286: Camping Made Easy with Coleman Davis of Explore Eden

Summary: Welcome back to the Startup Junkies podcast!   Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Matthew Ward sat down with Coleman Davis of Explore Eden to discuss how this startup is changing the way we experience the outdoors! NWA is known for its trails, rivers, and campgrounds, but with that comes some unknown barriers. Explore Eden seeks to provide the joy and adventure of the outdoors with the safety, ease, and privacy that many people hunger for. Whether you have never camped or go every weekend, Explore Eden seeks to get you off the couch and outside. Hear all about it in this episode!   Thanks for tuning in!     Shownotes: (1:01) Introducing Coleman Davis of Explore Eden (3:39) Building a Two-sided Market (4:56) Acquiring Private Property, Good Ratings, and Warm Weather (9:47) Three Types of Stays for Three Types of Campers (10:30) The Nitty Gritty of Explore Eden (14:11) Expanding Your Marketplace (19:18) Origin Story of Coleman Davis & Explore Eden (20:40) You Can’t Control the Weather! (25:26) Transition from Bootstrapping to Outside Capital (26:40) Advice to Younger Self and Closing Remarks     Links: Jeff Amerine Matthew Ward Caleb Talley Coleman Davis Explore Eden LLC     Quotes: “We solve the problem of uncertainty, and we get a lot of people out camping that normally wouldn't go.” (2:01) - Coleman Davis   “If you own land, and have for years, it brings you to $0 in return until you sell it—unless you're growing crops or have cattle. We tell landowners, ‘Hey, we can solve a problem.’” (4:20) - Coleman Davis   “How can we provide value to the camper? What's going to help the camper?” (14:58) - Coleman Davis   startupjunkie.org