FROM THE START: A chat with the founder of Dashcam for your Bike
Ascender’s FROM THE START series continues with our 2022–2023 Incubator!
Too often, we learn from other founders only after they’ve “already made it,” but there’s a lot to gain from their journeys as early-stage entrepreneurs. FROM THE START is our ongoing interview series with founders from our Incubator that traces their startup stories from the beginning, reveals some of the resources helping them overcome the bumps, and points out ways you can help them thrive.
Since joining the 2022–2023 Incubator in June, all of the companies have been hustling to get their brands and businesses out there. Now it’s time to get to know them!
Some answers have been edited slightly for brevity.
What’s been the journey that’s led you to start your company?
Two years ago, my fiancée came home after a bike ride frustrated because, yet again, someone parked in the bike lane. The next day, someone cut her off. On the third day, she was cat-called. Sitting in my office, I thought there should be some way for her to share her everyday experiences trying to get around the city.
I began designing an AI-powered bike camera to record her rides, but after testing out the prototype, we realized that she already carried around a 4K camera at all times: her smartphone. Was it possible to get stable, low-power footage from a smartphone?
The Dashcam for your Bike app emerged as a solution for my fiancée and other cyclists throughout the city. The app turns your phone into a highly functional, low-powered tool to record your bike rides and report hazards to the city. All you have to do is mount your phone on your bike, hit record, and go. With some magic, we managed to stabilize the footage and make it low-powered enough to use on every commute.
What’s the problem that your business is solving?
During the pandemic, bike stores across Pittsburgh were selling out of bikes as people were looking for new ways to socialize and exercise safely. Now that more and more people are returning to work, why aren’t as many of those pandemic-era bicyclists opting for bike commuting? One answer we hear over and over is that new bicyclists fear for their safety on Pittsburgh streets.
Bicycle safety is about equity. We are up to 11 times more likely to die on the road, per mile, than drivers are. Black cyclists are 5 times more likely to die than white cyclists.
Bicycle safety is about equity.
I am part of this community. I ride in groups, I ride alone, I ride in snow and rain, on the sunniest of spring days and the rainiest of winter nights: I love bicycling. I just want to be safe when I ride, and I want my friends to be safe when they ride.
I have had the good fortune of working at big companies, shipping apps to millions of customers worldwide. I’m putting those skills to work to help the most vulnerable among us: myself and my fiancée included.
What has helped you overcome the bumps you’ve encountered so far in your entrepreneurial journey?
Being a solo entrepreneur, everything falls on your shoulders: developing, marketing, graphic design, fundraising, financial projections, tax compliance…it’s a careful dance. Lean too far into any one area, and you sacrifice others.
At this stage, you cannot be precious with the product. There will be bugs. There will be features you desperately want, but don’t have time to maintain; there will be users who are unhappy. I’ve never been a perfectionist, but I’m learning now that sometimes, “good enough” can be terribly far from “good.”
What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?
I see other companies focusing on wealthy weekend riders, building tools to make country rides more pleasant. I see so few companies focusing on the everyday commuter. This is a community that deserves our attention: more people bike every day than any other mode of transit (second only to walking).
This community deserves products as ubiquitous as back-up cameras and as accessible as mobile Dashcam apps. And yet, there is no innovation beyond stronger bike locks and brighter bike lights.
I have identified a need in this community; my job as CEO is to find a way to build a business that can sustainably meet that need.
What’s a resource or tip that’s helped you develop as a founder and move your business forward?
Don’t be stingy!
Being a founder is expensive. You are losing out on real income you could have had at a stable job. If you can spend a few hundred dollars here and there to save you hours of work, do it. If you can subscribe to some seemingly-expensive service to take a load off your mind, do it.
Your time is your most valuable resource. That doesn’t mean you should throw money at every problem, but you should be ready to spend money to buy yourself time.
What’s next? How can our readers help you?
After seeing the success of 311 reporting in Pittsburgh, more than 35 cities have requested we expand to their home base. If you know anyone who works with a cycling advocacy organization in another city, we would love to connect with them. Also, if you bike in Pittsburgh, purchase a phone mount from Iron City Bikes in Lawrenceville and use our app! If you know someone who bikes, buy them a mount as a present.
Our app makes it easy to report everyday hazards to the City of Pittsburgh. This data helps Pittsburgh make better decisions about our infrastructure.
Learn more about Dashcam for your Bike.
Visit: https://dashcam.bike/
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From fledgling tech companies, healthcare innovators, and nonprofits to makers, creators, services and shops, Ascender is for Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurs. We help businesses of all types in the Pittsburgh region start and build a business through education and connectivity. See how Ascender can help you.
ARMIN SAMII was originally published in Ascender on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
