This week I have had the good fortune to interview Alexander Bryan and Jonathan Hotchandani, who are the founders and executives of Dorm2Dorm.
Dorm2Dorm is a smart business that solves a common problem, by providing storage, moving, cleaning and packing services for students during scheduled hiatuses from college.
Alexander Bryan – Chief Creative Director, Dorm2Dorm
Adam: It is very unusual to find two such talented entrepreneurs within one business; does this bring only positives to the table?
Alexander: I do not believe it is unusual – many companies that are vibrant and successful companies have groups of talented and intelligent people that have founded them. I think that it really only does bring positives to the table when you can have smart individuals and sound dialogue. It creates an environment where you can truly elevate your initiatives.
Adam: You are the creative behind Dorm2Dorm, how did you go about designing the website and coming up with such a distinctive brand?
Alexander: Initially, I came up with version one of the site when I was in college and I had limited ability in terms of web site design, development and all of the aspects of creating a brand. At the same time, it was something I always wanted to do. The foundation of our brand is really built on consistency – everything I do has to start with that in mind. In coming up with the initial comps for our brand, I really tried get myself into the mind of the key demographic – the dorm-living college student. From there, I fused emerging trends with time-tested techniques to come up with something that is unique, usable and attractive.
Adam: You have obviously found your passion in life, is art, design and marketing – is something that interested you from a young age?
Alexander: Definitely. I was always interested in design, but never really knew that it was something I could actually do as a “real job.” For example, in elementary school I used to do my sisters diorama’s and other projects because I loved the challenge and I wanted to create something spectacular. Growing up I was always the kid in class that had really crazy and unique projects. As I got older I started learning more about design. From t-shirts to term papers to CD covers: I would try to design everything I could get my hands on! I now feel like I have a distinctive design voice, which I think is extremely important if you are trying to elevate or improve your work as a designer.
Adam: You have already achieved a lot, what motivated you to become so successful at such a young age?
Alexander: I think when you find something that you love, your passion can take you places that would not be possible otherwise. Since I did not go to school for design I had to learn everything myself and that was a daunting mission. I was and still am hungry to create things that surpass my last creation. I think that my passion for design and my need to always outdo myself allows me to constantly be on the lookout for a new and unique way to create something.
Adam: At what age did you start building websites, have they always interested you?
Alexander: I started building websites at the age of 19. I was in college taking a REALLY bad class about new media and technology. At this point I had a simple, working knowledge of Photoshop and was interested in the web. I took the class and ended up coming out of it with no more knowledge than when I started. However, one of our textbooks was a hands-on-book on developing websites in Dreamweaver. After the class was finished I started reading the book and trying out what I had learned. I have to admit it is the only textbook I ever read from cover to cover, but I did it in three days and was up and running trying out different designs within a couple of days. A few weeks later, I had built my first website and I remember thinking to myself, “Hey, I really like this and I think I might be really good at it too! SCORE!”
The thing about websites that to this day intrigues me and interests me is the fluidity and connectivity of a website. When reading a book there really is only one way to do it. You can’t really read a book from right to left without it taking some considerable effort. A website is not built in this manner – users dictate the direction and momentum. Because of this, websites have the ability to be very experiential without even having to read a word. The fusion of design and function is what really attracts me to the web.
Adam: You seem to be part of a few projects, how do you manage your time to encompass all these activities?
Alexander: There are two things that really help me out in this area: speed and organization. I try to be as concise and efficient as possible when designing things and that can really help. I am always on the lookout for ways to improve and streamline projects. Doing this allows me to finish projects faster, but with high quality results.
Adam: You have seen huge changes over the last 5 years in internet marketing, where do you see it going in the next 2 years?
Alexander: Everything these days is going ‘social’. I think we are likely to see serious integration. These days we have items shouted at us from so many different places on just one web page. The Internet sometimes seems to be like the ‘valu-pack’ of coupons you get in the mail. Most of us don’t really need all of the items in the coupons, so they become useless.
With the rise of social networks, marketers have so much more quantitative and qualitative data at their fingertips. This helps marketers target people that actually need and want their products – we’ll see many campaigns that are more focused and creative in how they reach their targets. Users don’t just want an answer to one specific question – they also want different options.
Adam: What are your views on social media, do you think that sites like Twitter will implode or do you think that they will evolve into something else?
Alexander: I think that social media is awesome. However, it is a trap for a lot of marketers because we are getting to a point where our technology evolves so quickly that the newest thing is barely adopted before the next new thing comes out. Because of this, we’ve reached a point where people adopt new services like Twitter but barely know how to use them effectively – if at all. One statistic I saw recently was that about 90% of tweets are sent by about 10% of users.
