#hoowenware

[hoowenware]

What influences YOU to travel?

I recently got into a great conversation with my partner about the growth of apps focused on travel discovery and inspiration. It seems like so many travel tech founders are convinced that they can help you discover your dream vacation through a little Q&A and connection to your Facebook friends--eliminating hours of research and emails with friends.  Investors have forked over millions believing in this concept.

We don't think this travel inspiration via survey is the answer.  TripAdvisor is probably the best example of an online tool that helps users decide on places to go, where to stay and things to do.  TripAdvisor is successful because of user generated DATA that users TRUST. At Hoowenware we envision having the capability to analyze several sources of data to provide you recommendations based on your behavior and people like you (similar to Netflix and Amazon).  

In the meantime, tell us--what influences you to travel? Please take our quick (60 second) survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WWL322P

[hoowenware]

Those who plan understand

Almost every American born in this country has experienced group travel at some point even if it was a 15 mile bus ride to the zoo for that elementary school field trip. Yet far too often many people give me a blank stare when I explain that I'm building an app for group travel management and collaboration. Over the past couple of weeks I have been travelling the country pitching Hoowenware to various judges, friends, family, and potential investors. In half the cases that light bulb comes on immediately in people's head.

"Oh, that would be perfect for our family reunion abroad next year" or "Man, I really needed that for this bachelor party trip I planned last month." 

In the other half of cases, I get a blank stare or the immediate question of "Well, how is your app different from Expedia or TripAdvisor?" That's when I give the courteous smile and continue to explain even though another part of me has died on the inside (I exaggerate..lol).  Ultimately, it seems like only those who plan FULLY understand the arduous and frustrating process of coordinating multiple people for travel (especially if minors or people who are geographically dispersed are involved). 

Sometimes people can relate to the frustration of photo sharing after a trip, but not the difficulty of pre-trip marketing, management, and collaboration. And this difficulty spans many different types of travel not just student travel and bachelor trips: weddings, retreats, ski trips, golf trips, mission trips,...the list goes on.

Check out this short cartoon that explains a little bit more:

[hoowenware]

This is my 60 second pitch used to enter the NBMBAA Innovation Whiteboard Challenge taking place Wednesday, September 10th, 2013 in Houston, TX. I'm ecstatic to be 1 of the 10 semifinalists selected to compete for the $10,000 grand prize!

[hoowenware]

BDPA (Black Data Processing Associates) is a non-profit organization of professionals working in or having an interest in the Computer Science and Information Technology fields. BDPA interviewed me about my experience participating in their annual High School Computer Competition as a student and later as a coordinator. In this interview we discuss how my experiences in BDPA shaped my personal and professional development and how it has lead me down the path of entrepreneurship.

[hoowenware]

Vacation Rentals: Highs and Woes

Vacation rental houses really took off with the popularity of timeshares in the 90's, but have since evolved as a sustainable way many people earn secondary income from their properties. I am a big fan of VRs because hotel rooms can be so run of the mill, customer service can be lacking, lack of privacy, and lack of amenities to have that "homey" feel while on vacation (sometimes I like to cook and sit on big comfy couches).  I have probably spent close to $25,000 on vacation rentals in my travel lifetime--mostly through VRBO (which stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner). The VRBO UI/UX leaves much to be desired when compared to AirBnB or Hotels.com, but they have definitely improved over the years and especially since their acquisition of Homeaway.com which was is VR site that doesn't have as many properties, but has a much better interface.

I've recently been tasked with researching VRs on VRBO for Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard in August.  Here are a few pictures from properties that caught my eye:

I love houses that provide an allure that a traveling family or group could never find in a block of hotel rooms.

Luxury is a key factor when deciding upon which house to select. 

A dinner party or potluck night during a week long vacation is always great!

And I absolutely LOVE decorum that reflects the environment  & culture of the vacation destination.

VRs are also a very economical way to go for group travel. If your average nightly rate on Martha's Vineyard during August for a 4 star hotel/B&B is $300 and let's say you and a friend stay a week--that's $1,050 per person. Alternatively, you get a 3 bedroom house and find 4 - 6 other people to share it with you, it can bring your per person cost for that entire week down to $500!

The biggest challenge with VRs as opposed to hotels when it comes to group travel is coordinating, booking, assigning rooms, beds, roommates, and much much more. Currently, I'm relying upon email, Excel, SurveyMonkey and GoogleDocs. I haven't even begun to collect payments yet and it has already been an arduous process. Have you found an easier way? Let us know! In the meantime, we'll be building tools baked in Hoowenware to make VR shopping, sharing, and booking a much easier process for your vacation.

[hoowenware]

Check out my 2nd Video Log for Hoowenare

[hoowenware]

#TBT: Check out this video interview I conducted last year with MIT's very own startup lab: The Beehive!

[hoowenware]

This is my first of many video long introducing my landing page and crowd-funding campaign. Please show your love and support as I embark upon this journey! www.hoowenware.com/support.html