’t use these valuable assets.
Describe the business, core products and services?
GoMiles.com delivers to users an easy, single, integrated picture of all their miles and points. It uses an elegant interface designed to enable users to instantly grasp their current mile asset position.
Who are your key customers and users at launch?
We are validating currently with friends, family, and selected users in target segments while we mature the product in its private beta.
We have set up 50 invites Tnooz.com readers to try out the site in its current private beta.
https://www.gomiles.com
Referral Code: TNOOZ-INVITES
Did you have customers validate your idea before investors?
Yes. We have been socializing this idea with people for the last 3 years, and have been testing the product with users for the last 12 months.
What is the business AND revenue model, strategy for profitability?
While the product is free, we see user value in a ‘GoMiles Pro’ offering available for an annual fee. Second, we will offer transactions that create value for the user, the service offerer, and us. The key enabler to both these revenue streams is a large user base that finds our product useful.
SWOT analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?
Strengths: Experience, skills, and ambition.
Weaknesses: Lack of proven market traction.
Opportunities: 45 million people in the US alone fly more than 4x/year, and many have frequent flyer points.
Threats: A major new competitor enters this space
Who advised you your idea isn't going to be successful and why didn't you listen to them?
Many MBA students and at least one VC. Why didn’t we listen?
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” - Teddy Roosevelt, Paris, 1910
What is your success metric 12 months from now?
50K users, 1 billion miles under management, and seed round funding to enable our future growth.
TLabs focus on startups featuring Seattle, USA-based
GoMiles.
Who and what are you (including personnel and backgrounds)?
GoMiles.com tracks all your miles and points program information via a single integrated interface. We turn that data into insight that helps you use those miles for things you care about – like free travel!
Finally, we deliver peace of mind to users that they have a complete picture of all their loyalty program assets. Some users have called us “mint.com for miles.”
GoMiles.com is run by Michael Komarnitsky, a former Booz & Company management consultant, and Marc Kamaka, an entrepreneur who has several years driving product development and building client relationships at a local startup.
What financial support did you have to launch the business?
Bootstrapped so far, but currently talking with Angels on funding a seed round.
What problem are you trying to solve?
People who travel are busy. They don’t have the time, information, and knowledge to effectively convert miles and points into things they care about – like free travel! As a result, they lose points to expiration, forget about their accounts, and generally don’t use these valuable assets.
Describe the business, core products and services?
GoMiles.com delivers to users an easy, single, integrated picture of all their miles and points. It uses an elegant interface designed to enable users to instantly grasp their current mile asset position.
Who are your key customers and users at launch?
We are validating currently with friends, family, and selected users in target segments while we mature the product in its private beta.
NB: We have set up 50 invites Tnooz readers to try out the site in its current private beta. Go to the site and referral code: TNOOZ-INVITES
Did you have customers validate your idea before investors?
Yes. We have been socializing this idea with people for the last 3 years, and have been testing the product with users for the last 12 months.
What is the business AND revenue model, strategy for profitability?
While the product is free, we see user value in a ‘GoMiles Pro’ offering available for an annual fee. Second, we will offer transactions that create value for the user, the service offerer, and us. The key enabler to both these revenue streams is a large user base that finds our product useful.
SWOT analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?
- Strengths: Experience, skills, and ambition.
- Weaknesses: Lack of proven market traction.
- Opportunities: 45 million people in the US alone fly more than 4x/year, and many have frequent flyer points.
- Threats: A major new competitor enters this space
Who advised you your idea isn't going to be successful and why didn't you listen to them?Many MBA students and at least one VC. Why didn’t we listen?
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” - Teddy Roosevelt, Paris, 1910
What is your success metric 12 months from now?
50,000 users, 1 billion miles under management, and seed round funding to enable our future growth.
TLabs Showcase is part of the wider TLabs project from Tnooz.
To be featured as a startup in TLabs Showcase or to demonstrate a new product, email Tnooz for more details.