POPULARITY
After racking up thousands of dollars in fines, Chicago roommates Mark Lawrence and Jeremy Smith figured there had to be an easier way to park. So in 2011, they launched SpotHero as a peer-to-peer service, where people who lived near Wrigley Field might rent out their driveway on a game night. But that strategy wasn't scalable, so SpotHero soon partnered with garages to sell excess inventory. Over the years, the startup faced intense pressure from investors to expand quickly and copy whatever the competition was doing. But Mark insisted on slow, strategic growth, and today, SpotHero is one of the largest digital parking platforms in North America, servicing about 300 cities.This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Kwesi Lee and Patrick Murray.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Support #Millennial! Pledge on Patreon and receive lots of perks: https://patreon.com/millennial Visit our merch store: https://shop.millennialshow.com Watch episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@millennialpodcast On Today's Episode: We welcome all listener feedback and engagement, even from listeners who confuse us with The Daily Show (aww we're flattered!). If we don't talk about Trump's first 100 days on the pod, did any of it actually happen? Are you a government employee who wants to anonymously share your experience working during this shit show of a time? Email us or submit via the Confessional, and we'll share your experience (but keep your identity secret shhh). DON'T BE FOOLED: Trump isn't going to cut your taxes. He's just diverting your tax dollars to his rich friends in the form of tax breaks. With rising prices, are we pickier about the kinds of events we attend? It feels like a night out to a concert can easily cost over $100, and that's after the cost of the tickets! Wait, why are bigger artists' shows seemingly more affordable abroad? And is it ethical for Americans to travel to counties with fewer tour dates to take advantage of cheaper tickets? What additional perks would we like to justify stadium concert ticket costs? Because time is a flat circle, we want physical tickets commemorating the evening. This week's recommendations are helpful and entertaining: SpotHero for event parking (Pam), ThriftBooks.com (Andrew), and 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' on Disney+ (Laura). And in this week's installment of After Dark: Do millennials really not throw house parties anymore? How has the house party evolved for our generation? If a friend isn't comfortable hosting gatherings but other friends in the group are, what is the best way to handle hosting responsibilities and reciprocity? Our messiest house party stories... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today, we're talking with Eric Metelka, Head of Product at Eppo, a next-gen A/B experimentation platform for product teams. With a background in A/B testing and data science, Eric has worked in building product at companies like Cameo, SpotHero, and G2. In this episode, Eric talks about: The process he used to cold start G2's review product and turn it into a self-sustaining flywheel His secrets to running great A/B tests that can really prove your impact on product growth How he recovered from Cameo's Engineering Director telling his entire exec team that all Eric's test data was incorrect and what he learned from that Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmetelka/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/eric3000 BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/eric3000.bsky.social Eppo: https://www.geteppo.com/ Build Product like Linear | Nan Yu, Head of Product (Linear, Everlane, BOA): https://youtu.be/7ISWLoQtNOc Chapters 00:00 Intro 03:01 Strategies for Gathering Reviews 05:19 Automating the Review Process 07:54 Scaling and Growth at G2 16:38 Transition to Power Reviews 20:48 Challenges in Competing with Shopify 22:51 Product Lessons from Implementation Processes 24:03 Importance of Institutional Knowledge 25:05 Navigating Leadership and Learning 26:04 Understanding Revenue Recognition 27:56 Effective A/B Testing Strategies with Data Science 28:39 Product Experimentation Pitfalls at Cameo 38:33 Improving Digital User Experience at Cameo 41:52 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchPod.byLogRocket)! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Eric Metelka.
IN EPISODE 213: In Episode 213, Matt DiBari, Chief Product Officer at SpotHero, drops by to discuss how to put teams into drive. We chat about ways Spot Hero develops collaboration across its product and technical teams, how it uses customer feedback to stay ahead of the curve, and how it maintains company culture during rapid growth. Plus, Matt offers me a crash course in parking within the lines. ABOUT MATT DIBARI: Matt DiBari is Chief Product Officer at SpotHero. He first joined SpotHero as VP of Product, bringing more than 15 years of experience to the job, including prior roles at Cars.com and CDK Global.
Finding parking in some cities can be a real pain. This episode I speak with Matt DiBari, Chief Product Officer at SpotHero about how they connect people who are looking for parking with an available space. Also, NYC passed their congestion pricing plan to drive into Manhattan. All that and more on the Driving You Crazy Podcast. Contact: https://www.denver7.com/traffic/driving-you-crazy 303-832-0217 or DrivingYouCrazyPodcast@Gmail.com Jayson: twitter.com/Denver7Traffic or www.facebook.com/JaysonLuberTrafficGuy WhatsApp: https://wa.me/17204028248 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denver7traffic SpotHero: https://spothero.com/ Production Notes: Open music: jazzyfrenchy by Bensound Close music: Latché Swing by Hungaria
Os desafios Antitrust da Alphabet e a abertura da Google Play para outras App Stores O novo momento do Marketing B2B: Influenciadores, Conteúdo e Inovação E, se o seu negócio está em busca de uma plataforma que ajude a conectar a sua solução com comunidades B2B, seja newsletters ou grupos de Whatsapp e Telegram, conheça o Digi Afiliados. IA da Meta chega ao WhatsApp, Instagram e Facebook no Brasil Empresas cripto no Brasil unem forças para lançar uma stablecoin pareada ao Real Claro e Vivo se preparam para novas APIs do Open Gateway no Brasil Ministério da Fazenda define as 213 empresas de bet que podem atuar no País Comissão Europeia propõe criação de um aplicativo para facilitar viagens na UE Snapchat introduz anúncios na aba de chat iBoi avança com seu brinco inteligente para gado Glassdoor lança vídeos curtos e enquetes em plataforma inspirada no LinkedIn Google e SpotHero trazem reservas de estacionamento ao Google Maps e Search Ex-engenheiros do Google Maps recebem apoio da Sequoia para criar plataforma colaborativa com IA Fundador do WeWork lança novo complexo de luxo em Miami Asaas capta R$ 820 milhões para crescer no mercado financeiro Morada.ai levanta R$ 6 milhões para aplicar IA no setor imobiliário Tuna recebe aporte de US$ 2 milhões para crescer no mercado de fintechs E um resumo das principais notícias de tecnologia e inovação aplicadas aos negócios. Acesse as notícias: https://morse-news.com/ ——————- Assine gratuitamente nossos conteúdos: http://www.morse.news/audio ——————- Para recomendação de pauta, críticas, sugestões e parcerias: contato@morse.news ——————- Oferecimento O Morse Audio News de hoje é oferecido por digitaliza.ai. Acesse www.digitaliza.ai o marketplace de soluções para digitalizar negócios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Os desafios Antitrust da Alphabet e a abertura da Google Play para outras App Stores O novo momento do Marketing B2B: Influenciadores, Conteúdo e Inovação E, se o seu negócio está em busca de uma plataforma que ajude a conectar a sua solução com comunidades B2B, seja newsletters ou grupos de Whatsapp e Telegram, conheça o Digi Afiliados. IA da Meta chega ao WhatsApp, Instagram e Facebook no Brasil Empresas cripto no Brasil unem forças para lançar uma stablecoin pareada ao Real Claro e Vivo se preparam para novas APIs do Open Gateway no Brasil Ministério da Fazenda define as 213 empresas de bet que podem atuar no País Comissão Europeia propõe criação de um aplicativo para facilitar viagens na UE Snapchat introduz anúncios na aba de chat iBoi avança com seu brinco inteligente para gado Glassdoor lança vídeos curtos e enquetes em plataforma inspirada no LinkedIn Google e SpotHero trazem reservas de estacionamento ao Google Maps e Search Ex-engenheiros do Google Maps recebem apoio da Sequoia para criar plataforma colaborativa com IA Fundador do WeWork lança novo complexo de luxo em Miami Asaas capta R$ 820 milhões para crescer no mercado financeiro Morada.ai levanta R$ 6 milhões para aplicar IA no setor imobiliário Tuna recebe aporte de US$ 2 milhões para crescer no mercado de fintechs E um resumo das principais notícias de tecnologia e inovação aplicadas aos negócios. Acesse as notícias: https://morse-news.com/ ——————- Assine gratuitamente nossos conteúdos: http://www.morse.news/audio ——————- Para recomendação de pauta, críticas, sugestões e parcerias: contato@morse.news ——————- Oferecimento O Morse Audio News de hoje é oferecido por digitaliza.ai. Acesse www.digitaliza.ai o marketplace de soluções para digitalizar negócios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about being let down by SpotHero. Plus, Eric talks about states splitting electoral votes and companies with great customer service.
Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about being let down by SpotHero. Plus, Eric talks about states splitting electoral votes and companies with great customer service.
Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about being let down by SpotHero. Plus, Eric talks about states splitting electoral votes and companies with great customer service.
Voilà ce qui s'appelle une cession à l'américaine.Voici la formidable ascension de Jeremy Smith qui va passer de la pauvreté à la richesse en une signature sur un contrat.Entre prise de risque et leçon de vie, Jeremy Smith sera passé par tous les états pour faire de SpotHero le leader américain de la location de place de parking.L'idée lui vient en 2010, mais SpotHero aurait pu ne jamais voir le jour si l'un de ses amis, qui deviendra son associé par la suite, avait trouvé l'idée mauvaise.Jeremy y injecte ensuite toutes ses économies, vidant même son assurance-vie, pour lancer l'entreprise, mais laisse son associé devenir PDG. Pour continuer à vivre, il devra donc louer les deux chambres de son appartement et dormir sur le canapé.Mais quand quelques années plus tard, alors que SpotHero devenait l'un des leaders du marché, ce même associé lui annonce qu'il n'a plus sa place dans le business. Jeremy quitte alors l'entreprise qu'il avait créé, tout en restant actionnaire.Les galères s'enchainent, Jeremy n'a même plus de quoi payer son loyer, donc quand le premier fond d'investissements l'approche pour racheter certaines de ses parts, c'est une libération.Au total, 5 fonds parmi les plus importants des Etats-Unis lui rachèteront l'ensemble de ses parts pour près de 10 millions de dollars. Jeremy peut enfin prendre un nouveau départ.Dans cet épisode, Jeremy Smith est sans filtre. Il évoque notamment comment il estime avoir perdu son identité à son départ de SpotHero et la grosse dépression qu'il a traversée pendant plusieurs années ensuite.Il évoque aussi :son principal conseil aux entrepreneurs qui s'apprêtent à vendre : “Don't be greedy”comment il a refusé de toucher des millions lors de la cession d'une autre boite car “il ne connaissait rien aux cryptos”sa nouvelle aventure entrepreneuriale en France avec Horizon H, qui rachète des entreprises françaises pour les aider à grandir, à continuer à rester moderne en mariant les atouts français avec les atouts américainsUn podcast conçu et produit par FeuilleBlanche, l'agence qui crée des contenus et des médias d'inspiration pour les marques et les dirigeants.À vos écouteurs
Today, our guest is Matt DiBari, CPO at SpotHero. He has spent the majority of his career working in the automotive industry, the first decade of which was at CDK Global. Matt also served in senior product management and leadership roles at Cars.com before transitioning to SpotHero in 2019. On today's episode, LogRocket's CEO, Matt Arbesfeld, talks to Matt about the differences between B2B and B2C approaches, the importance of strategic investment, personalization projects, and provides valuable advice for aspiring product managers. Links Leader Spotlight: Catching up to consumer expectations, with Matt DiBari (https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-with-matt-dibari/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdibari/ What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Matt DiBari.
In this episode of Product Thinking, Matt DiBari joins Melissa Perri to discover the secrets of product management in high growth companies. Together, they discuss effective user research, the different mindsets in B2B & B2C, essential skills in high growth companies, and breaking into product management.
Sam Yagan is the co-founder and Managing Director of Corazon Capital, a leading Chicago-based Seed and Series A venture fund. Their portfolio includes companies like SpotHero, Songfinch and Stellar, among others. Prior to Corazon, he served as CEO of ShopRunner and led its 2020 acquisition by FedEx Corp. Previously, as CEO of Match Group, he spearheaded the launch of Tinder in 2012 and oversaw the company's IPO in 2015. His previous ventures also include founding SparkNotes in 1999 and co-founding OkCupid in 2004. You can learn more about: How to start and run multiple successful startups How to run the best dating company How to build a great network and start a fund ===================== YouTube: @GraceGongCEO Newsletter: @SmartVenture LinkedIn: @GraceGong TikTok: @GraceGongCEO IG: @GraceGongCEO Twitter: @GraceGongGG ===================== Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, superstar founders, as well as well-known tech executives in silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company.
Joining Tom today is Danny Zagorski, the former Director of Product Design at SpotHero, a two-sided parking reservation marketplace that has connected more than 20 million drivers with their perfect parking spaces. While Danny recently took on a new role as Product Design Manager with Vivid Seats, his conversation with Tom is all about how his teams at SpotHero are dedicated to creating the perfect “Park” for their users. Focused on a problem all-too familiar for most, SpotHero makes finding a parking spot seamless for their users, and Danny stresses the importance of offering drivers a range of options for how to reserve their spot. Whether it be through their mobile web browser, over a phone call, on their mobile app, or even while you're already accessing one of their partners such as Apple Maps, they enable their users to utilize the functionality of their choice.Danny also talks about what key factors drive SpotHero's retention, the ways they increase engagement without spamming notifications, and how they have expanded the value they provide through their partnerships with venues such as Madison Square Garden, Oracle Park, and even more. —Guest BioDanny Zagorski is a product design leader, with experience growing multiple startups and product teams from 0-$500M+. He recently departed from SpotHero in August of 2023, and has taken his years of experience to Vivid Seats to lead as a Product Design Manager. In his role at SpotHero, he led the B2B design teams, where he focused on helping parking facilities improve their operations and create fantastic partner experiences to drive retention and higher revenue. He spends his days thinking about OKRs, how to improve research processes, and coaching designers to be better than they were the day before. We wish him all the best in his new role!—Guest Quote"When we do our testing, discovery, and actual design, we do try to go out there and meet the users where they are. It is a very real hands-on design experience and I think that contributes deeply to, you know, building that empathy for: ‘What is a user actually going through?'" – Danny Zagorski—Time Stamps *(01:05) Danny's Background*(02:15) What is SpotHero?*(05:56) What comes after “The Park?”*(08:19) What variables drive SpotHero retention?*(10:18) The importance of partnerships*(12:46) How SpotHero maintains consistency across mobile and web*(17:11) The ways you can increase your engagement *(19:36) Practical design systems*(21:52) SpotHero's "It" Factor when it comes to venues*(23:45) Rapid Fire Questions—LinksConnect with Danny Zagorski on LinkedInConnect with Tom Butta on LinkedInCheck out the Airship WebsiteFind Your Next Park with SpotHero
Rich talked about finding cool spots to visit using Google Maps and Instagram. On Google Maps, search “scenic spots” and on Instagram search for a city name and then hit Places, then the X to see spots where people are posting the most stories and photos.Rich also talked about using a parking app called SpotHero to secure a parking spot at the Taylor Swift concert. He also talked about how cool the LED bracelets they gave out were, from a company named Pixmob.Rich also wondered how to donate to the Maui relief efforts. This website has a good rundown of ways to help.Android phones can now alert users about AirTags nearby that might be stalking them. Explained in this video.Taya in Moorpark asks if there's a good service to upload her recently scanned photos into. Rich recommends Google Photos.Debbie in Anaheim is wondering if there's a way she can see what kinds of signals her neighbor with giant antennas on the roof is emitting. It's messing with her Wi-Fi. Rich recommends checking out WiFi Analyzer apps to scan the area.Disney+ is raising prices again. Rich likes the rundown posted at Cord Cutter Weekly.Sal in Chicago asks how to block Spam calls on his phone. Rich recommends downloading the app for your carrier if it's AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile. Otherwise, enable scam call protection and Bixby Text Call in Phone Settings on Samsung devices and Pixel owners get call screening built in.Amazon is having a new day called Prime Big Deal Days in October. They're also delivering some items without additional packaging so they might show up on your doorstep in their original box.Roland in Florida asks how to upgrade the RAM on his computer and if it's worth it. Rich says to check out the system scanner on Crucial.com and if it's inexpensive, it's worth it.Rich talks about how restaurants are adding more fees and surcharges to bills so be on the lookout for them, you might already be paying for service charges before you sign for the bill. Fred sent along a spreadsheet where diners are keeping track of all the charges.Joseph in Santa Barbara wants to know why someone else is getting his iMessages. You can use the iMessage Deregister tool to knock other devices of iMessage.Michael in Waco, TX wants a number row on the keyboard on the iPhone. Rich says to check out the app called Swiftkey and enable the number row in settings.Verizon is raising prices on several legacy unlimited plans.Gary in Costa Mesa wants to know about using remanufactured printer ink cartridges.Seraphene in Studio City wants to know about editing videos on iPhone. Rich recommends CapCut and Splice.Apple might be changing the location of the end call button on iPhone.Dan in San Jacinto has issues with Bluetooth headphones and his Fire TV Cube. Wirecutter recommends 1MORE SonoFlow and Anker headphones are also highly regarded. Here's the Alexa light up remote we were talking about.Waymo and Cruise are allowed to operate in San Francisco 24/7. Some riders are doing the unthinkable in the backseat.The Cadillac Escalade EV is a cool $130,000.Caleb Denison, Editor at Large at Digital Trends joined to talk top TV picks! His picks for high end sets include the LG G3 OLED and the Sony A95K. For mid range TV's, check out the TCL QM8 or the HiSense U8K. You can buy these in smaller screen sizes and save money.Bob wants to know about the best apps to find electric vehicle charging stations. Rich likes A Better Route Planner and PlugShare.Wendy asks about a flip phone for emergencies. Rich recommends the Tracfone.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
If you're headed to Fenway Park today for Opening Day... good luck with finding parking. Then good luck finding parking under $200!! We checked on the SpotHero app and WOW!!
