buzzITtalk

buzzITtalk


Episode 07: Ridesharing

May 04, 2018

We had Russel Olinger, CEO of Whipster, as our guest in this episode. Whipster is a service that allows ride sharers to compare fares, arrival times and availability of ride share options, all in one app. The interview starts with some details about what ridesharing is and how the industry is developing. We talked about how ridesharing is much bigger than the two companies that come to mind, Uber and Lyft, when the topic is being discussed.  After that, we got into some more details about the role Whipster is playing in the ridesharing industry. Russel also provided some great insights into what it takes to launch a successful app. As always, we ended the interview with a look into what the future may hold for the ridesharing industry.


All in all, Russel provides some great insights into the ridesharing industry and I would like to thank Alexandra Wilkinson, a member of my LinkedIn network, for connecting me with Russel and suggesting the topic of ridesharing for the show.



Show Notes


Elevator Pitch: what is Whipster (3:04)


Buzzer Beater Round (3:50)


The importance of the human connection in ridesharing (5:43)


Russel’s background/official introduction (7:00)


What is ridesharing and how is it different than carpooling and car sharing? (9:18)


State of the ridesharing industry (10:44)


Would you get rid of your own car? (12:42)


Who is benefitting most from the ridesharing tech? (14:45)


What role is Whipster playing in the ridesharing space? (16:30)


Impact on public transportation (19:08)


Competitors for Whipster (21:00)


Biggest hurdle so far getting an app established in the ridesharing space (22:52)


Tips for the successful launch of an app (25:50)


How will the rideshare market develop in the coming years? (28:22)



Visit Russel Olinger on LinkedIn


Download the Whipster App.