In today's episode, I talk with Mo Parikh, the CEO and founder of Bandwango. He shares his background, going to biomedical engineering school, joining a PhD program to start his company. We talk about his journey and bootstrapping his first few years. We discuss some of the challenges that he faced, running and scaling the business.
We talk about how as a travel company they manage to triple their revenue during the pandemic.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Mo talks about his background and his start in biomedical engineering
- "Cutting his teeth" in the startup world right out of college
- Building entrepreneurship training programs as part of his PhD program.
- How his PhD program taught him about what makes a successful entrepreneur, and ignited his passion.
- The origin story - lift ticket discounts to the evolution of Bandwango
- Early fundraising
- Bootstrapping in the first few years
- Developing a product around user needs and problems
- Mo's Superpowers
- Importance of understanding all parts of the business, humility, and rolling up your sleeves
- How Bandwango has grown
- What is unique about Bandwango in the tourism industry.
- The pivot point in 2019
- Tripling customers during COVID
- Focusing on and working to support local communities
- Success stories during COVID
- How are you managing the growth now?
- What advice can you give to entrepreneurs?
- The importance of trust in your team
- What's next for Bandwango.
Resources:
Website: https://bandwango.com/
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monirparikh/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bandwango/
Contact:
mo@bandwango.com