Also in the news: Governor Pritzker started his second term today; Two dead after head-on collision in Gurnee; SpotHero partnering with Google Maps to make finding parking easier and more.
Also in the news: Governor Pritzker started his second term today; Two dead after head-on collision in Gurnee; SpotHero partnering with Google Maps to make finding parking easier and more.
Also in the news: Governor Pritzker started his second term today; Two dead after head-on collision in Gurnee; SpotHero partnering with Google Maps to make finding parking easier and more.
In todays episode Aj brings on Director of People & Culture of SpotHero - Andy Santos! They sit down for a very entertaining, informative and engaging conversation discussing all things feedback and the impact in can have on recruiting, employee experience, retention and so much more! Thank you so much Andy for your wise words and wisdom! Hope you all enjoy!
Crain's contributor Graham Meyer, who writes the weekly Big Ticket column, knows when to score scarce tickets. And for holiday light displays, that time is now. He and host Amy Guth preview the entertainment and arts events you'll want to add to your calendar in the month ahead. Plus: A data breach at Advocate Aurora hits 3 million patients, parking app SpotHero teams up with Lyft, AbbVie buys a U.K. biotech startup and Tavern on Rush is closing sooner than expected.
Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago-based SpotHero is teaming up with Lyft to expand its user base. Crain’s reports SpotHero is now available inside the Lyft app in Chicago and San Francisco with more markets to be added in the future. SpotHero cuts deals with parking […]
Join Lori and her guest, Loren Lewin, in this conversation about incorporating philanthropy in business. Loren is the founder of Companion Candles, which was launched because of a very personal experience (more about that in the podcast). Following the success of her business in just a short amount of time, she talks about the impact she's had with the cause she supports. Stay tuned! Here are the things to expect in this episode: The organizations that she is currently supporting. How does she balance working full-time and managing Companion Candles? Starting a business with the intention of giving back. Partnering with stores that also incorporate philanthropy in their business model. And much more! About Loren Lewin: After many hours of quarantine with her pup, Loren Lewin realized that her store bought candles did not live up to their claims (or her standards) and were filled with dirty ingredients that were not only harmful to her, but her dog. Loren threw out her store bought candles and started making her own homemade, clean version. She never looked back; Companion Candles was founded in 2021. A much needed change in the industry, Companion Candles takes it back to the basics. Born and raised in Chicago, Loren has worked with a number of brands including Lyft, SpotHero, Grubhub, SXSW and Tribeca Film Festival. Connect with Loren! Website: https://companioncandles.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/companioncandles/ Email: loren@companioncandles.com Organizations mentioned: The Anti-Cruelty Society: https://anticruelty.org/ One Tail at a Time: https://www.onetail.org/ Strand Book Store: https://www.strandbooks.com/ Connect with Lori Kranczer! Website: https://www.everydayplannedgiving.com/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/positiveimpactphilanthropy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorikranczer/
Aditya Nidmarti joined Bessemer in 2020 as an investor in the New York office. He spends his time focusing on financial technology, enterprise software, consumer internet companies. Prior to Bessemer, Aditya worked in consulting at McKinsey & Company as well as in business strategy and sales operations at SpotHero, a parking technology and marketplace company. Aditya graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in economics and two minors in business and entrepreneurship. He also is the founder of Rock Venture Capital, Northwestern's undergraduate level venture capital organization. Outside of work, Aditya enjoys playing soccer and cricket, is a diehard Formula 1 fan, and has a keen interest in aviation. He plans on getting a pilot's license in the future.
MLOps Coffee Sessions #69 with James Lamb, Building for Small Data Science Teams co-hosted by Adam Sroka. // Abstract In this conversation, James shares some hard-won lessons on how to effectively use technology to create applications powered by machine learning models. James also talks about how making the "right" architecture decisions is as much about org structure and hiring plans as it is about technological features. // Bio James Lamb is a machine learning engineer at SpotHero, a Chicago-based parking marketplace company. He is a maintainer of LightGBM, a popular machine learning framework from Microsoft Research, and has made many contributions to other open-source data science projects, including XGBoost and prefect. Prior to joining SpotHero, he worked on a managed Dask + Jupyter + Prefect service at Saturn Cloud and as an Industrial IoT Data Scientist at AWS and Uptake. Outside of work, he enjoys going to hip hop shows, watching the Celtics / Red Sox, and watching reality TV (he wouldn't object to being called “Bravo Trash”). // Relevant Links James keeps track of conference and meetup talks he has given at https://github.com/jameslamb/talks#gallery. The audience for this podcast might be most interested in "Scaling LightGBM with Python and Dask" and "How Distributed LightGBM on Dask Works". --------------- ✌️Connect With Us ✌️ ------------- Join our slack community: https://go.mlops.community/slack Follow us on Twitter: @mlopscommunity Sign up for the next meetup: https://go.mlops.community/register Catch all episodes, blogs, newsletter and more: https://mlops.community/ Connect with Demetrios on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpbrinkm/ Connect with Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aesroka/ Connect with James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslamb1/
Experiencing a sudden 90% revenue drop is a formidable challenge for any business. When https://spothero.com/ (SpotHero) found themselves there at the start of the pandemic, the team took it as an opportunity to pause and rethink their business. In this episode Matt DiBari, Chief Product Officer at SpotHero, talks with Patrick and Shelli about how creative thinking and a strong team foundation allowed SpotHero to weather the sudden downturn. He also discusses how a culture of looking around corners and reacting with wonder fuels innovation both today and for the company's ‘horizon 3' plans. (04:19) - COVID's influence on parking trends (08:06) - Weathering a 90% revenue downturn (13:09) - Transparency to countering uncertainty (16:17) - Looking around corners to maintain an edge (23:17) - Remember to react with wonder (25:21) - Fostering cross-team learning (28:38) - Curiosity and humility as keys to leadership https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdibari/ (Matt DiBari) (he/him/his) is Chief Product Officer at SpotHero. He joined SpotHero in 2019 as VP of Product, bringing more than 15 years of experience to the role. At SpotHero, Matt is primarily responsible for product vision and strategy, bringing together his love of product innovation and more than a decade of automotive experience. Prior to SpotHero, Matt was the Senior Director of Product Management at Cars.com, after having honed his automotive expertise at CDK Global. Matt has a BA in computer science, math, and philosophy from Augustana College and an MS-MIS and MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/innovation-and-the-digital-enterprise/id1451753709?mt=2 (Apple Podcasts), https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2lubm92YXRpb24tYW5kLXRoZS1kaWdpdGFsLWVudGVycHJpc2U%3D (Google Podcasts), https://open.spotify.com/show/3fOSh73F3sjyK7TIMFSOc1?si=uRAeLNvjQjmbnFjzWIvMlg (Spotify) or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/innovation-and-the-digital-enterprise/id1451753709?mt=2 (Apple Podcasts). It really helps others find the show. https://www.dante32.com/ (Podcast episode production by Dante32.)
