Techy tales: Travel and technology... what could possibly go wrong?

Two young tech-savvy travellers

Picture me back a few months ago, working in a health multinational, oppressed under the heavy load of all the bureaucracy associated with medical devices regulations, and mercilessly ground in the machinery of a gigantic soulless corporation... Yeah, a health company not being healthy at all for my mental health! So no wonder I was searching for a place where I could have a bit more freedom and where things could go a bit faster to feel motivated again to create something beautiful. Lean startups, here I come!

And with serendipity taking place, The Stoke App and I came across each other. After the first initial contacts things were looking pretty good: they wanted to create a new mobile application to better serve their current audience, while gradually incorporating some other partners into the mix to effectively become an online travel agency focused in a particular travel segment. They even had an external development team already working in the mobile application and the back office providing support for both the app and the management and reporting needs of the team. I would come to the company as the first techy member to just take over the already developed application, to further enhance it once everything was already working, like a perfectly greased machine. They were only two weeks away of delivering the final version of the app and going live! What could possibly go wrong?

So we reached an agreement, and I started working as the tech lead of The Stoke App, the first member of a glorious technical team that would bring into reality the dream of the company to become a behemoth in the travel market, the leader of the young travel segment, using an amazing mobile app that would mesmerise youngsters abroad to accompany them in the journeys of their lives. Unfortunately in the end we had to delay a bit the beginning of the journey...

So talking about journeys, here it begins our own. A journey where we'll put ourselves in the line, trying to create a dreamt product for a constantly changing and evolving audience; trying to become relevant in the travel industry; trying to make a living while enjoying what we do and not turning insane in the process; trying to touch some other people's lives to make a dent they'll never forget, so when they look back they're sure they squeezed every last drop. We will talk about lean startups, about technology, about motivation in the workplace, and why not, about feelings. Do you want to accompany us? If so, make sure to fasten your seatbelts! The ride is about to start and it's gonna be a bumpy one!