Blogs
July 14, 2013
Tony Fairweather - busEasy.com - KAYWEB Angels Portfolio People
KAYWEB Angels Portfolio People
Tony Fairweather, busEasy.com
KAYWEB Angels Portfolio People is a section in our Blog that features profile interviews with the people behind our companies! In this interview, we feature Tony Fairweather, CEO at busEasy.com.
Tell us your name and where are you from?
Tony Fairweather – Brisbane, Australia
What you had for breakfast this morning?
3 x Wheatbix (45 seconds in the microwave to warm the milk). My wife (Sarah) calls me “soft” for needing warm milk.
What are your favorite television shows and movies? Favorite books?
Celebrity Apprentice and The Usual Suspects. Book = Into Thin Air – John Krakuer. A journalist who climbed Mt Everest.
iPhone or Android? Facebook or Google+?
iPhone and neither
Who are the hottest startups outside the KAYWEB Angels group right now and why?
Our competition – Wanderu.com. Seem to be moving a bit faster than busEasy, although have a different (less substantive) offering. Either way, have been recognized by Mashable, so they must be doing something right.
What areas / opportunities are ripe for startups to tackle?
I enjoy following the development in personal and business assistant Apps. For a growing population of people whom simply don’t have enough hours in the day, and can use some efficiency assistance.
Have you been a part of any previous startups? If so, any lessons learned?
Yes in the bus and coach industry. Surround yourself with good people.
Outside of your startup what are you passionate about?
My wife, kids and I are passionate about living now, and not just the future. We periodically treat ourselves to special experiences – primarily involving travel.
Who has been or currently is an inspiration to you?
My father-in-law, whom I learnt that success can be achieved with hard work, perseverance, morals and ethics.
YOUR STARTUP
You are currently in stealth so don't tell us what you are doing but give us a hint of the problem you are addressing?
Delivering a solution to the coach/bus industry which is available to all other forms of transport.
What led you to this right now instead of anything else?
Although I am still involved in various other businesses, busEasy has the potential to have a massive global impact and a proportional return, if we get the technology right.
What is your current biggest challenge?
Getting to market so we can start the journey.
Let's play a prediction game. Let's say we are 12 months from now, and you are about to present to your board. How would you describe your progress?
20 scheduled coach service operators integrated into busEasy, and (conservatively) 25,000 customers/users per month (or $70,000 per month). I see 6 full time employees and a partnership forming with Flight Centre (Australian company which has a US strategy). No exit planned as yet. Enormous growth, will require 3-4 years of focus to achieve the businesses potential.
Now let’s play the reflection game. Think about who you were five years ago. What advice would you give former you?
To move out of a corporate environment earlier.
Tony Fairweather, busEasy.com
KAYWEB Angels Portfolio People is a section in our Blog that features profile interviews with the people behind our companies! In this interview, we feature Tony Fairweather, CEO at busEasy.com.
Tell us your name and where are you from?
Tony Fairweather – Brisbane, Australia
What you had for breakfast this morning?
3 x Wheatbix (45 seconds in the microwave to warm the milk). My wife (Sarah) calls me “soft” for needing warm milk.
What are your favorite television shows and movies? Favorite books?
Celebrity Apprentice and The Usual Suspects. Book = Into Thin Air – John Krakuer. A journalist who climbed Mt Everest.
iPhone or Android? Facebook or Google+?
iPhone and neither
Who are the hottest startups outside the KAYWEB Angels group right now and why?
Our competition – Wanderu.com. Seem to be moving a bit faster than busEasy, although have a different (less substantive) offering. Either way, have been recognized by Mashable, so they must be doing something right.
What areas / opportunities are ripe for startups to tackle?
I enjoy following the development in personal and business assistant Apps. For a growing population of people whom simply don’t have enough hours in the day, and can use some efficiency assistance.
Have you been a part of any previous startups? If so, any lessons learned?
Yes in the bus and coach industry. Surround yourself with good people.
Outside of your startup what are you passionate about?
My wife, kids and I are passionate about living now, and not just the future. We periodically treat ourselves to special experiences – primarily involving travel.
Who has been or currently is an inspiration to you?
My father-in-law, whom I learnt that success can be achieved with hard work, perseverance, morals and ethics.
YOUR STARTUP
You are currently in stealth so don't tell us what you are doing but give us a hint of the problem you are addressing?
Delivering a solution to the coach/bus industry which is available to all other forms of transport.
What led you to this right now instead of anything else?
Although I am still involved in various other businesses, busEasy has the potential to have a massive global impact and a proportional return, if we get the technology right.
What is your current biggest challenge?
Getting to market so we can start the journey.
Let's play a prediction game. Let's say we are 12 months from now, and you are about to present to your board. How would you describe your progress?
20 scheduled coach service operators integrated into busEasy, and (conservatively) 25,000 customers/users per month (or $70,000 per month). I see 6 full time employees and a partnership forming with Flight Centre (Australian company which has a US strategy). No exit planned as yet. Enormous growth, will require 3-4 years of focus to achieve the businesses potential.
Now let’s play the reflection game. Think about who you were five years ago. What advice would you give former you?
To move out of a corporate environment earlier.
