PickupPal Blog

PickupPal is the ridesharing partner of the London Symphony Orchestra. Yes, we are!

Many people think that ridesharing is something that other people are doing: those rock’n roll-ers, virgin festival going groupies, hippies and tree huggers - the fact is that everyone can be interested in ridesharing, really everyone.

There is no demographic hierarchy that applies here. All kinds of people all going all sorts of places, and they are all thinking about how to get there in a way that has the smallest impact on our planet and that does not cost them a lot of hard-earned money. We all care about these things, well most of us do. From Sydney to San Francisco, skaters to triathletes, commuters to farmers, rock ‘n rollers to Beethoven enthusiasts..there is a compelling reason to rideshare, to come together, right now. And I know Eric blogged recently that you can’t be be everything to everyone and I agree with that. But I think we can be something to a whole lot of people and that PickupPal can helps us all get there from here.

-Suesan (Community Relations)

There’s plenty of room at the PickupPal Parking Lot…. Such a lovely space - such a lovely idea. O.K. I know BAD humour - however what more do you want on a Friday afternoon after a night on the town, (Black Crowes at Bluesfest). So here is the deal The Magnetic Hill Festival and PickupPal have partnered up to provide Carpool parking only to PickupPal members/users, (here is the ERP for it). I love it - not because it makes people use PickupPal but because it sends a message - double up and cut down and you can get a perk for helping out.

Here is some press on it:

• http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/351547
• http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/07/11/nb-concert.html

NOTE: You just have to love the Eagles - who has not been swept away by Hotel California - or have thoughts of being swept away on a summer night by temptation.

Have a great weekend,

Cheers - Eric

It dawned on me last night while watching Primus at the Ottawa Bluesfest - Primus is not for everyone. Then I took it a little further lots of stuff is not for everyone and that is an O.K. thing. I spend pretty much all my day trying to think why everyone does not use PickupPal - everyone needs PickupPal - you are crazy if you don’t just love PickupPal. No the crazy one is me - there are tons of people who will never use PickupPal - won’t even go there - will never rideshare with someone else - and you know what that is totally cool. We are working on making PickupPal even better and we have some awesome new features for V2 and the people who will really enjoy it are the ones who want to use PickupPal. Everything is about making it easier for our members to find others and to streamline the whole PickupPal process. I know that saying “Everything is not for everyone” probably sounds a bit lame - however the design decisions you have to go through to make the site appeal to a mass audience start making it work less for those who really want to use it. So in that spirit we want to stay true to our goal - getting people to ride together and stay on that track - just make it easier to do.

In any event I was just having this total Seth Godin Moment where you realize that you can’t be everything for everyone - but you should strive to be the best for those that want what you got.

NOTE: I love Primus and this YouTube clip was taken by someone who must have been standing right beside me and John Biro - PickupPal’s Security Analyst, (and also one of my best friends) - Primus is not for everyone but for the approximately 10,000 fans last night they put on an awesome show!.

Greenwashing is a phrase that describes the act of pretending to be green just to look good. Greenwashing companies miss-lead consumers about the benefits of their brands, products and services. Generally, they will accentuate minor green attributes whilst downplaying bigger, environmentally damaging effects.

The practice of greenwashing is absolutely rife, most brand-name products are guilty. This is because green, eco-friendly and environmentally conscious ideas sell more units.

It’s fantastic that green issues are now front page news and part of public debate, but unfortunately this also means that companies are cashing-in on this valuable marketing spin.

My fear is not that people will stop talking about climate change. My fear is that they will talk us to Kingdom Come. ( Source: Monbiot )

It could be dubious claims of sustainability, clever use of terms like “green”, “eco”, “organic” or simply excessive use of the colour green. My own personal favourite is British Petroleums re-brand in 2000. At the time I remember thinking how blatant, but at the same time how powerful the effect is. Here is an oil company, the antithesis of green living, assuming the green guise with this bold sun flower logo.

