TLabs Showcase focus on startups featuring US-based TripTwit.
Who and what are you (including personnel and backgrounds)?
TripTwit was created by Naveen Thattil. Thattil has over a decade of experience designing, developing and marketing websites for a number of Fortune 500 clients.
He got the idea for TripTwit while planning a trip to Costa Rica. While there were numerous websites that provided reviews and photos he felt something was missing.
He didn’t get a feel for what was going on in Costa Rica right now. That’s where the idea to marry Twitter and travel came about.
What financial support did you have to launch the business?
TripTwit has been bootstrapped to date.
What problem are you trying to solve?
TripTwit helps travellers discover relevant, local Twitter accounts that can make their trip easier, cheaper and more enjoyable.
Twitter is a great source of real-time information for travellers but the tough part is finding out what Twitter accounts you should be following for a place you’ve never been.
Describe the business, core products and services?
Using TripTwit is very simple. Simply enter your destination and it will show you Twitter accounts that are relevant to that location. The results are categorized by Places to Stay, Things to Do, Transportation and more.
You can find out about Twitter-only travel deals, what’s going on tonight at a local pub, which hotels have specials, which blogs you should read before you go, etc.
Who are your key customers and users at launch?
Users consist of people that use Twitter while travelling and travel marketers that use Twitter to promote their businesses.
Did you have customers validate your idea before investors?
Yes. A number of travel marketers and travellers were given access to the website before it launched.
What is the business AND revenue model, strategy for profitability?
TripTwit is free to use and derives revenue from advertising.
SWOT analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?
Strengths:
- Discover local businesses, people and services you cannot find on any other travel website
- For travel marketers, a simple way to connect with potential customers
Weaknesses:
- Dependant on Twitter API.
Opportunities:
- New functionality including location-based features.
Threats:
- Twitter can change their Terms of Service at any time.
Who advised you your idea isn't going to be successful and why didn't you listen to them?Actually, everyone that uses Twitter understood the concept. The only question was: "Isn’t there a website that does this already?"
What is your success metric 12 months from now?
If I can pay my mortgage!
TLabs Showcase is part of the wider TLabs project from Tnooz.