In this ongoing series, we are sharing advice, tips and insights from real entrepreneurs who are out there doing business battle on a daily basis. (Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Justin Gordon is the founder of ShakaCode, a company specializing in web and mobile app development with a focus on React and Ruby on Rails. His latest venture, HiChee, is transforming the way people book vacation rentals by allowing users to compare listing prices across major platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com.
How did you start your business?
I’ve been a computer enthusiast since childhood. As a freelance programmer, I was fortunate to have a client who saw my potential and encouraged me to expand my team. That’s how ShakaCode was born. Little did I know that I was embarking on an entrepreneurial journey! By 2013, we were early adopters of React and Webpack, which later became industry standards, thanks to our popular React on Rails gem.
Even while building projects for clients, I couldn’t shake the dream of creating my own product. The entrepreneurial spirit is contagious in Silicon Valley, where everyone seems to have a business plan. I guess I caught the bug!
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What sparked the idea for HiChee?
Living in Hawaii, I was naturally drawn to the vacation rental space. After an initial idea didn’t quite pan out, I stumbled upon a common frustration among travelers: the same property could have wildly different prices across different platforms. In other words, if a rental is on both Airbnb and Vrbo, who wouldn’t want to know the prices on both platforms? I knew there had to be a better way. That’s when the lightbulb went off: HiChee, a platform that aggregates vacation rental listings and empowers users to compare prices and sometimes book directly for even bigger savings.
How did you get your business funded?
Right now, HiChee is entirely funded by ShakaCode. It’s a labor of love, and we’re focused on building a loyal user base and establishing a strong reputation before exploring monetization options. Delivering value to consumers is our top priority.
What’s been your biggest challenge?
Scraping and matching global vacation rental data is no walk on the beach — it’s technically complex. But with the U.S. Ninth Circuit of Appeals ruling on web scraping’s legality, we’ve been able to transform this challenge into an opportunity. Leveraging our expertise, ShakaCode now offers sophisticated data scraping services showcased on HiChee. This has attracted a growing clientele who recognize the value of data-driven insights in the AI era.
One key way HiChee has evolved to meet user needs is by addressing the inconvenience of copying and pasting links from Airbnb, Booking, and Vrbo to check prices. HiChee addressed this inconvenience in two ways.
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A Chrome Extension allows users to access the full power of HiChee directly on Airbnb, Booking, and Vrbo websites, although this feature is currently limited to desktop Chrome users. However, that requires using desktop Chrome.
To address the limitations of the Chrome extension for mobile users, HiChee also introduced the Trip List feature, which provides synchronization of WishLists on Airbnb to HiChee so that users can heart a listing on Airbnb and see the comparison information on HiChee. Even better, HiChee provides price and availability alerts so once a listing is saved, a HiChee user can be the first to snag a great deal when a host has dropped a price.
What’s been your most rewarding moment as a business owner?
Witnessing the impressive organic growth of HiChee — over 200,000 unique users per month for several years — has been incredibly rewarding. It’s a testament to the value we’re providing to travelers. And the positive media attention from outlets like Fox News, The Washington Post, AARP, and renowned travel columnist Chris Elliott has been the icing on the cake.
What’s your best business advice?
Embrace challenges as opportunities for innovation. Listen to your customers and adapt to their needs. And never underestimate the power of perseverance and a great team.
Where do you see your business in five years?
I envision HiChee becoming the go-to platform for vacation rental comparison and booking, empowering travelers to make informed decisions and save money. With ShakaCode’s expertise in web scraping and data analytics, we’ll continue to expand our services and help businesses harness the power of data.
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