Episode #12.5 - Sean Wolter - Professional Technical Interviewee with Taylor Dorsett My guest today is Sean Wolter. Sean is currently an Engineering Director at ActiveCampaign and has previously worked at Chicago companies including Belly, SpotHero, and Vokal. - Video - Part One: https://youtu.be/stMleqB9br8 - Video Technical - Part Two: https://youtu.be/aGb40nlbZCc - Audio only - Part One: https://ProfessionalTechnicalIntervieweewithTaylorDorsett.podbean.com/e/episode-12-sean-wolter - Audio only - Part Two: https://ProfessionalTechnicalIntervieweewithTaylorDorsett.podbean.com/e/episode-12-5-sean-wolter Guest: Sean Wolter - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanwolter/ - ActiveCampaign Careers: https://www.activecampaign.com/about/careers If you enjoyed the show please subscribe, thumbs up, and share the show. Episodes released on the first four Thursdays of each month. Host: Taylor Owen Dorsett - Email: dorsetttaylordev@gmail.com - Twitter: @yodorsett - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylordorsett/ - Github: https://github.com/TaylorOD - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorDorsett Editor: Dustin Bays - Email: dustin.bays@baysbrass.com - Twitter/Instagram: @Bays4Bays
Episode #12 - Sean Wolter - Professional Technical Interviewee with Taylor Dorsett My guest today is Sean Wolter. Sean is currently an Engineering Director at ActiveCampaign and has previously worked at Chicago companies including Belly, SpotHero, and Vokal. - Video: https://youtu.be/stMleqB9br8 - Part Two - Technical: https://youtu.be/aGb40nlbZCc - Audio only - Part One: https://ProfessionalTechnicalIntervieweewithTaylorDorsett.podbean.com/e/episode-12-sean-wolter - Audio only - Part Two: https://ProfessionalTechnicalIntervieweewithTaylorDorsett.podbean.com/e/episode-12-5-sean-wolter Guest: Sean Wolter - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanwolter/ - ActiveCampaign Careers: https://www.activecampaign.com/about/careers If you enjoyed the show please subscribe, thumbs up, and share the show. Episodes released on the first four Thursdays of each month. Host: Taylor Owen Dorsett - Email: dorsetttaylordev@gmail.com - Twitter: @yodorsett - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylordorsett/ - Github: https://github.com/TaylorOD - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorDorsett Editor: Dustin Bays - Email: dustin.bays@baysbrass.com - Twitter/Instagram: @Bays4Bays
Aditya Nidmarti, Investor, Bessemer Venture Partners. Aditya was an international student from India who was looking for any internship that would allow him to stay in the U.S. after his freshman year. After landing an internship at a local startup, SpotHero, while the company was raising a financing round of venture capital, Aditya became intrigued by the industry, and started a venture capital club at his university. Founding the venture capital club allowed Aditya to reach out and build relationships with investors in the industry, which ultimately helped him land an investor role at Bessemer Venture Partners after graduation. Aditya discusses the difference between private equity and venture capital, why he believes in cold emailing people, and advice for pitching investors. This conversation is brought to you by The Garage at Northwestern.
Hello, I'm Marina. I am a technologist, mom, leadership coach, cruciverbalist and aquarian ;) UNBOSSED IS... “Paths To Success of Amazing Tech Women in Chicago” To interview the ONLY ~40 women CTOs (out of over 700+ CTOs) in the Chicago area To interview the few female CEOs of Tech companies in Chicago To interview women in critical political positions in Chicago To focus on other women in positions of Tech leadership in/from the Chicagoland area To inspire other women and help them see themselves in these positions, so that we can step toward closing the gender & racial gap in technology I welcome you to ask questions, participate, and join me as we explore these topics by emailing me at marina@unbossed.io or visiting www.unbossed.io Available on- Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDTz6_FepG04QTs1BjFLBjw/ Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eUhfH8E Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e7cWtBv Google Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/enjChPt And others.. Today's Episode: Interview with Amanda Lannert, CEO at Jellyvision Amanda Lannert is CEO of Jellyvision and has been a key figure in driving the company since its founding in 2001. Her focus at Jellyvision is on the company's strategy, improving processes to better scale operations, partnership development, and customer acquisition to continue fueling the company's growth. Under Amanda's leadership, Jellyvision has grown to serve more than 1500 mostly Fortune 1000 clients with ALEX, the most helpful employee decision support platform on the planet. In 2019, 18 million employees and $120 billion dollar's worth of premium decisions were entrusted to ALEX. Meanwhile, the company has been recognized as the Best Software Company and Best Culture by the Moxies, the Lighthouse winner by the ITA, a top 10 best place to work in Chicago by The Chicago Tribune and the #1 place for millennials to work in Chicago according to Crain's. Prior to joining Jellyvision, Amanda managed global brands for Kellogg's while at Leo Burnett, in addition to spending two years in a new business and new brand development think tank. She attended Haverford College and Edinburgh University. Amanda was named CEO of the Year at the Moxie Awards in 2014 and 2015, Woman in Tech in 2016, Woman of the Year for the Chicago Rotary Club of 2018, and was recognized as 2016's Industry Champion by the Illinois Technology Association. She has been profiled in the Chicago Tribune and Crain's. Amanda is also active in Chicago's startup community, serving as a board member of SpotHero, KnowledgeHound, NowSecure and Popular Pays, as a Council Member for the Zell Fellows Program at Kellogg, and as a member of ChicagoNEXT. She also serves as “Super Mentor” for Chicago incubators Impact Engine and TechStars, where she was also named Mentor of the Year. Amanda is quick to laugh and enjoys a good cupcake. Book Recommendations: The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups - Daniel Coyle A Little Life: A Novel Audible Logo Audible Audiobook –Hanya Yanagihara --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marina-malaguti/support
Paul Martino is a venture capital investor and has raised 5 funds totaling over $350 million in capital. That money has been deployed into FanDuel, Grove, Ipsy, and SpotHero. Before forming Bullpen, Paul was an active angel investor and personally invested in the first rounds of Zynga, TubeMogul, and uDemy. Prior to his investing career, Paul founded four companies including Ahpah Software (a computer security firm acquired by InterTrust) and Aggregate Knowledge (a big data advertising attribution company acquired in 2014 by Neustar). He is the holder of over a dozen core patents covering social networking and big data. In this episode, Paul and Aaron discuss the FanDuel success, his advice for startups going through tough times, and the different space that venture capital investors make their mark. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind. Paul Martino’s Challenge; Start every meeting on time Connect with Paul Martino Linkedin Twitter Bullpen Capital Website paul@bullpencap.com If you liked this interview, check out episode 231 with Andy Rachleff where we discuss how to find non-consensus investing ideas that work. Text Me What You Think of This Episode 412-278-7680 Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Instagram Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
Park smarter with the SpotHero iPhone app. SpotHero helps you get everywhere, easier by making it fast and convenient to find and reserve parking in major cities. Plus, when you book your parking spot in advance, you can save up to 50%.
