Garrett Gee is somewhat of a digital prophet. While attending Brigham University in 2011 he became interested in creating a better app for scanning barcodes and QR codes. Gee saw that the current apps were clunky and difficult to use and saw an opening in the market for improvement, especially with the upcoming release of the i-Pad 2. He predicted that by the release of the i-Pad 2 there would be a list of the top ten apps to get, and he wanted a spot on that list. From this thought was born Scan.
Gee’s business idea was so convincing, he garnered 1.7 million dollars in seed funding from venture capitalists even before the i-Pad was released. Because of his hard work and keen foresight, Gee’s efforts paid off with crushing success. Within a year Scan had over 10 million downloads; doubling that within the next year, all a the age of 21. While many college graduates are struggling to make ends meet, Garrett Gee was giving his competition a run for their money.
Garrett Gee inspires me because I believe he embodies the two most important traits of an entrepreneur; a readiness to take risks, and an aptitude for reading the market and the demands of the future. Not only was he able to have the guts to go for his plan, he also had the keen sense of how his product would find a place in the market. These two characteristics gave him the jump he needed to outstrip his competition and nail a place in a very ruthless market.
I think that’s a fascinating example of not just seeing a current problem and need in the market but foretelling one that is yet to be realized. A very creative (and successful) way of thinking. Makes me wish I could prophesy a future market. 🙂
Having the courage to go ahead and develop an app for a product that isn’t even for sale yet is quite impressive. And I think this is a really good example of how sometimes you need to not only predict a future market, but also be able to be first to market to secure name recognition. I think that is one of the most critical parts for a lot of entrepreneurs’ success.
I agree with Sarah about how interesting it is that he was able to predict what the market would need. I also think that, from a marketing perspective, Gee’s realization that there would be a top ten list of apps for the new iPad was incredibly intelligent on his part. It shows that it’s important to be aware of how people find out about products, and use that to your own advantage when pursuing an entrepreneurial venture.