When Taurean Gordon and his wife moved from New York City to Los Angeles in April 2013, he noticed something immediately. Getting around town takes a while. And sitting in traffic only to be disappointed in the destination was a waste of a time and a major letdown.
“When you commit to going somewhere — Santa Monica, downtown, etc., — when you commit to that area, you stay in that area,” Gordon said. “So knowing what a place looked like before you got there really became this big deal. There were several occasions when we’d go out to a place thinking, ‘Alright, it’s not what we expected, but we’re not going to go sit in traffic, so we’ll make the most of it.’”
To solve this problem, Gordon and co-founder Taylor Davies launched
, a free mobile app that allows users to post and request real-time content of a given location. The app, launched in September 2015, allows people to connect with others who are at the spot they want to go to, whether it’s a restaurant, hiking trail, beach or elsewhere.
The visual content enables users to “know before you go.” They can see if a place is too crowded or if the surf is satisfactory, for example. People can also engage in real-time chat with the content creators.
Gordon, the CEO of Pairchute, said content can be consumed for free or for 99 cents. Users who charge for content earn 50 cents on each purchase, an incentive for people to respond to requests for content, according to Gordon.
In addition to requesting content from a specific location, users can report and review content in case what they see doesn't meet their expectations.
The app seems to be doing the job, though. Gordon said only three people have reported content out of tens of thousands of posts.
To sign up, people need an access code from a registered user. With 5,000 users on board, Gordon said the goal is to reach 250,000 – 500,000 users by year’s end.
Pairchute can also provide users a behind-the-scenes look at artists and celebrities, Gordon said. He said Pairchute is exploring partnerships with A-list celebrities, adding that the app has received interest from restaurants, apartment buildings and sports leagues that covet easy free marketing.
He said Pairchute could close a seed round in the $1 million range within the coming weeks. That first round of funding would help Pairchute continue its user expansion in Los Angeles, and it would help grow its team of four employees.
Pairchute operates out of a co-working space in West L.A. After receiving the funding, the Pairchute team would hire developers first, Gordon said. As the startup continues to grow, Gordon hopes to cultivate an exciting workplace that empowers people to implement their ideas.
“This is about really exploring what you’re passionate about,” Gordon said. “Our culture is one of building excitement for coming here and always making change. Say I have a fascinating idea that can help grow this platform, then you know what, let’s execute it. Let’s see what happens. Let’s try it.”
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