Entrepreneurship Hackathon 2020
Drifter
SOCIAL MEDIA START UP
A social media platform that connects young travelers with local residents, fostering a relationship centered around travel advice and shared interests while ensuring safer, more authentic travel experiences.
What's the Problem?
THE COVID-19 LANDSCAPE
Given the travel restrictions put in place by COVID-19, and resulting social isolation, there is a pent up demand for
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Safe travel
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Human connection
Drifter provides a platform in which young travelers can connect with local hosts and utilize them as a resource to ensure a more authentic, cost-effective, and safe experience by avoiding crowds and “touristy” destinations.
With Drifter, we ensure that physical distancing will not compromise the social aspect of travel.
PROJECT PARTNER:
Lauren Deschenes; lmd246@cornell.edu
How Do We Know?
MARKET RESEARCH
Research Insights
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More people are partaking in outdoor activities for safety & mental health
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People are moving out of cities
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Places that depend on tourism for an income are suffering
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Travelers pose a risk for disease transmission
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Expedia & TripAdvisor do not capture the market of youths
Market Research
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Target Market: Young adults 18-25 that enjoy traveling
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Accounting for the number of young adults that are either working remotely (88%), or unemployed (13.5%), our total market size about 17 million users.
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Given that we can capture 5% of this target population, our market size is about 850,000 people.
What's the Solution?
APPLICATION GOALS & VALUE PROPOSITIONS
Users
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Cultural Immersion
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Value-for-cost
Hosts
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Passive Income
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Sense of helping & connecting with others
Local Community
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Support for smaller local businesses
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Reduced risk of COVID-19 transmission
How does it Work?
BUSINESS MODEL
Drifter’s brand captivates the younger generations that crave exploration and genuine connection, and the platform will allow for COVID-safe experiences that serve to keep users and their communities safe.
Moving forward, we hope to design a platform that fosters meaningful, long-lasting relationships and memorable offline experiences!
