The most exceedingly terrible feeling for people in the wake of completing the college or after graduation is the point at which they find that they can’t use their skills. This was especially a case with me. I struggled to actually use my skills between time but I knew my value and I knew that my skills could be useful to somebody. This is sadly a reality, it’s pretty hard to get actual hands-on experience for skilled folks out there, under-used skills are very common and we only think about career development in one way: go to formal school, look for a job, etc.
GigRove, online talent platform wants to change this in a very interesting way. I caught up with Marko Islamovich (es-la-mo-vich), who is a founder and CEO of this startup from UK to learn more about him as well to talk more about how they are trying to solve this issue.
Marko, you mentioned to me before talk that you need to complete a trip gig first and then you will be able to talk. Do you use GigRove yourself?
I do! It actually started from my personal problem. It was like: either I work or I travel. I didn’t like this. It’s too structural. And I wanted to change this. So in my mind it was always a question: “Why not travel and do some work while traveling?” - and then I started to think more about this issue and how I could achieve this. It turned out there weren’t any options. Understanding that work at majority of companies is becoming project-based, I figured if I could help some companies with my skills they could provide me and my friends accommodation for short periods of time, until I complete the project. Then I started to build GigRove upon the concept.
In a nutshell, what’s GigRove?
GigRove is an online platform that is on a intersection between hospitality and talent industry. By using the platform, traveling freelancers are able to apply for “mini travel internships” and essentially get free accommodation from companies around the world in exchange for a bit of help with particular task, like programming, graphic design, marketing, etc. The nature of this type collaboration is very casual and fun. Travelers have a cool work and travel experience while company’s hosts get a chance to learn and expand their knowledge by hosting people from around the world.
Exciting stuff! So I could use it as a traveling freelancer and as a company host?
Correct. Companies are able to publish listings and describe what kind of help they need and what accommodation they can provide to traveling freelancers. Then it’s our job to make the right match between both parties.
I could see that it’s very popular among startups. What’s the reason behind that?
We are very proud to have startup hosts from more than 130+ countries worldwide and they have special place in our hearts. One of the reasons startups love it is because it enables them to get things done and reach milestones without risking lose of capital. Startups in general have a lot of problems with human capital, raising capital, reaching milestones... So it’s a perfect solution if you need some help for your company, while also socializing with guests who are residing at your home is creating a fun way to collaborate.
But... Why company’s hosts don’t work in offices?
Because of the current rising trend of remote working. And it will continue to rise. Offices are becoming obsolete. The concepts of working are changing too. Work today is more project-based, not hourly-based so many companies are finding out that their employees are usually more happy and productive while working remotely, from their homes or wherever.
So idea of GigRove is to bring Silicon Valley’s garage experience to the users?
Something like that! Only a global level!
How do you build trust among the traveling freelancers and company hosts?
What’s cool about GigRove is that you are building a self-image while using it. For an example, users are able to leave reviews on each others profiles about experience that they had together. We are also closely monitoring any reports or violations that can lead to the restriction of usage.
The app became pretty popular in the early beginnings. What was the biggest challenge for your team of people?
When you are starting, you are in two-way street. In one direction we’re trying to create the friendliest and the best experience for a user, while in the other direction the team needs to build convictions about what’s working and what’s not. That’s extremely hard process but luckily we’ve managed to make it work. The results are impressive so far and I’m very happy for my team.
You told me that you’re passionate about startups and human progress. Do you believe that those are correlated?
I could write a whole paper on this but for the sake of reader’s time I will just say that I do have strong convictions about it. Startups are moving the world forward, increased entrepreneurial endeavours are usually the source of most of the human progress. Especially within the last 200 years or so where we’ve seen improvements in almost every aspect of our lives.
How do you personally see the future of work?
I think we are just at the beginning of the new era. At least 50% of global workers will become a part of gig economy in some way by 2025. Rise of local globalism is opening many doors too.
Where do you see travel industry?
Well, we hear about supersonic jets, space travel, amazing travel gadgets and so on, isn’t there a lot to be excited about? Definitely the biggest challenge for companies will be to create new, unique concepts to help travelers create one-of-a-kind experiences.
What’s GigRove’s future like?
I can really see GigRove becoming an important step for people’s career development and an alternative to traditional ways of developing your career. It’s what the world needs. We need more projects, more fun adventures and more experimentation between each other globally.