Hey ā hope youāre having a good week āļø
When youāre starting or running a business, you still want to explore new places but you canāt/donāt necessarily want to stop working. And you donāt have to.
Remote work is one of the big benefits of our modern world, but itās not always easy.
Dodgy wifi, low security, uncomfortable beds, the list goes on.
Planning a trip can also be difficult when you know you need a reliable place to get a few hours of work done each day.
And thatās why Wander was started.
To fix the frustrating experience of trying to work productively whilst escaping the city and exploring new places.
Wander offers their gusts: inspiring views, modern workstations, restful beds, hotel-grade cleaning, & 24/7 concierge.
They now have 17 properties across the U.S. and 176,401 wanderers signed up.
But whatās interesting is if youād asked people if there was a gap in this space, most probably would have said no. Thereās a certain travel-tech giant that we assume has a lot of this stuff covered. But Wander does things differently, for an audience who was previously underserved.
They found a gap, understood that gap really well and took ownership of it.
Hereās their story so far š
Hereās what to expect today:
š° Brand breakdown: How Wander found a gap and owned it
š§ Insight: Find a niche with potential
šŖš¼ DIY: How to win in your niche
šĀ Good links: Get off-grid, love your competitors and carve out your own niche
š° Brand breakdown:
Wander founder and CEO John Andrew Entwistle needed a break after resigning from his job.
He settled on a cabin in Colorado but found the conditions of his vacation rental were far from ideal for anyone who actually wanted to get some work done.
"We're seeing this massive shift within travel and how people live and work, and it's clear that this is going to continue for quite a whileā¦ Even though people want to go on vacation, it's really nice to have a great desk setup.ā ā John
During his break, the Wi-Fi was slow and the beds were uncomfortable, for him those downsides were a bit inconvenient but for any digital nomad, this place lacked the essentials.
So he founded Wander. A short-term rental company designed for remote workers and travellers to enjoy the finer things.
Each Wander home is equipped with fitness areas, workstations with curved monitors, high-quality microphones, and cameras ā and, of course, high-speed internet. Plus, each has a Tesla for guests to drive.
Despite it feeling like this market was already overcrowded, Wander has carved out a unique space for its homes and brand.
Hereās what theyāve got right so farā¦
Found a gap within a big and growing market Since the pandemic, the remote work market has grown significantly and continues to expand even now. And whilst Airbnb has the broader market covered, there are gaps opening up for more tailored services designed for a specific audience. Wander realised that the entrepreneurial, work-from-anywhere group was significantly underserved and found a space they could own if they narrowed in on the wants and needs of those people.
Understood their audience really well Wander knows its audience well and has delivered a service that addresses all of its customersā frustrations about other travel brands. Instead of working like a marketplace where people can rent out someone elseās home or villa, Wander own all of its properties allowing them to offer consistent features from property to property. Guests can control many actions, from unlocking doors to turning on fire pits, through a proprietary app on their mobile phones.
"We thought that an Apple-like approach of owning the hardware and the software and integrating the two is really the only way to have that perfect guest experience" ā John
Understanding that this audience values tech and convenience, and theyāre willing to pay more for it, was critical to Wanderās positioning.
Their customers can even own a part of Wander. Again, an audience thatās likely to already have an interest in investing and so would appreciate the potential value.
Communicated how they were tackling pain points clearly
From the interior design of their homes to the strong, identifiable branding, Wander has built an identity that sings in perfect harmony with its offering. Attracting an audience who truly values the experience they offer and is willing to pay for it.
The result?
A lot of happy customersā¦
š§ Insight: Find a niche with potential
Find a niche with potential. There are plenty of niches in every market but not all of them will be worthwhile. Make sure you choose a niche audience that:
Is currently underserved
Is growing quickly
Has the means to access your product
šŖš¼ DIY: How to win in your niche
Naturally, it helps if you and your team resonate strongly with your target audience but that doesnāt have to be the case if youāre good at listening to people.
Hereās how you win:
Make a list of all their current frustrations
Identify the existing solutions to those problems
Define how you can eradicate those frustrations and go beyond their expectations
Spend time getting clarity around your messaging so you can communicate effectively
Build but constantly listen, never stop listening
šĀ Good links
šĀ Off-grid cabins for those who want a proper tech-free break
šĀ Ā Love your competitors TEDx talk
šĀ Carving out a niche in knives
šĀ Tell us what you need
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Thanks for reading.
Keep being an Outlier,
J + K