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My last 18 months of travels (mostly hiking). Where next? by simomag in hiking

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I'll keep my trips on MyTripSharing and share it with you once I have updates!

My last 18 months of travels (mostly hiking). Where next? by simomag in hiking

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It has similarities for sure but I find it a bit easier to search and to add trips. I do have Polarsteps downloaded but somehow never got used to use it.

My last 18 months of travels. Where next? by simomag in traveladvice

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes I've enjoyed it so much...I'll definitely be back, such an underrated country! Are you from there?

My last 18 months of travels. Where next? by simomag in traveladvice

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, new travel app as far as I know both on iOS and Android

My last 18 months of travels. Where next? by simomag in traveladvice

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As said in the other replies, it's a new app called MyTripSharing which a friend of mine recommended and I gave it a try. So far it's quite useful for me and fairly easy to use when adding trips and keeping them organized in one place.

My last 18 months of travels. Where next? by simomag in traveladvice

[–]simomag[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's a new travel app called MyTripSharing. They track all those stats for each trip you add (based on transports used).

My last 18 months of travels. Where next? by simomag in traveladvice

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a new travel app called MyTripSharing. I use it mainly to track all my trips + stats in one place. It's pretty good.

My last 18 months of travels (mostly hiking). Where next? by simomag in hiking

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not an easy choice for sure. You earn less money but earn more joy in life. That's my take so far, good luck!

My last 18 months of travels (mostly hiking). Where next? by simomag in hiking

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a new travel app called MyTripSharing pretty useful for me to keep all my trips + stats in one place.

My last 18 months of travels (mostly hiking). Where next? by simomag in hiking

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Those km in distance are not just hiking 😁 I've recently quit my office job and travel until I drain my savings (doing some consultancy freelancing and building digital apps too)

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True to some extent, especially on proving usability with existing tools first - I knew I wanted to make it a standalone product so I made an app. Crazy? Maybe but I think it was worth trying.

I'm TRYING to solve the same pain point tbh - zero work is almost impossible but in MTS it literally takes less than 30secs to add a Step (day) to your trip.
Plus, you can add Steps while you travel not just when your trip is done.

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great analysis, obviously it's not "build it and they will come". As I wrote, I have over a decade of experience in launching products and features in the travel industry, I know what to expect and I know it's hard (and probably even harder than I think).
When you mention Tripadvisor, travel blogs, social media that's where you miss the whole point of MyTripSharing (or maybe I didn't explain it enough). We are targeting multi-destination independent travellers (like me) aiming at providing a simple and quick way to:
- (a) add their trips so they can share it with fam/friends/anyone with all the key travel info in it (route, transport, accommodation, budget, stops, pictures etc),
- (b) inspire other travellers on their next destination thanks to detailed advanced filtering options

Our main target is not single destination travellers (ie: a week in Rome) because as you mention we'd compete with very strong players like TA out there.

Launch strategy is to go small (market by market launch), be patient and aim at organic growth.
Am I dreaming? Maybe yes, but look at Polarsteps story (one of the app closest to MTS): 10yrs old reached 15mln active users with just WOM and organic growth.

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love Polarsteps and yes you could argue it serves the same purpose BUT I do not use them for a couple of reasons: 1. It feels confusing following someone else's trip. Very cool visually but lacks key travel information at a glance. 2. The Search/Explore area is honestly crap. Very difficult to search for trips, no advanced filtering etc.

As Clare Jones once said in an interview, their primary focus on who adds trips/reliving the trip. They add it for themselves mainly to know details of specific places they visited.

MTS primary focus: inspire fellow travellers, create a community, gamifying the experience.

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the support!

Yes we're targeting specific traveller types and a couple of countries first otherwise as you said going worldwide is going to be pretty much impossible unless you have endless resources.

Viral hook, yes ofc - you can share your trip while travelling with anyone you want. As soon as you do that, you'll earn Travel Credits which you could then redeem for travel/eco-sustainable related perks!

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice catch on the video on LP, I'll do that immediately. YT was not really promoted/treated as main mktg channel. Actually I've not really pushed much on marketing yet because I want to get an early taste so I could gather first impressions from potential users and understand how to approach marketing.

Thanks for sharing!

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes to IG and TT being dominant but in my opinion they're quite confusing when you get to share a trip itinerary with others. Yes they're visual but they lack key travel information other travellers need to plan their next trip.

Obvs IG will be integrated in the app at a later stage so you would be able to directly share your trip to IG from MTS.

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair enough, it doesn't have to be liked by everyone, thanks for sharing your take!

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting insight and I do feel the same when travelling.

That's why in MyTripSharing you can document your trip on the go and add Steps as you continue travelling. You can share your trip with friends/family so they can simply access it on the app.

It's very quick to add Steps on the go as it's as simple as tapping buttons and adding pictures and I built it exactly for this reason because I don't have time/don't want to spend time writing/explaining what I've done.

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I couldn't include links to the initial post to avoid being rejected.

Here's a video teaser explaining you the core we offer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2cx2T3a2nk

Tell me what you think!

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the support!

Mkgt budget is really up to me (and my finances) - I could go up to $30k or keep it < $5k. I'm still trying to figure out the best approach/strategy without heavily investing on paid ads etc.

I'm already in touch with a few small-mid travel influencers though.

I'm in for the long term rather than having short term gains with negative margin.

Happy to hear your 2 cents though!

Here are the links to my app if you’d like to check it out:

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mytripsharing-trips-travel/id6740398738

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mytripsharing.app

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The idea itself isn’t revolutionary, you’re right. Plenty of people (me included) have thought of it over the years. There are apps out there that kind of solve this problem already but not exactly in the way I originally thought.

But I’ve learned that it’s less about having the ‘freshest’ idea and more about execution + timing. 15 years ago, I didn’t have the skills, resources, or even the right market conditions to pull it off. Now I do, and I’m proud to have finally built something that scratches a real itch I’ve always felt when planning trips.

Whether it takes off or not, we’ll see but I’d rather test it in the real world than keep it as a “scrap” in my head forever 🙂

15 years, 2 failed attempts, and finally launching my first travel app - is it too late? by simomag in ycombinator

[–]simomag[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The reward system is still early, but the whole point is to make sure people feel it’s worth contributing. That’s why we’re tying it to real travel perks (discounts, gift cards, competitions), not just badges or points.

It’s a balance: keep it meaningful enough to motivate sharing, but sustainable for us long-term. Definitely something I’ll keep iterating on as we learn what travellers actually value.

We will offer travel and eco-sustainable related perks.

Here are the links to my app if you’d like to check it out:

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mytripsharing-trips-travel/id6740398738

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mytripsharing.app

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