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Pioneers & Protagonists

10 questions for Jamie Wong, founder of Vayable

The easiest way to explain Vayable is…
Vayable is a social marketplace where anyone can discover, book or offer a unique experience. It matches people looking for something to do with those who want to share and monetize their passions.

The idea came from…
the first time I studied abroad in Madrid and spent the entire time with Americans at tourist traps. For spring break I decided to get away and took a bus and ferry to a small town in Morocco recommended by a friend. I walked into a carpet shop with my guidebook and the owner asked me what I was looking for. I told him I wanted to go the desert and ride a camel. He offered to drive my friends and me 12 hours through the Atlas Mountains and into the desert where his cousin was the chief of a caravan tribe and would host us for five days. We went and I had the most magical and memorable experience of my life. But to replicate this kind of experience or help friends access them was really hard. I came up with Vayable to really solve my own need for a great way to access people and experiences like mine in the desert.

When I told my friends about my idea for Vayable they said…
“I want to go to there.”

Vayable hasn’t been done until now because …
there has been a skepticism and mistrust of technology’s ability to bring people together offline in a safe and meaningful way. Now with social networks becoming more powerful, new sharing economies emerging, as well as a renewed need for authentic, real-life connections, people are ready to embrace online platforms as a way to connect offline.

Favorite Vayable moment so far …
a local homeless man who is a strong activist in the community offers a tour on Vayable to help educate others to the real condition of homelessness in San Francisco. He’s not only captured the heart and minds of the community, but also of the press. He’s now making money selling tours and has thoughtfully used the media coverage to bring more attention to his cause.

A failure you’ve learned from…
there was an important decision I had to make for the company. Out of fear of being reactionary (never good), I tipped too far in the other direction and became ambivalent (even worse). Like in surfing, it’s best to decisively take the wave or sit it out, but getting on the board and hesitating: that can be the death of you.

When did you know it was the right time to leave your job and start Vayable full-time?…
I could no longer concentrate on anything else but Vayable. I realized no time would ever feel like the “right” time to leave behind a steady income and a respectable career to follow my passion. I think making this decision was one of the most challenging, and also rewarding, moments in my life.

What are the first three things you do to start your work day?…
Pinch myself, read emails, smile

Your big piece of advice to other social entrepreneurs…
The core of your business is in your heart—it’s not in advice from others (good or bad), or the voices in your head, or what your competitors are doing. If you, like me, embarked on this ridiculous and near-comical path of entrepreneurship because of a burning desire to build a business that leaves the world a better place than you found it, then you must embrace your heart as the strongest member of your team.

Name four people you would like to meet one day…
Joseph in Uganda; Tong Hat Pong in Cambodia; this Fijian king, and Oprah.

Archive of Pioneers & Protagonists Interviews

  10 Questions for Benita Matofska, founder of The People Who Share

  10 questions for Marta Nowinska, founder of Swapsity

  10 questions for Ryan Rzepecki, founder of SocialBicycles

  10 questions for Jamie Wong, founder of Vayable

  10 questions for Theo Kitchener, founder of The ShareHood

  10 questions for Kelly Scales, founder of Bid & Borrow

  10 questions for Campbell McKellar, Founder of Loosecubes

  10 questions for Marcio Nigro, founder of Caronetas

  10 questions for Jess Ratcliffe, founder of GaBoom

  10 questions for Philipp Rogge, founder of frents

  10 questions for Tim Hyer, founder of Rentcycle

  10 questions for Barbara Pantuso, founder of Hey, Neighbor!

  Ella T. Gorgla, Founder of I-ELLA

  Cathy Tao, co-founder of Tourboarding

  Mike Karnjanaprakorn, cofounder of Skillshare

  Juha Koponen, Founder of Netcycler

  Michelle Shearer, Founder of MamaBake

  Leah Busque, Founder and CEO of TaskRabbit

  Ron J. Williams, founder of SnapGoods

  Stephen Rapoport, founder of Crashpadder

  Anthony Eskinazi, founder of ParkatmyHouse

  Drummond Gilbert, founder of goCarShare

  David Mahfouda, Founder of Weeels

  Andreas Randow, Founder of StudioShare.org

  Emma Jamvold, Founder of SwapItBaby

  Dave Llorens, CEO of One Block Off The Grid

  Orli Cotel, co-founder of Swap for Good

  Owen Rees-Hayward, Co-founder of Thingloop

  Juliette Anich, Co-founder of The Clothing Exchange

  Keara Schwartz, Founder of Share Some Sugar

  Hans Schoenburg, co-founder of GiftFlow

  Meriel Lenfestey, Co-founder of Ecomodo

  Steve Sammartino, Founder of rentoid.com

  Micki Krimmel, Founder of NeighborGoods

  Shelby Clark, Founder of RelayRides

  James Reinhart, Founder of thredUp

For a complete archive of Pioneers & Protagonists Interviews click HERE.