8 minute read
GOA APP
Goa App is the virtual gateway to the tropical paradise of Goa. Imagine the sun-kissed beaches, the sound of the waves, the vibrant culture, and the delicious cuisine - all at your fingertips. Whether you're planning a trip to this beautiful destination or just looking to learn more about it, Goa App has got you covered. It offers a unique and immersive experience, complete with stunning visuals, comprehensive information, and helpful tips to make your Goa experience unforgettable.
In 2017, Goa App was launched with a mission to provide the ultimate travel experience for visitors to Goa. From customized travel plans to adventure activities, car rental booking and loads of important information about Goa, the platform has become a one-stop-shop for all things Goa-related. With stunning visuals, comprehensive information and helpful tips, Goa App has quickly become a go-to resource for anyone planning a trip to this beautiful destination. So, if you're looking to discover all that Goa has to offer, Goa App is the perfect place to start your journey.
The Idea Behind the Goa App
The inspiration behind Goa App came from a shared love of Goa, and a desire to share its beauty and culture with the world. The team behind Goa App are all Goans and are struck by its natural beauty, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality. They wanted to create a platform that would allow people from all over the world to experience the magic of Goa.
The team recognized that while there was already a wealth of information available about Goa, it was often scattered and incomplete. They wanted to create a one-stop-shop that would offer comprehensive information, travel plans, and adventure activities in one place. They also wanted to make it easier for visitors to navigate Goa, with features like car rental booking and local guides.
At the heart of Goa App is a passion for making travel easier, more accessible, and more enjoyable. The team behind the platform believes that travel has the power to inspire, educate, and connect people from all walks of life. By creating a platform that makes it easier to experience the beauty of Goa, they hope to inspire more people to explore this incredible destination and create lasting memories.
The People Behind Goa App
Behind this unique application are Mr. Radhaprasad Borkar and his team at Appbuddy Consultancy LLP.
Mr. Radhaprasad, who hails from Sanquelim in Bicholim, is a Post Graduate in Computer Science Engineering. His father is a retired school teacher and at present, the proprietor of a successful business venture. “I always wanted to become a teacher like my father and also a businessman with his sense of innovation,” says Radhaprasad.
Joining Radhaprasad is Mr. Nilkant Shirodkar, who holds a Master of Technology in Computer Science and lives in the picturesque village of Marcel in Goa. With his expertise in computer science and his love for the natural beauty of Goa, Mr. Shirodkar adds a valuable dimension to the team.
Radhaprasad's team who work on the Goa App consists of Radhaprasad’s wife Saee Mahambre and two extraordinary and super-talented engineers, Rayner Prezeres and Ria Colaco.
Miss Colaco is a skilled software developer with a passion for creating beautiful and functional applications. With her eye for detail and her deep understanding of coding, she has contributed greatly to the development of Goa App. Her expertise has been invaluable in creating the platform's userfriendly interface and ensuring that it runs smoothly.
Mr. Prezeres is a talented software developer who has a keen eye for design and aesthetics. His contributions to Goa App have been essential in creating the platform's beautiful visuals and stunning graphics. He has worked tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of the platform is visually appealing and easy to navigate.
Radhaprasad considers his team to be his family. “I consider myself to be fortunate to have such a motivated and talented team,” he says. Their service providers and their team also play a major role and are part of the family as well. They ensure prompt and smooth service to their guests. “We ensure that all our users are treated respectfully and offered the best experience during their vacation,” says Radhaprasad.
Their Pillars of Support
Apart from their core team, many other people helped the Goa App Team during their early days selflessly, as they connected with the cause and the social impact they wanted to bring into the travel community.
“John Gonsalves is one such person. A software engineer by profession, John helps tourists revolve their queries over a WhatsApp group. He has been the knowledge partner of Goa App since the day we
started off” says Radhaprasad. “He helps tourists with transportation alternatives by educating the tourists about the Kadamba bus service schedule from airports to other cities, what to do and what not to do in Goa, etc.”
The Goa App team also received a lot of help and support from people like Shawn Almeida of My Goa 365, Paul Fernandes of Fernandes Travels, Rohan Kalangutkar, owner of Rohan Car Rentals, Fondu Ashwekar of Goa Tours Planner and Laxmi Tea Stall who offered them a table and chairs to work and hold meetings when they didn’t have an office.
The Contribution of AIC – GIM To The Startup
AIC – GIM’s contribution to the development of the Goa App cannot be side-lined as it taught Radhaprasad and his team the workings of a business and introduced them to the various schemes put forth by the Government of Goa through an incubator and helped provide them with a jumpstart. AIC, which is a startup incubator based at GIM in Sanquelim, helped Goa App to structure into a professional business. The incubator also helped them register as a start-up under Start-up India Mission and introduced them to the schemes and benefits offered by NITI Aayog.
During Covid, Radhaprasad and his team used to work from home because they didn't have an office.
AIC – GIM helped them by providing them with an office space free of cost along with all the facilities they needed. Rajesh Joshi, CEO of AIC GIM familiarized Radhaprasad and his team with the startup ecosystem and taught them a lot about various concepts such as Total Addressable Market, Product Market Fit and Entrepreneur Market Fit to name a few. “These teachings are crucial in building a business”, says Radhaprasad.
Incubation manager, Abhishek Singh and Ecosystem Manager, Nikita Alve also provided their helping hand in every part of their journey of Goa App start-up with their guidance and channelled the venture in the right direction for proper growth and development. Recently the foundation helped them to avail of the benefits from the salary reimbursement scheme by the start-up cell, Government of Goa.
Challenges Faced
Goa App started with a basic version of their idea in 2017. It was a simple app that offered information about the tourist places of Goa with images, geolocation, routes and guidelines to reach those places and similar information. It was a simple prototype but to their surprise, it got nearly thirty thousand downloads within the first year of its launch. The app users loved the app and their average rating on the Google Play Store was 4.7/ 5 stars.
While the response to Goa App when it first launched was overwhelmingly positive, it wasn't without its challenges. One of the biggest challenges they faced was keeping up with the demand from their users. As soon as people started using the platform, they immediately saw the potential for additional features and services that would make their trip to Goa even better. While they were thrilled to see that people loved the platform and wanted to use it, it also meant that they had to work quickly to keep up with their demands.
Another challenge they faced was ensuring that Goa App remained user-friendly and accessible to everyone, regardless of their level of technical expertise. They had to make sure that the platform was easy to use, intuitive, and provided all the information and services their users needed plan their trip to Goa.
This required a lot of careful design and planning, as well as constant user testing and feedback.
Despite these challenges, the team was determined to provide their users with the best possible experience on Goa App. They worked tirelessly to ensure that the platform remained stable, userfriendly, and packed with features and services that their users wanted and needed. Ultimately, their hard work paid off, and Goa App is proud to continue serving its users with the best possible experience on www.goa.app.
