After months of rumored acquisition bids and staff cuts, Speek was acquired by Utah-based Jive Communications. For COO Konrad Waliszewski, the acquisition offered an opportunity to develop what he calls a “dream app.” On Tuesday, TripScout officially launched, enabling beta users access.
The world traveler and 1776 mentor tells DC Inno that he carefully shifted his focus from Speek to his next venture around the same time that the startup approached the Jive acquisition deal.
Waliszewski’s true passion has always revolved around travel; he's maintained a lifestyle of jet-hopping across the world, meeting new people and experiencing foreign cultures. He regularly travels to between 10 and 20 countries a year and has already visited more than 60 since he picked up the "hobby."
Waliszewski tells DC Inno he used that passion and the knowledge he's gained from it to fuel the creation of TripScout.
What is it?
TripScout is a mobile-centric application available on both iOS and Android. The app works to connect travelers with the knowledge and advice of verified, local guides in a number of metropolitan areas around the globe.
“I’ve been frustrated with how painful it is to figure out what to see and do, and to learn about local history, culture, and food while traveling. Rather than peruse TripAdvisor’s top '7,000 things to do' or be that guy pulling out his LonelyPlanet at every corner, this is the app I've always wanted on my trips,” said Waliszewski.
The app is free. After downloading, users can then purchase different city maps for $4.99 a piece as in-app downloads. Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia will be the first two cities to be offered via TripScout. At the end of August, Waliszewski will be traveling to Mexico City and throughout Central America to cement a series of contracts with local tourism agencies. As a result, he plans to have the next set of cities be located in Central America.
Offline capability
The maps users buy are available either offline or online and include pre-recorded audio-tapings from guides that are familiar with specific cities—“because if you’re going to Paris, you want to hear a French guide speak—accent and all.”
In terms of the user experience on TripScout, it’s less like a GPS-centric, realtime location tracking service—ŕ la Google Maps—and more like a static, mapping platform with interactive information. The decision to forego realtime GPS tracking came from a belief that excess battery drain in foreign countries may be difficult to manage and that other services were already competing in that space.
That being said, GPS tracking is used in a limited capacity to prompt videos and specific event experiences. For example, Waliszewki said that if a user were to approach the steps of the Lincoln memorial then a short video option will appear from the application showing Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
“Most travel apps fail because of their bad user experience,” and Waliszewki said that TripScout was developed to take that misstep into account. “Travelers have a unique insight into the world around them … one thing I want to incorporate is a film and graphic perspective,” he said.
Involving local charities
As if Waliszewki didn't incorporate enough features in his “dream app,” TripScout will also offer users a select, philanthropic experience.
With every city map that is purchased, user’s will be provided with updated information regarding one local charity along with instructions on how to get involved and/or donate to the organization. Waliszewki added that he plans to have 10 percent of all revenue from TripScout donated to the local charities listed in his travel app.
