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Flyspy - Pre Funding

Jan 2003 to Jun 2005​

Founder: 2 years, 6 months

Roles: Founder and Senior Software Engineer

Technologies: C, Java, PHP, MySQL

Project​

Prior to Flyspy, a user would search endlessly for airfares because an airfare search returned about a dozen results for a specific origin, destination, departure date, and return date.

To understand the market for airfares required dozens of searches and lots of note-taking. Even then, there was a feeling you missed a flight that was perfect for you.

For each origin and destination Flyspy aggregated 200,000 airfares that showed the airfare market for the next month.

Challenges​

Airfares are created and distributed by GDSs (Global Distribution System). The three largest - Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport - control 98% of the market. The GDSs could not supply the amount of data and information required by Flyspy.

A new GDS entrant, ITA Software (now owned by Google), had the ability to return thousands of airfares at once. ITA was the starting point for piecing together a better airfare search solution.

ITA dealt with airlines, not individuals, start ups, or small companies.

Activities​

Spent 2 1/2 years building inroads and relationships with the three largest GDSs. Hoping and praying they could or would change their technology to create the volume of data Flyspy needed.

Worked with ITA Software to create a framework (software, pricing, legal, and distribution) that returns hundreds-of-thousands of airfares so customers can easily understand the market for airfares.

Built the business model in anticipation of VC funding, which took until 2008 to achieve.

Featured in TechCrunch and spoke at Industry and Venture Capital Conferences.

Results​

As the Founder, I created the business out of thin air. Including developing the idea, proof of concept, partnerships, and business plan for what would eventually become Flyspy.com. See Jun 2008 - Oct 2009.

As the Founder, I built industry awareness that the current system (consisting of the three major GDSs) wasn't enough to satisfy emerging consumer needs. ITA Software was emerging as an alternative to the GDSs.

As the Founder, I toiled for years to establish relationships and obtain legal contracts with airlines and data providers, which was required to make the business viable.

As a Senior Software Engineer, I wrote the first version of Flyspy, which computes massive amounts of airfare data and distills airfare information into easy-to-understand charts.