Environmental marketing agency TerraChoice recently published the 6 sins of greenwashing:

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off
   e.g. paper (including household tissue, paper towel and copy paper): “Okay, this product comes from a sustainably harvested forest, but what are the impacts of its milling and transportation? Is the manufacturer also trying to reduce those impacts?” Emphasizing one environmental issue isn’t a problem (indeed, it often makes for better communications). The problem arises when hiding a trade-off between environmental issues.
2. Sin of No Proof
   e.g. Personal care products (such as shampoos and conditioners) that claim not to have been tested on animals, but offer no evidence or certification of this claim. Company websites, third-party certifiers, and toll-free phone numbers are easy and effective means of delivering proof.
3. Sin of Vagueness
   e.g. Garden insecticides promoted as “chemical-free.” In fact, nothing is free of chemicals. Water is a chemical. All plants, animals, and humans are made of chemicals as are all of our products. If the marketing claim doesn’t explain itself (“here’s what we mean by ‘eco’ …”), the claim is vague and meaningless. Similarly, watch for other popular vague green terms: “non-toxic”, “all-natural”, “environmentally-friendly”, and “earth-friendly.”
4. Sin of Irrelevance
   e.g. CFC-free oven cleaners, CFC free shaving gels, CFC-free window cleaners, CFC-disinfectants. Could all of the other products in this category make the same claim? The most common example is easy to detect: Don’t be impressed by CFC-free! Ask if the claim is important and relevant to the product. (If a light bulb claimed water efficiency benefits you should be suspicious.) Comparison-shop (and ask the competitive vendors)
5. Sin of Fibbing
   e.g. Shampoos that claims to be “certified organic”, but for which our research could find no such certification. When I check up on it, is the claim true? The most frequent examples in this study were false uses of third-party certifications. Thankfully, these are easy to confirm. Legitimate third-party certifiers – EcoLogoCM, Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Green Guard, Green Seal (for example) – all maintain publicly available lists of certified products. Some even maintain fraud advisories for products that are falsely claiming certification.
6. Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils
   e.g. Organic tobacco. “Green” insecticides and herbicides.
   Is the claim trying to make consumers feel ‘green’ about a product category that is of questionable environmental benefit? Consumers concerned about the pollution associated with cigarettes would be better served by quitting smoking than by buying organic cigarettes. Similarly, consumers concerned about the human health and environmental risks of excessive use of lawn chemicals might create a bigger environmental benefit by reducing their use than by looking for greener alternatives.



At PickupPal we’re very careful to manage the ecological benefits of our product. Fundamentally, our product can improve air quality and have an impact on CO2 emissions, but we need the help of our community to do this. As a company we work in a paper-less and office-less fashion, using technology to reduce our burden on the environment and when the team needs to meet face-to-face we do so in shared meeting spaces.

Nevertheless, our product does come under some criticism. This normally centers around the 7% fee that we charge to Drivers for using our website. We came up with this as a way to pay for and maintain our service, but in an effort to make our service as accessible as possible we’ve decided to abandon the 7% fee, making our website completely FREE for everyone to use. There will be an official announcement on this shortly, but I mention to here to further illustrate our commitment to building a product that is serious about green-issues.

- Jonathan

Well it takes quite a bit for me to get wowed by technology but this demonstration from Cisco is simply remarkable. It is a video demonstration of a virtual meeting with a hologram live at a keynote speech. The stage is in Banglore India and two of the presenters are in California.

I think you just need to watch it to believe it yourself.

It is not the end of commuting but it is very thought provoking!

Cheers - Eric

It is with a heavy heart that I report the news that the legend that was Bo Diddley is no more …. Bo Diddley (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008).

For generations of music fans Bo Diddley was the backbone of the music we all love - the drive, the charisma, the showmanship and the brash bravado that makes blues based Rock-n-Roll all that it is. For example the imagery from raw songs like I’m A Man (1955):

Now when I was a little boy,
At the age of five,
I had somethin’ in my pocket,
Keep a lot of folks alive.

Now I’m a man,
Made twenty-one,
You know baby,
We can have a lot of fun.

I’m a man,
I spell M-A-N…man.

All you pretty women,
Stand in line,
I can make love to you baby,
In an hour’s time.

I’m a man,
I spell M-A-N…man.

