Riders Share Profile

“Airbnb for motorcycles.”

“We make powersports affordable by sharing them.”

“$3.5 million mostly from venture funding.”

“I looked into renting a motorcycle because I could not afford to buy one, and when I had one, I didn't use it that often. I found out renting one costs $200 a day, with limited locations and choices of brands. 

At the time, I worked in pricing subprime loans, and I knew I could use similar techniques to manage the risk of motorcycle accidents. In combination with the sharing economy model, I figured I could cut the cost of renting a motorcycle by 75% and make it a viable alternative to ownership.”

“I had many better names, but the domain for this one was available for $5, and I was a 23-year-old broke kid.”

“Many. It was nearly impossible to find a good technical cofounder. Eventually, I met Brendon on Reddit after posting in the /r/motorcycles thread. It was also very difficult to find insurance carriers willing to take a risk on peer-to-peer motorcycle rentals. It took dozens of tries and perseverance.”

“My target market is people that have a motorcycle license and want to ride a motorcycle but don't have one. It mostly consists of travelers and people wanting to test ride different bikes. In the long run, we want to be more affordable than owning a motorcycle. I realized the market was large enough thanks to the presence of an incumbent generating over $100 million per year with a very bad product, and I figured I could create a bigger market and also expand abroad.”

“Press, content, SEO, SEM, and paid social media.”

“I emailed the top media publications in the motorcycle industry to get the free publicity.”

“Accident/claim rate, supply, bookings, gross merchandise value (GMV)”

“‘The Lean Startup’ by Eric Fries is a must-read. For marketplaces, ‘The Platform Revolution.’”

“I work quietly.”

“I love Google Data Studio and Google Bigquery for data reporting, [they are] very easy to use.”

“Everything. Running even a small business is incredibly more complex than it seems from the outside. I now have the utmost respect for any business owner and really appreciate the work when I walk into a restaurant. There are so many details, decisions, regulations, and things like chargebacks that as a consumer you don't see.”

“I am very intentional about optimizing my time. I live near grocery stores and the gym. Our company works from home. I make instant coffee to save time and don't waste time on making the bed, for example. There are many social norms that are wasteful. I automate anything that can be automated, and I delegate as soon as I can.”

“Be healthy, sleep well, keep your eyes on the price … I don't have anything to offer here other than the standard”

“How do you define success? I think having many strong relationships (family, friends, and romance) is success. Emotional intelligence takes practice, pain, and years of trying and failing. It also helps run a business well!”

“I was a factory worker in Peru. After two weeks, my hands were bloodied from using a heavy hammer to break down chemicals. My wage was enough to pay for food at a restaurant. Ok, maybe I don't want to pursue music as a career.”

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