Haley Kwait Zollo is Principal at Starting Line, a Chicago-based, thematic early-stage venture capital fund focused on investing in consumer services and products that are cheaper and better. They’ve invested in companies like Cameo, Catch Co, SpotHero, and many more. Before joining Startling Line, Haley was VP of Strategy and Business Operations at Mac & Mia and was Manager of strategy and analytics at Trunk Club. She began her career as a Transaction Services Associate at KPMG. In this episode… Building a business in today's highly digitalized world is a double-edged sword because there's a lot of data created that can make or break a business. The misanalysis of data or analyzing the incorrect data can lead to poorly informed decision making that can hurt your business. But on the flip side, using the data and measuring KPIs the right way will drive important decisions that can multiply your business's growth. However, the million-dollar problem is how do you know which metrics to measure and how do you identify which KPIs move the needle for your business? On this episode of Inspired Insider, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Haley Kwait Zollo, Principal at Starting Line, about the importance of making informed decisions in business. They discuss Haley's background in analytics, her foray into the VC world, the data and KPIs digital brands should be analyzing, and Haley's advice to early-stage startups on how to have non-linear growth. Stay tuned.
App Masters - App Marketing & App Store Optimization with Steve P. Young
Today's guest is the Director of Growth Partnerships at Reddit. You will discover how Reddit fits into the UA ecosystem, how to target the different subreddits and how to balance community engagement with direct response KPIs. Ryan Angerami is the Director of Growth Partnerships at Reddit. Show Mentions: - Fav app: SpotHero SPONSORS B7DEV.com is the app development firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs go from app idea to success because they understand startups and don't charge you huge fees just to get your app off the ground. Learn more at B7Dev.com. Checkaso is an analytical ASO platform that provides you with up-to-date data on keywords, competitors, ratings, and reviews. It also rates your ASO level and gives you custom tips on how to improve it. This way, you can increase your app page visibility, organic traffic, and installs with every update. Try it now for 7 days for free at checkaso.io. *************** Follow us: YouTube: AppMasters.com/YouTube Instagram: @stevepyoung Twitter: @stevepyoung Facebook: App Masters ***************
You’ve likely met some Venture Capitalists. But you haven’t met the Anti-VC. He’s Sammy Abdullah, who heads Dallas-based Blossom Street Ventures. He considers himself the ‘Anti-VC’ because he moves fast on investment decisions (often in 3 weeks), is a straight shooter, and tells you Yes or No without leaving you hanging on an investment decision. He’s already invested 22 portfolio companies - typically in Series A or B. Average check size is a cool million, and he usually leads the round. Sammy’s investment portfolio includes: SpotHero, DivvyHQ, Take The Interview, Three Day Rule, Lovepop, and AppBuddy. And in this 20-minute conversation, he reveals the 3 big things that CEO’s should spend their time on. (And what they shouldn’t.)
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Elan Mosbacher, the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Operations at Spothero, and a Skokie resident. Spothero is the #1 downloaded parking reservation app. They provide an easy way for consumers across North America to reserve the best parking with the best rates, before heading to their destination. They also use artificial intelligence to make the parking industry more efficient, and partner with cities to improve their transportation system with partnerships with apps like Waze and the City of Chicago. In this conversation we discuss the dynamics of the parking industry and where it is headed.Inside the Skev is a one stop shop for all things Skokie and Evanston hosted by Aaron Masliansky. Be the first to know about local events, new podcast episodes, real estate and the latest stories about the great people in these towns by going tohttp://www.skevanston.com. Sign up for the newsletter and reach out to Aaron Masliansky at aaron@skevanston.com with any questions or suggestions. Be sure to also follow Inside the Skev on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Handling a ticket on the road so that your insurance rates don't go up is a little trickier than when at home. Here's what I did, what I learned, and the step-by-step on what to do if you get a speeding ticket on the road! 5:00 What I used to do when I got tickets 7:00 Calling my insurance 9:00 Setting-up Driver Education Classes 13:00 What the Drivers Education Course looked like 16:00 Horse and Buggy Days 20:00 SpotHero app: https://spothero.com/ Get 3 Vetted Recruiters for Free! http://www.nomadicare.com/dylan Get your TravCon Tickets here! https://travelersconference.com/
This episode of Featured App of the Week focuses on a collection of useful mobile apps you can use while operating your car. Whether you're commuting to work, taking a leisurely drive, or experiencing along road trip, the apps featured in this episode will help you save time, save money, and make navigation easier. You'll also learn about Apple CarPlay (for iPhone users) and Android Auto (for Android-based mobile device users).The mobile apps and services featured within this episode include:Apple CarPlay - www.apple.com/ios/carplayAndroid Auto - www.android.com/autoSpotHero - https://spothero.comParkMobile - https://parkmobile.ioAAA Mobile App (iPhone Version) - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aaa-mobile/id310730297AAA Mobile App (Android Version) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aaa.android.discounts&hl=en_USiExit RoadTrip Interstate Exit Guide - https://iexitapp.comApple Maps - www.apple.com/ios/mapsGoogle Maps (iPhone Version) - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-maps-transit-food/id585027354Waze - www.waze.comAutomatic - www.Automatic.comFor more information about Jason R. Rich, please visit his website at www.JasonRich.com.
During our recent Dreamit Kickoff week, Bullpen Capital Founder and General Partner Paul Martino spoke with our Spring 2020 cohort about the state of the VC ecosystem in the current economic crisis. Martino founded Bullpen in 2010 with a focus on post-seed, pre-Series A startups, and he led the fund's investments in companies like FanDuel, Namely, Ipsy, SpotHero, Classy, and Airmap. Throughout his career, he's witnessed a number of economic crises, and he explained the two types of crisis we might be facing over the coming months, as well as the ways that VC deal terms and investment activity might change as a result. Learn more: https://www.dreamit.com/ (https://www.dreamit.com/)
For more episodes from the Lambda Show, please visit https://lambda.show In this talk, Attila Domokos introduces us to Arrow Core and monads. Your Kotlin app grabs data from an API, transforms it and saves the processed data in a database. However, there are so many things that could go wrong at runtime: the API might be inaccessible, the data is not what you expected or the data can't be persisted in the database. You can start adding `try` `catch` blocks to your function in your objects, but there is a better way to do it: treat your impure functions as computations with context, pass them around just like other values, and make the necessary unsafe invocation from a single point of your app, your main function. This talk will walk you through the core functional concepts of Arrow, you will learn how `Some`, `Either` and even `IO` are functor, applicative and monad. You can use the code example from this talk as a starting point for your Arrow-learning, to write safer, simpler and more elegant functional code in Kotlin. Attila Domokos Staff engineer at SpotHero
Mark Lawrence co-founded SpotHero in Chicago, and investors told him he needed to expand across America fast. He wanted to take a different approach... even though he wasn't entirely sure it was the right one. Here's how Mark formulated a plan, stuck to it, and proved himself right.
Mark Lawrence co-founded SpotHero in Chicago, and investors told him he needed to expand across America fast. He wanted to take a different approach... even though he wasn't entirely sure it was the right one. Here's how Mark formulated a plan, stuck to it, and proved himself right.
City home sales numbers, the home of ex-Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, and Rodkin's popular feature looking at homes that sold for less than expected are the topics on tap with Crain's residential real estate reporter Dennis Rodkin. Plus: Trump critic Joe Walsh is launching a presidential bid, farm tensions escalate as a USDA staffer is threatened in the Midwest, a Fulton Market builder drops $11 million on another development site, SpotHero lands $50 million in funding and Allstate's CEO makes an argument for higher-paying jobs. Continue the conversation with hashtag #CrainsDailyGist.
Episode 8 is here: This week we interview Greg Svitak, the head of SpotHero labs about how the heck they are disrupting the parking industry. We talk about SpotHero’s roots, how they’re using IoT to develop “mobility hubs” and how creating partnerships has been an integral part of their business model. Learn why Greg believes... The post How SpotHero is Innovating the Parking Industry | Ep. 008 appeared first on Ask an Innovator Podcast.
