Jordy & Jahna McNamara took a novel approach to starting their app company, Critter. They decided to quit their jobs, pack up everything and take a cross-country road trip in a van. Their road trip allowed them the focus and freedom to finally start the business they’d dreamed of.
Traveling for months out of a van isn’t the easiest way to start a business. But it got them out of their old routine and into a new one. And they were disciplined enough to work hard almost every day on their new business. It also had the unexpected benefit of getting lots of in-person customer feedback, with a geographic and demographic breadth that would be hard to do any other way.
Critter was born because Jordy & Jahna wished there was an easy way to summarize everything their dog Lucy needed for various caregivers. They found themselves writing the same information over and over on scraps of paper. They knew there must be something easier.
Creating a new app and a company around it was right up their alley – Jahna has a software background, and Jordy a consulting and business background.
The app launched in October 2022, and for now is free. But they are exploring “freemium” tiers and other options to help monetize the business. Their long-term goal is to create a suite of apps that would also include pet professionals as well, such as vets, groomers, and boarders.
It’s a fun story about how to navigate the hassles of living in close quarters and moving constantly while trying to start a business together. It’s the ultimate challenge in being flexible.
But then, that’s what the couple says is one of the keys to a successful road trip, but also building and marketing an app from scratch – have an overall plan, but stay flexible!
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