Jon Staff was traveling the country in an Airstream trailer, working remotely and keeping an eye out for his next big project, when he realized how important it is to have an occasional escape from city life. He founded Getaway on that premise, offering city-dwellers the opportunity to unplug and unwind in small cabins secluded in nature.
It’s an experience designed for those who feel overwhelmed, over-connected and burned out by the digital age. The cabins are located just outside major cities and offer amenities like a shower and kitchenette and activities like playing cards, a s'mores kit and a stack of books — but no Wi-Fi. The business immediately struck the right chord. “I was truly surprised with how desperate people were to disconnect and recharge,” Staff says.
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When customers book a Getaway, the experience is easy and immersive, down to the playlist created for their drive to the cabin. But in true startup fashion, Staff says Getaway takes an iterative approach to the business, making hundreds of tiny changes to improve the experience and reading thousands of feedback surveys submitted by guests.
The key to Getaway’s success was developing a product with enough features to satisfy early adopters and starting to make sales before competitors. The validation helped the team move forward with the idea and improve cabin designs and customer service. The Getaway experience is currently offered near Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C.; more cabins are being constructed outside of Los Angeles and Atlanta.
Listen to the episode to learn more about how Staff’s team uses customer feedback to inform the design of cabins and how the company plans to grow.
