Before you launch a new product, ask yourself: Which problem does it actually solve, and for whom? For Ryan Diew, a frequent flyer stuck on long airport layovers, the gap was obvious. He didn’t want to waste time tracking down food or services in unfamiliar terminals. So he built Trippie, an app specifically for airport navigation, aiming to do for airports what Waze does for highways. Trippie organizes terminal maps, dining, amenities, and transit all in one place streamlining airport experiences for travelers who hate feeling lost or hungry before a flight.
With that said, turning an idea into a business means facing stiff scrutiny, even more so in public. Trippie’s most high-stakes test? The founder’s emotional pitch on Season 9 of Shark Tank.
The Shark Tank Experience: Pressure, Pushback, and Public Learning
Ryan Diew appeared on Shark Tank in 2017, asking for $100,000 in exchange for 10% equity in Trippie. At this early stage, his app had only 179 active users and covered just four airports. Numbers matter in entrepreneurship. If you’re pitching, always lead with the data that makes your opportunity worth a shark’s bite.
The presentation got personal fast. Diew, young and solo, tried to position Trippie as the “Waze for airports,” emphasizing the pain of airport confusion and long food searches. However, as the sharks listened, several concerns surfaced.
First, the sharks pressed him about Trippie’s unique advantage. What did it offer that Google Maps or airport websites didn’t? Lori Greiner, Mark Cuban, and the rest questioned whether users would download yet another app for travel, especially if alternatives already existed.
Diew’s pitch took an emotional turn when he mentioned the lack of family funding or connections a “rich uncle which backfired. Mark Cuban in particular grew direct. He emphasized that success comes from solving hard problems, not just being resourceful in the face of adversity. “Everyone works hard. What unique value are you really building here?” he pressed.
Tension built, Diew’s voice cracked, and he made his case: Trippie would expand fast, grow its user base, and outpace others by focusing on the traveler’s real needs. Still, his specifics on customer acquisition and monetization were too light. None of the sharks bit the panel passed on investing.
Sharks’ Core Critiques: Competitive Edge and Scalability
Every founder faces the “why you, why now, why this tool?” line of questioning. The sharks zeroed in on two issues.
First, proprietary features. At its core, Trippie provided maps, food guides, and amenities listings. Sharks pointed out that airport data is often free or available on general apps. If you’re disrupting a space, make sure your solution stands out enough that users are compelled to switch.
Second, scalability. The question is simple: Can your tech and business model serve hundreds of clients, or just a handful? Trippie, at pitch time, managed only four airports. The panel argued it seemed premature to invest, since broader reach and network effects weren’t yet proven.
If you’re preparing a similar pitch, validate demand with real customer usage and clear feedback. Be ready to explain how you’ll sustain a competitive moat as you grow.
Course Correction: Expansion and Surging Downloads After Shark Tank
Getting rejected on national TV can end a startup. Or it can be the push you need to iterate fast. Here’s what happened after Trippie’s episode aired.
Diew treated each new airport integration as a mini-launch: map the data, test user flows, watch downloads, study reviews, and make changes fast. By late 2017, Trippie expanded coverage from four airports to sixteen, then reached 82% of US domestic airport traffic by count. That’s an aggressive expansion pace, and a reminder distribution is a grind, not an overnight win.
The payoff? The night Trippie’s episode aired, users downloaded the app so rapidly the server crashed. Nearly 12,000 people tried it in a matter of hours. For a travel app with no marketing budget, that sort of spike is proof that prime-time exposure is powerful if your app is ready to deliver.
For several days afterward, Trippie ranked in the top 25 of the Apple App Store’s travel section. This kind of traction signals to new founders: media moments are fleeting, so use them for multiplying reach, soliciting customer feedback, and grabbing PR-friendly stats you’ll use for future investor decks.
Longer term, Trippie expanded to cover the ten busiest airports in the US, with plans to add more domestic and eventually international hubs.
Current Status: Trippie’s Ongoing Journey and Global Goals
A big TV pitch won’t guarantee you a billion-dollar business. What matters is sustained execution post-exposure. As of 2024, Trippie still operates, offering wayfinding, amenities, and food locator tools for many of the United States’ largest airports.
Make no mistake competition hasn’t faded. Major players like Google, Apple, and airport-specific apps offer alternative solutions. Trippie still has to prove it can stand out. Still, by doubling down on user feedback and iterative improvements, Trippie has built a recognizable presence few early-stage travel apps manage.
What’s next? According to recent reports, Diew and the Trippie team are targeting more airports abroad while improving data accuracy and interface speed. The ambition is to turn Trippie into the go-to travel companion for anyone stressed at LAX, Atlanta, or London Heathrow.
Make sure you treat each geographic or feature expansion as a new launch. Review: market analysis, positioning, budget, and timeline. Don’t cut corners on vetting airport-specific data to avoid mismatches or gaps.
Lessons for Founders: Grit, Feedback, and Sharpening Your Pitch
Why should you care about Trippie’s ups and downs on *Shark Tank*? Because most founders face the same crossroads. Here are some takeaways:
First, don’t fear critical feedback use it as free market research. Trippie’s initial pitch lost steam because it lacked clear differentiation and hard user metrics. Instead of folding, Diew hustled, plugged the holes, and landed national attention anyway.
Second, media exposure isn’t a magic bullet, but it can unlock short-term growth. When your app or service gets an attention spike, make sure you review your backend: server capacity, customer support, onboarding, and feedback channels. Missing the chance to onboard thousands of curious new users undermines your whole campaign.
Third, persistence matters more than public praise. Trippie didn’t become a billion-dollar startup after *Shark Tank*, but it did build a niche and real revenue. If you’re running lean, stretch each win: treat each milestone like top-25 App Store placement as a foundation to build more partnerships and funding rounds.
Fourth, validate every expansion. Trippie found its early “fit” by serving those who travel most road warriors, business travelers, and vacation families. Don’t assume early PR buzz equals product-market fit. Dig for feedback. If retention is low, iterate until it rises.
A good resource for founder journeys and tactical advice is The Business Finds, which often breaks down stories like Trippie’s and offers playbook checklists for product launches and scaling.
From Pitch to Progress: Final Thoughts on Trippie’s Story
Launching and growing a startup is messier than most founders expect. Trippie’s arc from a nervy TV pitch and hard rejection to a usable app with tens of thousands of downloads is proof that setbacks don’t dictate the end of a journey.
If you’re sitting with an early-stage product today, look at Trippie’s moves. Focus on what makes you irreplaceable versus the competition. Don’t assume a big press moment or media hit means you’re done you still need to scale, refine, and validate step by step. Treat growth as a process, not a victory lap.
Above all, grit trumps a perfect pedigree. Diew’s willingness to accept feedback, double down on distribution, and build for real users, not just investors, has kept Trippie alive well after its earliest critics wrote it off.
The travel app market is tough, with big and small players jockeying for your attention. But with disciplined execution, rapid iteration, and persistent listening, you can carve out your own foothold just as Trippie continues to do in 2024. Don’t chase hype. Build for users, watch your numbers, and treat each initiative as a fresh chance to improve.
So before your next pitch or product sprint, ask: What problem am I solving, why is my approach better, and how can I prove it? That mindset practical, patient, and shrewd will outlast flash-in-the-pan trends every single time.
