In this ongoing series, we share advice, suggestions, and insights from real entrepreneurs who fight the battles of business every day. (Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Justin Gordon is the founder Shaka Codea company specializing in creating web and mobile applications, focusing on React AND Ruby on Rails. His latest enterprise, HiCheeis changing the way people book vacation rentals by allowing users to match prices across major platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com.
How did you start your business?
I have been a computer enthusiast since childhood. As a freelance developer, I used to be lucky 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 I used to be embarking on an entrepreneurial journey! In 2013, we were among the early adopters of React and Webpack, which later became industry standards with our popular React on Rails gem.
Even while building projects for clients, I could not shake the dream of making my very own product. The entrepreneurial spirit is contagious in Silicon Valley, where everyone seems to have a marketing strategy. I think I caught the bug!
Where did the idea for HiChee come from?
Living in Hawaii, I used to be naturally drawn to the vacation rental space. After my initial idea didn’t pan out, I got here across a common frustration among travelers: the same property will be priced completely in a different way on different platforms. In other words, if a rental is on each Airbnb and Vrbo, who wouldn’t need to know the prices on each platforms? I knew there needed to be a higher way. That’s when a lightbulb went off: HiChee, a platform that aggregates vacation rentals and lets users compare prices and sometimes book directly to save lots of much more.
How did you obtain funding for your business?
Currently, HiChee is fully funded by ShakaCode. It is a labor of affection, and we focus on building a loyal user base and a strong status before we start exploring monetization options. Delivering value to consumers is our top priority.
What was your biggest challenge?
Collecting and matching global vacation rental data is no walk in the park—it’s technically complicated. But with ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules on legality of web scrapingwe managed to show this challenge into an opportunity. Leveraging our experience, ShakaCode now offers advanced data scraping services showcased on HiChee. This has attracted a growing number of shoppers who see the value of data-driven insights in the AI era.
One of the key ways HiChee has evolved to fulfill user needs is by addressing the inconvenience of copying and pasting links from Airbnb, Booking, and Vrbo to envision prices. HiChee has addressed this inconvenience in two ways.
AND Chrome Extension allows users to access the full power of HiChee directly on Airbnb, Booking, and Vrbo sites, although this feature is currently limited to Chrome users on desktop computers. However, it does require Chrome on desktop computers.
To address the limitations of Chrome extension for mobile users, HiChee has also introduced Travel List feature that syncs Airbnb WishLists with HiChee, so users can tag listings on Airbnb and view comparison information on HiChee. What’s more, HiChee provides price and availability alerts, so once a listing is saved, a HiChee user will be the first to snag a great deal when the host drops the price.
What has been your most rewarding moment as a business owner?
Witnessing HiChee’s impressive organic growth—over 200,000 unique users monthly for several years—has been incredibly rewarding. It’s a testament to the value we offer to travelers. And the positive media attention from outlets like Fox News, The Washington PostAARP and renowned travel columnist Chris Elliott were the icing on the cake.
What is your best business advice?
Take challenges as opportunities to innovate. Listen to your customers and adapt to their needs. And never underestimate the power of persistence and a great team.
How do you see your company in five years?
I envision HiChee becoming a vacation rental comparison and booking platform that empowers travelers to make informed decisions and get monetary savings. With ShakaCode’s expertise in web scraping and data evaluation, we are going to proceed to expand our services and help businesses harness the power of information.