On today's episode of The Business of Travel, we celebrate Women's History Month as March comes to an end. We highlight WINiT and GBTA activities that took place around International Women's Day earlier this month, including the launch of the inaugural WINiT awards recognizing excellence in leadership in advancing women in travel-related industries. This episode also features two women actively making an impact on our industry. First up, you'll hear from Becca Rabinowitz of SpotHero followed by Mick Lee, the original founder of WINiT. Both are also members of the WINiT Strategic Advisory Board providing guidance and direction for the future of WINiT as a GBTA Business Unit. Learn more about the WINiT Gala and inaugural WINiT Awards and how you can join the WINiT Community today. You can download and listen to The Business of Travel in iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play and your other favorite podcast directories. Be sure to subscribe to the show so you don't miss out!
It's easy to look at a simple product and think that it can't be hard to make. However, the simplest interfaces often require the most demanding development. What does it take to bring simplicity to life when facing complexities? As part of our Diverse Voices series, SpotHero Product Lead Jenny Wanger talks about lessons learned as a line cook, optimizing simple interfaces and what it takes to get ahead as a product manager.
How do you scale something 10x and then scale it again? The answer is surprisingly simple, and yet very few organizations have the discipline to do it. My guest today is Elan Mosbacher, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Operations at Spothero. In this conversation we talk about how Elan and his team made went about growing SpotHero to the largest mobile parking platform in the country. Elan has a ton of experience around building marketplace businesses, pursuing strategic partnerships and more. He's also very thoughtful about the future of mobility in general, and we get into a pretty fascinating conversation around autonomous vehicles and where things are headed.
It’s National Taco Day! The boys treatment themselves to a 12 pack and have a sauce shortage. Brendan tried to save a seagull on comedy island. “Ray Donovan” actor Pooch Hall was arrested for child endangerment. Chicago's SpotHero joins Apple, Amazon and other tech giants on Time list of companies 'inventing the future’.
Trish Lukasik is a high energy leader (to say the least!) who recently shifted into the fast paced world of technology and e-commerce, assuming the position of CEO at Luxury Garage Sale, a leading omni-channel retailer of high end boutique and consignment merchandise. Prior to joining LGS, Trish transitioned from a career in consumer products to SpotHero, where she served as Chief Operating Officer. Before joining SpotHero, Trish built a distinguished career over two decades within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, with significant experience across Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo. She has a thirst for learning and an unparalleled drive that is unmistakable in this conversation.
Sorry we missed you yesterday (Wednesday)! We're back today with a quartet of short news stories from the world of Apple: A researcher/developer had his app -- used to gather data on ISP throttling of video streams -- rejected by the App Store Some Facebook Messenger users are reporting a bug that crashes the app after typing just a few words in a single line Use SpotHero to pre-pay parking? Apple has a deal for you if you use Apple Pay as your SpotHero payment option The GOP tax bill signed into law a few weeks ago is resulting in Apple adding almost $350 billion to the US economy, and employees are also getting a stock bonus --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tangible-tech/support
SpotHero's Will Elliot is an expert on parking, pugs, and Phil Collins. If you have a car (or two ears and a heart), join us as we discuss suitcase cars, chase scenes, and why you can't hurry love.
The Top Entrepreneurs in Money, Marketing, Business and Life
Ben Cantey. He’s a San Francisco entrepreneur and has a passion about solving problems and changing lives through technology. He teaches entrepreneurship and lean methodology at universities and high schools on his free time. He’s launching some bad-ass technology with a handful of math geniuses in a parking space. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – The Rough Riders What CEO do you follow? – Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — Yesware Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— 8 1/2 If you could let your 20-year old self, know one thing, what would it be? – “Execute faster” Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:18 – Nathan introduces Ben to the show 01:51 – Park Evergreen revolutionizes the way parking is sold and managed at airports 01:55 – Airports currently use a whole stack of services, suppliers and contractors that are outdated 02:15 – Park Evergreen uses geolocation technology to bring physical parking online 02:25 – Travelers can find a reserve pay per parking through Park Evergreen’s app 02:35 – Park Evergreen is somehow a marketplace 02:49 – Park Evergreen is more focused on the traveler’s experience 02:54 – Ben and his co-founders came from the consulting space 03:10 - Park Evergreen started out with customers who wanted to find paid street parking 03:23 – Park Evergreen currently has a couple of deals 03:30 – Park Evergreen started growing their revenue in June 03:54 – Ben is just happy that they got a great product market fit 04:03 – Most USA airports are now going into modernization projects 04:44 – There’s an interesting balance between travelers who prefer to leave their cars and those who prefer to just take an Uber car 04:53 – Park Evergreen’s average customers are business travelers who are gone for only a couple of days 05:18 – The airport modernization includes parking expansion 05:54 – Travels tend to get cheaper each year and more and more people are travelling 06:02 – The millennials demographic has the most frequent business and pleasure trips 06:28 – The parking growth is growing 4-5% per airport, per year 06:34 – Park Evergreen was founded in 2016 06:43 – Park Evergreen didn’t want to compete with parking meters and pay machines 07:08 – Park Evergreen was making a couple of thousand a month 07:22 – Park Evergreen made $15K topline 07:33 – Park Evergreen’s biggest cost was for CAC 08:02 – “It’s a tough market, people are used to their options” 08:10 – Park Evergreen pivoted because they’re tired of their mobile apps parking solutions 08:18 – SpotHero and ParkWhiz are the biggest in the space 08:28 – Park Evergreen has raised $150K from 500 startups 08:43 – Team size is 5 09:01 – The equity is divided by 5 co-founders 09:19 – Park Evergreen is bootstrapped and the 2 co-founders have been building everything for free 09:25 – Ben is in charge of closing deals and doing the strategy 09:40 – It’s a balanced team 10:03 – The team had some contractual work on the side and some have full-time jobs 11:11 – Park Evergreen charges a flat fee per space that they manage per month 11:39 – The average is $100 per space 11:55 – The average top 10 US airports manage 18K parking spaces 12:00 – Some double or triple 18K 12:10 – Park Evergreen’s market size in terms of market space is over 4M 12:50 – When a traveler books his flight, he books his parking space, too 13:06 – Park Evergreen shows the traveler 2 hours before his flight, the fastest route to the airport and to the parking space 13:22 – Park Evergreen can tell you exactly how long it will take a traveler to go from one place to another around the airport 13:46 – “I want our travelers to know when they look at their phones in the morning, before they leave their house, what time will they arrive at the gate, ready to get on the plane” 14:20 – Park Evergreen started their user acquisition in March for the contracts 14:30 – Park Evergreen is using SMS initially 15:08 – “The only way to park is to use Park Evergreen” 15:18 – Park Evergreen is doing 500 spaces for their initial pilot 15:35 – Park Evergreen’s contracts are on an expansion plan 16:16 – As soon as you get to the airport, you can get a Park Evergreen ticket with a code that you will use to text 16:45 – You can pay Park Evergreen ahead of time via text 18:40 – The Famous Five 3 Key Points: Airport parking is a great space to be in at the moment because of the modernization projects that are on the way. To stay competitive in this space, provide the best traveler experience that you can. It’s can be quite difficult to broaden people’s understanding of their options, but that does NOT mean you shouldn’t try. Resources Mentioned: The Top Inbox – The site Nathan uses to schedule emails to be sent later, set reminders in inbox, track opens, and follow-up with email sequences Organifi – The juice was Nathan’s life saver during his trip in Southeast Asia Klipfolio – Track your business performance across all departments for FREE Acuity Scheduling – Nathan uses Acuity to schedule his podcast interviews and appointments Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for the cheapest price possible Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he’s driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5-hour drive) to listen to audio books Freshbooks – Nathan doesn’t waste time so he uses Freshbooks to send out invoices and collect his money. Get your free month NOW Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Paul Martino is a Co-Founder and General Partner @ Bullpen Capital, the fund that finds overlooked companies by understanding biases in venture capital. Paul has led several of Bullpen’s key investments including FanDuel, Namely, Ipsy, SpotHero, Classy, and Airmap. Prior to forming Bullpen, he was an active angel investor and personally invested in the first rounds of Zynga, TubeMogul, and uDemy. Before becoming an investor, Paul was the founder of four companies including Ahpah Software (a computer security firm acquired by InterTrust); Tribe (one of the world’s first social networks), and Aggregate Knowledge (a big data advertising attribution company acquired in 2014 by Nuestar). In Today’s Episode You Will Learn: 1.) How Paul made his way into early stage investing from founding and exiting 4 companies? What was the data that made Paul excited for venture? 