Boiling Point - Episode 107 - Flo Devellennes and HitchPlanet
Hitch a Ride
Hitch a Ride
Introducing Flo Devellennes and HitchPlanet
Entrepreneurship is all about having an experience that spurs an idea, which can lead to a business. This was the exact series of events that happened to this week’s guest, Flo Devellennes.
Flo moved to Canada from the UK back in 2010 with the plan of having a year long working vacation. Flo worked as a freelance graphic designer in the west coast, but also had a passion for skiing. On his off time, Flo would travel from Vancouver, British Columbia to the hills of Whistler for some of the greatest ski hills in the world. However, what Flo noticed on his path between the two places on the Sea to Sky highway sparked an idea, which completely changed the trajectory of his life. He noticed there were many people on the side of the highway attempting to hitchhike exactly where he was going and on further research he noted that there was a large challenge of transportation for people along the same highway.
Flo’s solution was to create a website that would work as a go between for those with empty seats in their car and others looking for rides to the same places. Six years later, HitchPlanet coordinates ride sharing in both the west coast and the Maritimes with plans to further expand. Check out this week’s episode to see how a spark in your imagination could evolve into a future opportunity.
In this episode
- Flo lets us in on how the idea for HitchPlanet evolved.
- He discusses how the platforms current version which includes seat and service fees, social media links, and experience ratings helps to create dependability and accountability for its users.
- Flo believes that Hitch Planet’s immense organic growth comes from making a product people want that is useful.
- We discuss how ego needs to be removed from design as it is all up to the customer’s wants and opinions.
- We also discuss where the emergence of the sharing economy came from and why now?
- Greg and Dave remember their own personal hitchhiking experiences from the past and recognize how HitchPlanet would have made their rides faster and safer.
- Flo emphasizes the importance of building a team of supporters, and collaborators to get a venture like this off the ground.
- Greg loves the idea of people using online platforms to transcend the status quo of their current business.
- The thought of the experiences of our lives initiating business solutions to challenges energizes Dave.
Links
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