I don’t think services like Twitter will implode – they will, and are evolving. Users have already created a vast network of different ways to utilize Twitter. For example Dell was quoted as saying that they have made over $3 million in revenue with Twitter. But, that wasn’t just because they tweeted a bunch of places you could buy a computer. Those kinds of results only happen if you are dialed into the right networks, and if you know how to leverage those networks across other networks. It’s all about interactive connectivity.
The next big products will allow connection between all of these services. They will be sites and devices (like Poken) that allow you to keep all of your networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn updated from one source.
Adam: You have been a successful entrepreneur as well as having a very successful traditional career within your field, where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Alexander: Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe working in another country, on a new project or growing my own business here at home. One thing I do know is that whatever that might be, I will be constantly looking for new ways to make the project or business smarter, more creative and efficient.
Adam: Do you think that going to college is an important step in becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Alexander: That is a difficult question. I think that in some industries it is important and can be a huge help. However, I do not think it’s absolutely necessary. I have met many successful entrepreneurs that have not gone to college. I think the most important thing is to have drive. These days there is a wealth of knowledge in many places. You can get a better design education on some websites than in some traditional colleges or universities, and to this day I continue use those types of sites. I believe that having strong drive helps you to get experience you need – and that is more helpful than some of the things you learn in college.
Jonathan Hotchandani – Chief Executive Officer, Dorm2Dorm
Adam: Your presentation and business model is very slick – is Dorm2Dorm your first business venture or did you dabble in smaller projects previously?
Jonathan: I appreciate that, thank you! There were a few ventures that caught my eye earlier, but nothing quite like this opportunity. I liked the fact that it was something two young guys could start without much help, just some hard work and a lot of passion.
Adam: Did you find managing a start up helped you understand the concepts being taught during your studies for your bachelor’s degree and is it a path that you would encourage others to tread?
Jonathan: Yes, I noticed myself asking legitimate questions in certain classes. It was like the context and content of the classes actually became useful rather than just an empty concept. It was a great time to start the business with the resources that my alma mater, the University of San Diego, could provide.
Adam: You are not a typical young entrepreneur: you really follow the mantra of playing hard and working hard. This means that you have many outside interests including sports and club promotions — how do you manage your time so successfully?
Jonathan: Last year I had the chance to do a brief tour of Europe and it brought a few things into perspective regarding work and life balance. Europeans work to live. Americans, on the other hand, have a ‘live to work’ philosophy, slaving away to earn money so that they can buy the biggest house on the block. I have chosen the ‘work to live’ rule of thumb. Plus, I enjoy being busy – be it traveling, working, or anything exciting.
Adam: Why did you choose to franchise your business model?
Jonathan: The most difficult part of running the business is managing, hiring, and training employees. They are the most unpredictable part of the business. The franchising model ties the success of those individuals to the financial success of their specific location.
Adam: What extra management issues have you encountered as a result of this?
Jonathan: To be perfectly honest, the franchisees that we have found and selected are great. They really do a great job. I feel like we work well together.
Adam: Your parents seem to have been the driving force behind you motivation to succeed, but where did you get your entrepreneurial spirit from?
Jonathan: I always knew from a young age that I wanted to take a little different approach to things. My father has played a huge part in my drive to become an entrepreneur. I would be happy working on a project dead broke, rather than working a 9 to 5 job that I hate.
Adam: Dorm2Dorm was a truly unique concept – do you think that you will become a serial entrepreneur or have you found a niche to keep you occupied until you retire?
Jonathan: I plan to delve into new projects in the near future. Alex and I are actually going to chat about working on some new plans when the economy turns the corner.
Adam: Staring up a business with a friend can lead to issues: how did you and Alexander manage these relationships and do you have any tips that you can pass onto friends that are contemplating going into business together?
Jonathan: Working with anyone has its challenges, however, Alex and I get along so well it’s hard to think of something specific that we have argued about. We each know and respect our specific roles in the company. He doesn’t step on my toes, I don’t step on his.
The biggest suggestion that I would for someone first starting out is to choose your business partners carefully. At times it’s more of a commitment than a marriage! Lay out each of your roles and clearly define each position early in the relationship.
Adam: Dorm2Dorm has just celebrated its fifth anniversary – you must be very proud of what you have achieved so far, what have been the key highlights for you on the journey so far?
Jonathan: Yes, it’s been a lot of fun. I think the take-away moment that stands out is just generally when a client or a client’s parent calls to sincerely thank us for doing a good job.
Adam: This is your first business experience in an economic downturn, is it panning out as you expected from what you learnt at college, or have any aspects of it taken you by surprise?
Jonathan: Yes, it’s been interesting. We braced ourselves for the worst but we have done well this season. We beefed up our marketing budget a bit to spread the word a bit more than in previous years. It’s different than say, selling a gadget – if a student lives far from their university, they are still going to need a service like Dorm2Dorm and somewhere to store their items for the summer.
Adam Toren