2.) First has Paul witnessed the Series A Crunch? What does the crunch mean for founders? How should they navigate it and approach burn rates? How does this affect the fundraising time horizon? How does this affect how much startups should raise? 3.) How does the crunch affect valuation? How does this affect investor expectations of startups pitching them? How does Paul respond to Mike Maples' statement, 'bridge rounds are often because startups have simply not hit the metrics for Series A'? 4.) What would Paul most like to see change in the venture ecosystem? Why does Paul not believe there are enough innovative funds? Why is it so hard for innovative funds to raise from traditional LPs? 5.) What would Paul most like to see change in the LP ecosystem? What was the affect of Accel's Facebook fund on the LP community? Why is that such a problem? Items Mentioned In Today’s Episode: Paul’s Fave Blog: Matt Ocko Paul’s Fave Book: The New Thought Police Paul's Most Recent Investment: Cleanify As always you can follow The Twenty Minute VC, Harry and Paul on Twitter here! Likewise, you can follow Harry on Snapchat here for mojito madness and all things 20VC. The Twenty Minute VC is proudly sponsored by Luma, Luma is the world’s first ever Surround WiFi system that brings speed, security and control to the home network. And Unlike traditional routers, Luma comes in a pack of two or three sleek devices to place in different rooms in your home. Luma then creates a mesh network that work together to create an outrageously-fast, ultra-secure Surround WiFi network. Lastly, Luma’s app lets you easily see and control which devices, users and content are on your network. To buy your Luma, simply dead to getluma.com or amazon.com. So many problems start with your head: stress, depression, anxiety, fear of the future. What if there was some kind of exercise you could do, that would help you get your head in shape. That’s where the Headspace app comes in. Headspace is meditation made simple. The Headspace app provides guided meditations you can use whenever you want, wherever you want, on your phone, computer or tablet. They have sessions focused on everything from dealing with stress and depression, to helping you eat more mindfully. So download the Headspace app and start your journey towards a happier, healthier life. Learn more at headspace.com/20vc. That’s headspace.com/20vc.
Mark Lawrence is the CEO and Co-Founder of SpotHero, an on-demand parking app and website that makes drivers’ lives easier by helping them find and reserve a parking for up to 50% off. Mark along with his co-founders started the company after managing to rack up thousands of dollars in parking tickets. SpotHero is now one of Chicago's bigger consumer startup success stories. They raised $20 million in Series B funding last year, are in 15 cities, and have a team of 120 now. In This Episode You Will Learn: Why he and his co-founders started SpotHero How the product has evolved from the initial idea How they got their first customers What was going through his head when competitors were raising massive rounds Keys to growing a marketplace business How SpotHero approaches launching in a new city Why "If it's not a fuck yes, it's a fuck no" when hiring The benefits of meditation and floatation tanks Keys to keeping the culture as company grows Selected Links From The Episode: TechNexus Ezra Galston, VC at Chicago Ventures Favorite Books: Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard Schultz Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way by Richard Branson The Virgin Way: If It's Not Fun, It's Not Worth Doing by Richard Branson Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman Shogun by James Clavell Sponsored By: Propllr: a Chicago public relations firm that helps startups and innovators build credibility and awareness for their companies, people, products and services.
Ezra Galston is a VC at Chicago Ventures. At CV, Ezra focuses on consumer facing investment and is actively involved with BloomNation, Kapow Events, Luxury Garage Sale, Shiftgig, SpotHero, Zipments, and Havenly. He writes one of my favorite VC blogs at BreakingVC.com and his thoughts on startups have also been published in the Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and Re/code. Before becoming a venture capitalist, Ezra was a professional poker player and the Director of Marketing for CardRunners Gaming. Listen on itunes listen on stitcher In This Episode You Will Learn: How Ezra got into angel investing? What motivates Chicago Ventures? What's the one question every founder should ask of their VCs? Why Ezra prefers growing a business over starting one? Where Ezra sources his investments from? Why producing content as a VC is important? How they look for outliers in the entrepreneurs they back? How Ezra finds and cultivates his mentors? Hint: cold emailing Why Ezra thinks e-commerce companies are underestimated? What Ezra wishes he knew when he first got into the venture industry? Why some venture capital investments never get announced? Why Ezra thinks Chicago is so good at building great business? What we can do to make Chicago even better for startups? Favorite Books: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Ayn Rand Sweet Pickles by Richard Hefter Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights by Gary Klein E-Commerce Companies: Stitch Fix Trunk Club Wayfair Zulily Investors Ezra Admires: Bill Gurely, VC at Benchmark Fred Wilson, VC at Union Square Ventures Brad Feld, VC at Foundry Group Stuart Larkins, VC at Chicago Ventures Miscellaneous Things Mentioned: Taylor Caby, founder of CardRunners Chris Fargis, founder of Instant Fantasy Sports John Tough, COO at Choose Energy Report Says Chicago Has the Highest Percentage of Female Entrepreneurs The Little Prince (2015 film) The Counterintuitive Thing About Counterintuitive Things by Startup L. Jackson Tilt (poker term) The Big Short (2015 film) Dear Brad, Fred & Mark: How The Hell Do You Do It? by Ezra Galston
Jeremy Smith cofounded SpotHero with Mark Lawrence and Larry Kiss. SpotHero is an on-demand app that makes parking easier for the daily driver. They have disrupted the traditional parking industry. He has helped build the company from zero to 73 team members, their app has helped over 2 million cars park, there are over 1000 parking facilities that have partnered with them and. Spothero has raised over 27 million to date and has grown to over 13 cities. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:24] Jeremy’s introduction of his guest, Jeremy Smith. [1:20] Jeremy’s experience traveling for 4 months and why he did it spontaneously. [4:43] Where Jeremy wants to go personally and in business in months and years to come. [5:50] How Jeremy thinks people should think about entrepreneurship. [7:05] What Jeremy advises for those hesitant to take the risk of entrepreneurship. [9:36] Uncomfortable things Jeremy has done to push himself forward. [12:45] The decision Jeremy made to do an extended silent meditation. [14:42] Daily meditation practices in the midst of a busy life. [15:57] What Jeremy wanted to do when he grew up: Be a business owner. [16:40] Early entrepreneurial efforts in Jeremy’s life: sales in his early teen years. [18:10] How Jeremy used his early experiences building his current company. [20:13] The leap from corporate to SpotHero: what it looked like and how he did it. [23:45] Cubs games, social media promotions, negotiations with parking garages. [25:11] The early days without the technology. [28:17] How Jeremy met his cofounders. [31:42] Supporting himself while working on a startup company full time. [33:28] Could Jeremy write his own future? [36:22] Hiring the first employees the summer of 2012. [38:06] The decision to take outside money. [40:18] The best advice Jeremy received, from a past girlfriend. [43:31] Expanding the company into other cities. [45:42] The logistical nightmares involved in expansion. [47:00] Lesson learned: Have a clear conversation about roles very early on. [49:00] Things Jeremy will do differently in his next company. [53:27] How Jeremy’s team went about attracting good talent. [59:27] The milestones of SpotHero from Jeremy’s perspective. [1:01:10] Things to watch out for when raising money for your company. [1:02:29] Challenges faced building a tech company. [1:05:50] Why Jeremy is glad the business was not only “his baby.” [1:07:30] Jeremy’s proudest moments with SpotHero. [1:09:45] How to connect with Jeremy. In this episode… How badly do you want success? It's an important question to ask yourself when starting a company. Jeremy Smith, co-founder of Spothero.com wanted his companies to succeed badly. He was willing to sleep on couches for two years, attend social