I goin’ back down,
To Kansas to
Bring back the second cousin,
Little John the conqueroo.

I’m a man,
I spell M-A-N…man.

The line I shoot,
Will never miss,
The way I make love to ‘em,
They can’t resist.

I’m a man,
I spell M-A-N…man.

The point of this post is twofold - 1) Paying homage to a legend of Rock-n-Roll, and 2) Reminding everyone that you need to go out and see live shows. In every town there are amazing artists that come through and you need to stop what you are doing and take time to see them before it is too late. There is nothing like going to concerts and sharing a moment in time with a legend. PickupPal has teamed up with some great artists, festivals and venues so getting to the show is as easy as finding a Pal to ride with on PickupPal.

Today we honour the legend Bo Diddley - with dignity, respect and gratitude.

Sincerely - Eric

Dates designated for the promotion of environmental issues.

• World Wetlands Day - February 2
• UN World Day for Water - March 22
• UN World Meteorological Day - March 23
• Earth Day - April 22
• Arbor Day - Last Friday in April
• International Migratory Bird Day - May 3
• International Day for Biological Diversity (World Biodiversity Day) - May 22
• Bike-to-Work Week - Third Friday in May
• Ozone Action Day - at certain times during the summer months
• Clean Air Day (Canada) - June 4
• UN World Environment Day - June 5
• Pollution Probe Clean Air Commute Week - June 23 to 27
• UN World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought - June 17
• UN World Population Day - July 11
• International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer - September 16
• UN World Habitat Day - first Monday in October
• International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction - second Wednesday in October
• International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict - November 6
• International Mountain Day - December 11

I would love to figure out what the various types of personalities are and how they are mapped to a rational decision making process and those that go strictly with their gut. I am a go with my gut kind of guy. For example here is my decision making process when it comes to cars - I see it and if in the first instance I go yeah! then pretty much I want to buy it. For example today my wife and I went to look - and the operative word is look - at what VW has to offer. Our minivan costs over 100 bucks to fill and keeps going back to the shop for repairs. So a responsible German car like a VW is what we had in mind. Yeah yeah Beetle - not for me - “Nerds on Site” killed it for me, Golf GTI - nahh would get too many speeding tickets, Touareg mmmm I would always be thinking I should have spent more dough and got a Cayenne, Passat - hmm I like that nice and roomy great for the family, then there is the Jetta - not for me - no way Jose - had one when I was in my 20’s and now I am all grown up. But wait look at this one - look at the massive sunroof - uhhhhh yup I will take it. Did not even test drive it - don’t know all the options - did not pop the hood - not sure how the stereo sounds - but man look at that sunroof.

Rational - nope - go with my gut - yup! My wife Portia is the same way - one look at that massive sunroof and all she could think of is convertible! So we say goodbye to the minivan and say hello to a big sunroof.

So what does this have to do PickupPal you ask? - well PickupPal is 100% gut for both myself and John. We do look at all the pros and cons and try and figure out a rational way of making decisions based on the facts - but at the end of the day it comes down to our guts. For example - refer a friend - $5 credit for any friend you refer - all they have to do is sign up and join - you get $5 credit to your account. Everyone, and I mean everyone said “hold on a second you need a maximum - what if someone signs up 100 friends? That is $500 in credit - they will never have to pay - you will go bankrupt!” Well the way we see it - put a cap on the number of friends just seems cheap and dorky - if you have 100 friends and you are willing to tell each and every one of them about PickupPal - well you are definitely a star in our mind - something to be rewarded not restricted! That is one of easily a hundred gut decisions that went into figuring out the path for PickupPal.

Cheers - Eric

Everyday I get one or two emails that go something like this: “this guy is traveling in the opposite direction” or “this pickup requires a detour” or more often simply “this is not on my way”.

