Whatever Happened To The Trippie App After Shark Tank?
Navigating through airports can be a hectic endeavor, but thankfully a solution is at hand that could bring relief to troubled travelers. Created by entrepreneur Ryan Diew, Trippie is set to make a splash in the world of navigational apps. With the app, users can easily hunt down restaurants, lounges, shops, and other locations within an airport, taking the guesswork away for travelers in a rush.
Diew came up with the idea while attending Colgate University. Having to travel often for basketball games and other events, he would often find himself in airports he wasn't familiar with. In one instance, while on a layover in Washington D.C., Diew had to entrust a stranger to watch his bags while looking for food. He figured there had to be a better way to approach this and began conceptualizing ideas for a solution. His first idea was for an airport delivery service app, but he learned there would be too many problems with the concept during an entrepreneurship incubation program. His mindset then switched to creating a navigational app for airports, which led to the birth of Trippie.
The app started picking up traction. He received $22,000 from a pitch contest and went to work developing Trippie over the summer. In 2017, Diew's app was listed by Inc. Magazine as one of the 15 Coolest College Startups. This notoriety led to a "Shark Tank" producer reaching out to the entrepreneur, who knew better than to pass up on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
What happened to Tripie on Shark Tank?
Ryan Diew walked into "Shark Tank" looking to receive a $100,000 investment for 10% of his company. What he walked away with, however, was one of the hardest-to-watch "Shark Tank" pitches in the show's history — and that's saying a lot.
He shares the experience that led to the app's creation and the app itself. At the time, they have 850 downloads and 169 users. The sharks want to know what makes Trippie a proprietary product, to which the entrepreneur states that their service is comparable to that of the car navigation app Waze, which connects drivers to specific details regarding their route. His plan with the investment is to hire a new app developer and reach out to airports for more accurate data aggregation.
As most of the sharks go in for further questioning, Diew states numerous times that Trippie is not yet at a stage where they can implement many of their suggested features. They lay it on hard that there is nothing unique enough about the app to set it apart from the competition, and all go out. However, just as Diew is about to walk out, he turns around and gives one last speech about his work ethic. Mark Cuban lets him have it, stating that working hard is part of the deal and making excuses won't get him anywhere. With that, Diew leaves in a visibly heartbroken state. Nevertheless, the sharks hope he can prove them wrong — so did he?
Trippie after Shark Tank
Trippie's "Shark Tank" pitch certainly stirred some controversy in the show's immediate aftermath. Viewers were split, with some, such as Twitter user @cberru, siding with Mark Cuban and the other sharks, commenting, "That kid was rude! He looked pathetic instead of thanking everyone for their advice and their time." Others supported Ryan Diew and his ambition, believing that the sharks didn't give him a fair chance, such as @Jalesia_isQUEEN, who said, "I completely get what this kid is saying about opportunity when it comes to his idea. I wish they wouldn't had shut him down."
Diew himself, while harboring no negative feelings towards the sharks, wasn't fond of how the show depicted him, saying in an interview with Medium, "I feel like I was not portrayed in the best light. I definitely made a few cringe-worthy statements and it seemed like I felt sorry for myself, but I've never been that kind of person. That's the narrative that bothers me." Nevertheless, with a pitch as buzz-worthy as Diew's, the "Shark Tank" effect was bound to happen.
After the episode's airing, Trippie was downloaded almost 12,000 times, even briefly ranking as the 21st most downloaded travel app in the App Store. The traffic was so extreme that their website even crashed. The exposure allowed them to expand their reach, growing from only four airports to 18. Shortly after the show, Diew also started a new GoFundMe campaign for Trippie, hoping to raise $10,000. Although, they only made $1,700 from 20 backers.
Is Trippe still in business?
Trippie still seems to be up and running, even though they still have some places to go. The app is currently only available in the App Store. It's yet to debut on Google Play for Android users, despite creator Ryan Diew stating that that version would be out shortly following his 2017 "Shark Tank" appearance. The good news, however, is that those who have used the app seem to enjoy it. On the App Store, it currently holds a 4.1 out of 5 stars rating with over 950 reviews.
While they have yet to reach certain phones, Trippie's airport reach is a different story. They are now available in 22 airports worldwide, making up 82% of the air traffic in the United States. The company has also received its fair share of accolades over the years. In 2018, it received $10,000 after winning Oakland Startup Network's Tech Done Right pitch competition. This was followed in 2019 by numerous awards, including Diew making the 42 Silicon Valley's Top Influential African Americans in Tech list and first place at the Coalition of Black Excellence Summit Pitch Day and the Society3/OnePiece Pitch competition. Trippie is currently valued at $4.5 million and brings in an annual revenue of $3 million.
What's next for Trippie?
Ryan Diew and Trippie didn't get the best treatment on "Shark Tank," to put it mildly. Nevertheless, just as the panel of wealthy investors was hoping for, he was able to prove them wrong. Even if Trippie has yet to be the top-performing app of its kind, there's no doubt that Diew and company have made the best of their product as they continue down the road of innovation.
In recent years, things have seemed to slow down slightly for Trippie. Much of their social media hasn't been updated significantly since 2021, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic putting a halt in air travel for some time. Diew himself is also pursuing new ventures. While his LinkedIn still lists him as Trippie's CEO and the company remains active, he has also been an Entrepreneur in Residence at the tech startup investment firm BASE Ventures since 2019. As with any good entrepreneur, Diew is not settling with his current knowledge, and his time at BASE will likely benefit Trippie in the long run.
As for the app, Diew commented in a 2022 interview with Business2Community that he still has new ideas on how to boost the app's functionality. "I see indoor navigation as the future," he stated. "Indoor navigation is huge because it breaks down navigation from the 'places' level to the 'things' level. With indoor navigation, we are not just finding places, but we are showing users how to acquire the 'things' inside of these places." With the world more or less running the way it did before the pandemic, Trippie's time to shine is right around the corner.