functions just for the food, and ride his bike everywhere in order to save money so that he could make the company thrive. Jeremy doesn't see them as sacrifices, he sees them as opportunities. In this great conversation with Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Jeremy Smith shares his journey as a co-founder of spothero and tells the difficulties, the adventures, any exciting milestones that passed as the company expanded across the nation. You'll learn lots of great insights from Jeremy's lessons learned. Writing his own future. The attitude Jeremy Smith brings to his company is the same attitude he has in all of life. He sees it as an adventure, something to be lived in the moment that shouldn't be too scripted. He's proven that in the adventures he's taken to live a kind of life that he wants to live. One of those adventures was a four month backpacking trip that started in Russia and ended in Australia, and he didn't plan any of it ahead of time. A one way ticket, and he was on his way. That attitude of courage, boldness, and adventure, is part of what makes him a successful entrepreneur. Jeremy got bitten by the entrepreneurial bug when he was still an early teenager. He took on the role of a salesman, going door to door to support a local fundraiser and was very successful. He also knocked on neighborhood doors to get work shoveling driveways, and asked his customers to pay what they thought his service was worth. It's that kind of hustle that has made him successful all the way through the start-up phases of his new company. Spothero.com is not your ordinary company. It integrates technology, a practical human need, and the resource of spare parking spaces in cities across the nation, to give people exactly what they need, when they need it. The challenges have been huge, but the rewards have been equally huge. This is one of those conversations that is so full of practical help that you'll want to listen to it again. Resources Mentioned on this episode www.SpotHero.com Jeremy (at) SpotHero (dot) com
Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. He is the author of the bestselling book Hooked: How to Build Habit Forming Products. Nir shares practical steps for how businesses can master the psychology of habit to create a successful product.Scott Jordan is the CEO of Travelwear company SCOTTeVEST. He appeared on Season 3 of Shark Tank and has since gone on to buidling his company into a tech apparel powerhouse. He is also the author of the new book Pocket Man. Scott discusses how he has been able to build a business with sustainable growth.Jennefer Witter is a 30+ year PR veteran. She is the the CEO and founder of The Boreland Group Inc, a boutique public relations agency headquartered in NYC. Jennefer discusses how small businesses should approach the Public Relations process. Glen Stansberry is the co-founder of a manly website called Gentlemint, a social network centered around things men are interested in – bacon, libations, facial hair, cars and more. Glen discusses the site, it's marketing strategy, and the importance of empowering "super members".Jeremy Smith, after amassing $3,500 in parking tickets, founded SpotHero, an app that prevents the headaches and tickets that often come with trying to park in the city. Jeremy talks about SpotHero's business model and how they have been able to find success in Chicago.Sponsored by Sage and Nextiva.
Recent Posts Anderson Japanese Gardens by Pat Coddington (http://outofchicago.com/photo-destination-japanese-gardens-in-rockford/) An amazing eBook from Marie Laigneau! (http://outofchicago.com/creating-impact-storytelling-in-street-photography-by-marie-laigneau/) The Morton Arboretum from Rich Flasburg (http://outofchicago.com/photo-destination-the-morton-arboretum-an-outdoor-museum/) Shooting Blue Hour Cityscapes by Mike Muraz (http://outofchicago.com/6-tips-to-shoot-blue-hour-cityscapes/) Chicago Parking Garages One of the best places to find a new vantage point to shoot the city is a parking garage. Here are my top 7 parking garages in Chicago for photographers, in no particular order. If you know of any that I’m missing, let me know! If you haven’t used SpotHero.com, here is a link that will give you $5 free credit. You haven’t used SpotHero? It’s awesome. Put in the the place that you want to park and it will show you all the nearby garages and their prices. You reserve it through SpotHero and you’re all set! Get details and photo tips on the first five spots in The Photographer’s Guide to Chicago (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F08993Q) . UIC Harrison Street Garage (http://en.parkopedia.com/parking/garage/uic_harrison_street_parking_structure/60607/chicago/) Navy Pier (http://www.navypier.com/visit_us/parking.html) Mart Parc Orleans (http://www.chicago.interparkonline.com/MART-PARC-ORLEANS-PARKING/Location/CH312) Mart Parc W ells (https://www.findeventparking.com/park/ChicagoParking/FPMapFull.aspx?BUCD=CH311) Lake and Wells (http://www.210nwells.com/) Hilton South Loop Garage (720%20S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605) Batman Garage (http://www.chicago.interparkonline.com/200-WEST-RANDOLPH-PARKING/Location/CH612) 200 W Randolph Rush University Medical Center Parking Garage (http://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-1266946090060.html) Pick of the week A circular polarizing filter! The best of the best are B+W. Whatever you do, don’t by a cheap filter for your expensive lens. Here’s what I use (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/9778-REG/B_W_66044844.html) . Don’t forget that you can get step up rings so that you can use one filter on multiple lenses. The post The Best Parking Garages for Chicago Photographers: OOC Episode 11 (https://www.outofchicago.com/2014/07/21/the-best-parking-garages-for-chicago-photographers-ooc-episode-11/) appeared first on Out of Chicago Photography (https://www.outofchicago.com) .
Mark Lawrence, Co-Founder at Spot Hero. Mark spins the tale of how he grew SpotHero early on to 10,000 users, with a horrific 42 step form to reserve a parking space. Since then its been fame and glory for Mark's team, crushing it in major markets across the country. How did he and his blue tshirt posse do it?
The Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing
This episode are highlights from my conversation with Ezra Galston. Ezra Galston, is the founding partner of Starting Line. a seed stage, consumer tech focused fund based in Chicago. Previously he was a Principal at Chicago Ventures. Some of his investments include Cameo, Flyhomes, and Spothero. Links: Click here to listen to my full conversation with Ezra ( https://www.theconsumervc.com/68-ezra-galston-starting-line-benefits-of-chicago-managed-vs-lightly-managed-marketplaces-and-consumer-for-the-99/ ) Click here on Mobile to join our Community. ( https://link.upstreamapp.com/eEoV65h1U6 )
The Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing
Our guest today is Ezra Galston ( https://www.startingline.vc/team ) , Founding partner of Starting Line ( https://www.startingline.vc/ ) , a seed stage consumer tech focused fund based in Chicago. Previously he was a Principal at Chicago Ventures. Some of his investments include Cameo, Flyhomes, and Spothero. One book that inspired Ezra personally is The Little Prince ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0156012197?camp=1789&creativeASIN=0156012197&ie=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&tag=theconsumervc-20 ) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. One book that inspired him professionally is Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804137382?camp=1789&creativeASIN=0804137382&ie=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&tag=theconsumervc-20 ) by Greg McKeown. I highly recommend following Ezra on Twitter @EzraMoGee ( https://twitter.com/EzraMoGee ). You can also follow your host @mikegelb ( https://twitter.com/MikeGelb ). Some of the questions I ask Ezra - * What initially attracted you to venture capital and how did Starting Line come about? * What makes Chicago special as a startup ecosystem? * I've had on investors that say if you start a company outside the coasts or the main venture ecosystems, that's ok, but there needs to be a plan to move to the main venture ecosystem because of recruiting and hiring. I've other investors that love investing in secondary markets (it's weird to consider Chicago a secondary market) or not obvious markets. How do you think about this? * Talk to me a little bit about your due diligence process and your stage? * What are some of the differences between managed and lightly managed marketplaces? * For entrepreneurs that are thinking about starting marketplace, what are some things they should consider when approaching marketplace design that would influence whether they should have a managed vs. un-managed marketplace? * Now, decision making on the internet in some ways is hard because there is so much choice. How do you think about curation? * I'd love to learn a little bit about consumer technology that you are focused on that are for the 99% * What opportunities in consumer tech are you focused on and gets you excited? * What is one thing that you would change when it came to venture capital? * What's one book that inspired you personally and one book that inspired you professionally? * What's your most recent investment and what makes you excited about it? * What's one company on your anti-portfolio and did you learn anything from passing? * What's one piece advice that you have for consumer tech founders?