Smart luggage and Internet of Things travel products with Bluesmart…

Diego Saez-Gil, Co-Founder and Chairman of bluesmart, a company offering a suitcase that tracks itself, auto-locks, and charges devices – (bio)) joins Pavan Bahl, John Matson and Peter Crysdale at the MouthMedia Network studio at Voyager HQ.

Company origins from a passion for travel, first to market, and the biggest challenge

Saez-Gil discusses his origins in Argentina, how backpacking around Europe created a passion for travel, leading to travel company on of the first mobile apps to book reservation from phone, WeHostels, the decision to create a smart connected suitcase with GPS, charging and tracking, weight sensors, digital locking, launched through an extremely successful crowd-funding campaign, raising a large amount of capital, and building a global brand bringing innovation into travel goods industry. Creating the first major suitcase innovation since adding wheels decades ago, the biggest hurdle was in R and D and creating reliable location tracking from anywhere in the world, which was a major feature resulting in funding it.

Being the best, learning from mistakes, and the TSA lock

The market, and how bluesmart is creating defenses for a competitive edge, how it’s good that there are other innovators in space, how “is this is something people want” has moved to “how are you different”. How the focus now is on being the best product with best design and materials, and the battle is with themselves. Whether bluesmart is a luxury move vs. a change in the way people travel, the credibility of having a previous acquired company, previous mistakes including not thinking of the company and the roadmap enough, and being too focused on making the product. The in-house development team, integrated with Magento, and selling on Amazon. Trends idea of the Internet of Things, an API integration with Uber, and the goal of making the journey as enjoyable as the destination. A TSA approved lock for master key, digital plus mechanical, to avoid breaking it to open it. Making sure everything is compliant, and the timeline of a one year development plus nine months to get to shipment of 10,000 units, How traveling abroad is important for many countries and the weight feature is important. Plus, several big developments coming soon.

The weirdest travel location, first companies, and brothers in the jungle

Personal questions in Off the Beaten Path covers the weirdest place Saez-Gil has ever been, robot stores, selling drawings and party tickets, starting a bakery, a memorable trip with brothers that ends up in the Amazon jungle, and reason to travel more.

References:

Amadeus

The bluesmart marketing video

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