I answer these comments happily because I know that every single one of our members has a different expectation as to what PickupPal will do for them and certainly most are not quite sure how it all works. I change up my answers and use metaphors sometimes to explain and i thought to blog about it…if you will permit me

The matching engine creates a sort of bubble around the routes that drivers save into the system and this becomes a catchment area. Basically it is tantamount to a net that is cast. The pickup requests caught in that “net” are matched to the route - PickupPal reels in the net for the PickupPal drivers and dumps out the catch for them to take a look. Some “fish” are good, some are not the right ones and need to be thrown back into the sea. This is not meant to annoy anyone, but rather to meet all sorts of appetites. Some drivers have no taste for deviating from a set course, some others do. So under these circumstances, sometimes we catch a fish/pickup that is not right for Drivers.

One thing that members can do when they come upon a particularly unpalatable morsel is to check the “also, do not show this again” box on the drive opportunity page. Because we get it, not everyone likes squid - I do but that does not mean you need to. What makes it hard however is that a few people don’t really want to fish with a net at all…but would rather be fishing with a line in out the back of the boat.

We have mentioned in our one-on-one communications and within our forums that we are working on a new user interface (UI) for release this summer, it will include a feature whereby drivers can set matching preferences on their routes, in essence giving them the option of a smaller net perhaps even several sizes of nets. We think it will be like fishing in a barrel:)

- Suesan

I have to set this up - so last weekend I went with some buddies out into the Canadian Wilderness, (Algonquin Park), to get away from things and to experience the great outdoors. The long and the short of it all is that it was at first sunny and warm and then turned cold, sometimes raining and windy. So cold and windy in fact on Monday morning I woke up in my tent after a nighttime of heavy winds and rain to hear my buddy Maher tell everyone that there was a trace of snow blowing. When you lay there in your sleeping bag with it zippered right up and your hat on your head but still cold you know that the day will be long. The trek back to Achray was a good four hours straight into the wind with a few portages along the way. The thing about paddling into the wind is that you are committed - you have to keep paddling - there is no other option but to keep digging in and slowly you get to your destination.

So you ask what does this have to do with a Startup? Well there is a many parallels to setting out on a journey and having to sometimes paddle into the wind. PickupPal started with a handshake between John and I on a sunny day in the fall. Having had a few startups in the past we both knew that saying yes to this challenge was one that you do not take lightly. I think if any of you out there reading this is interested in starting a company there are a few key things in my opinion you have to have to get it off the ground. So from my perspective this is what the key ingredients are:

1. Be passionate about what it is you are doing as a business - if you are doing it for money then I fear you will have a hard time of it all. NOTE: I even wrote a Manifesto for PickupPal at like 4:00 a.m. in the early days - here it is in all its glory - PickupPal Manifesto
2. Partner with someone in business who challenges you and pushes you out of your comfort zone;
3. Partner with someone in your personal life who believes in you and thinks you walk on water - even if you are really just treading water;
4. Conserve your cash on things that don’t matter like: fancy offices, stationary, new computers, box seats, a new car, marketing gimmicks - stuff that does not add to the bottom line;
5. Spend your cash on things that do matter like: an awesome tight team, good legal advice, targeted online advertising, good hosting services;
6. It is a startup not a Broadway Musical - hire only those that you absolutely need - not because you conserve your cash but because the team that you start with has to be tight, empowered, inspired, invested and your A team. Anyone who does not fit in or is not passionate about what you are doing - ditch them;
7. Treat every customer/member as if they are your best client - because they are - everyone wants to know that the organization they are dealing with really does care about what they have to say and if you treat them right they will in turn tell their friends and you can grow your business;
8. Have a vision and focus on it every day. I know that is so overplayed but really there are so many times when you think the road is turning when really it is just a Friday - stay the course - stay focussed - be really really good at what you are trying to do. A Family Doctor gets paid X, a Neurosurgeons gets paid 5X - both are doctors but one of them you pay for the focus and the specialization;
10. Read every one of Seth Godin’s books on marketing - seriously - if that guy does not inspire you then you should give up;
11. An the biggest one of all - Go with your Gut - your primal instinct of what you should do and really hang on to it.

So that is my advice - it is a lot like camping in the wilderness - you start out with a vision and a dream and you dig in and get it done. It is not always sunshine and it may not go the way you planned everyday but it you love what you do you will find yourself loving every minute of it even if it takes up every last minute of your day.

Good luck and go with your gut!

Cheers - Eric