Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Zaid.
Sam, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 2009, my co-founders and I imagined a world in which all cars were connected and self-driving—from there we realized the future of transportation is a world where all cars are shared.
The company grew pretty quickly, but in 2014, we focused efforts on our in-car connected car technology, Getaround Connect®. This integrated hardware and software platform enables an end-to-end instant experience for both owners and renters. Users can instantly signup, reserve, and unlock a car—all through the Getaround app. As we perfected that model, we moved into hyper-growth mode, and in the past year, we’ve launched dozens of cities including Miami, Los Angeles Philadelphia, Seattle, and Boston.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We’ve had our share of bumps in the road. Securing our first insurance partner took about a year and developing connected car hardware was also a hurdle we had to overcome.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Getaround – what should we know?
Getaround is a peer-to-peer marketplace that empowers people to instantly rent and drive great cars shared by users in their city. People can rent cars by the hour, or the day, and insurance and 24/7 roadside assistance are always included. People share everything from a Prius to a Tesla and earn thousands in extra income each year, offsetting the high cost of car ownership. By using Getaround, people skip the lines and paperwork at traditional rental car counters, as well as the hassle of buying and maintaining a car.
What are you most proud of as a company?
When we set out to build Getaround, we knew the current model of car ownership was unsustainable with over one billion cars in the world and each car sitting idle for over 23 hours each day. In focusing our efforts on solving this “car overpopulation” problem, we’re not only leveraging the cars that already exist, but we’re actually taking cars off the road and greatly reducing toxic carbon emissions. Studies show for every car shared, about ten are taken off the road.
What sets you apart from others?
Absolutely our focus on cities combined with our integrated hardware and software technology, Getaround Connect™. Our patented connected car technology creates a fun and safe car sharing experience without the need to meet the car owner, carry an access card or coordinate picking up a car key.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
As an entrepreneur, hard work and focus are absolutely important, but so are resourcefulness and creativity.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/getaround
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/getaround
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