GoGhoom is the idea for an online travel site powered by Trechnology that was part of Plan 9’s first batch. It is important to take stock of startup ideas after a while to see how they are doing, and what heights have they achieved. In the case of GoGhoom, however, the story is more along the lines of an idea vanishing without reaching the execution phase. With years of work and multiple delays in planned launch dates, the website and company have disappeared from the web space in 2014.
The Idea
The idea is of an all-comprehensive travel portal for Pakistan. In the words of the founder:
“www.GoGhoom.com will provide the largest pool of domestic & international travel industry products & information to yearning consumers. Flights, Hotels & Resorts, Private Accommodation, Land Transportation (Car & Bus), Tours & Activities, Information and so forth – All on one consolidated platform. Furthermore B2B distribution channels will increase the footfall of consumers from day one.”
The model includes a fully integrated data depository, CRM, Inventory/Pricing Management and Channel Management system as well an all-connected online platform for consumers to work out all the details of their travel plans from one place.
The Challenges
Far from the rosy conception of an all-comprehensive platform that is based on providing services, therefore minimizing logistical issues and allowing a decent profit margin, there is reality.
Unlike developed country markets, the travel industry in Pakistan is probably less planned and more off-the-books. Selling a product or service online that is already being sold in a standardized manner via a brick-and-mortar channel is a straightforward process of adding a new channel for the consumers and businesses to interact. If this standardization in product design, pricing and service levels is not available in the actual industry, selling it online demands an overhaul of the industry. While that might be possible over a long period of time, such an overhaul cannot be a practical goal for a startup tech firm.
The execution
Faced with these challenges, as well the usual set of issues that starting your own business has, Trechnology and GoGhoom seem to have lost their path along the way. It would seem that a beta launch was planned for a date more than a year ago, but the website still hasn’t taken off. The company and service’s website are inaccessible and all news and activity on the internet are from 2013.
On its social media page, GoGhoom claims to be Pakistan’s First and Largest Online Travel Company. While that might have been the initial intentions of the founders, or the eventual goal once the company is launched, there are several operational online travel agencies and travel planning companies in Pakistan and GoGhoom is still nowhere to be found.
The last post on their Facebook page is 10 months old. The last two articles about the founder and the project idea are from 2013 as well. The web address prompts you to give a username and password, which probably means that the website is still being designed and is just open to the designers and owners.
Lessons
Launching an online channel for an existing business/industry in a developing country like Pakistan might seem like a super-attractive opportunity, especially when there is no one else providing this service. The flipside of this story is that some industries rely heavily on middle-men and do not have the needed features for a smooth transition to an online channel.
The next aspect to look at is the nature of the customers – are they internet savvy, are they young, are they looking for an alternative to the way they usually interact with businesses. Selling things online is an easy low-cost.
GoGhoom and Trechnology might be gearing up for an epic comeback, or might have given up – time and news of their service’s launch will be a test of the current reality.
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