When you leave the British Army Nic do they equip you with a grand plan or is it "thanks and best of luck"?
They do, you have to give a year's notice and in that time there are various resettlement courses you are mandated to take. They are all about identifying what you might want to try your hand at next. When you have an idea, they will put you in touch with any veterans who are already in that industry. There's also subsidised MBAs and masters degrees in management at various universities around the country you can take advantage of.
What skills did you take with you that were used to good effect in business later?
I think time management is the big one. The army is no different from any other organisation, there's lots of emails and reports all the time but identifying the most crucial thing you can do each day is a key skill. We always say it is better to have an 80% plan on time than 100% plan late.
When and how did the idea for Adventure Pass develop?
We're really lucky in the army to be given lots of adventurous training for free. The idea is you push soldiers out of their comfort zone so they understand how to deal with fear. I think this is great for personal development whether you are a soldier or not. So I set out to make trying adventurous sports cheaper for everyone not just the wealthy and military. I realised if I could get the buying power of a lot people like me and partner with outward bound charities, I would be able to arrange sizeable discounts on gear rental.
How does it work and are you setting up globally or in specific countries?
It's very simple: you buy a one of the passes, download our app, use it to find one of our partner rental shops near you, show the pass there and enjoy your discount. Different passes give different discounts. Our lowest is 25% off and our top pass is 100% discount, so essentially free gear for a year. The only limitation we have is that you can only use it for one week at each of our partner rental shops within the year.
Is AP on target for the 2017 launch in the latter half of the year?
I'm pleased to say we are. We ran a small crowdfunding campaign before Christmas to raise awareness and test some of the assumptions about our customers out. We are now firmly in the network building stage and have already got agreements with shops in Columbia, Ecuador and Australia. The aim is to have a partner rental shop in all the best locations for surfing, skiing and mountain biking in Europe, South America and South East Asia before full launch in September.
Why join up early?
We recognise the faith people are already putting into the company by buying a pass before full launch which is why we're selling them at up to 50% off now. As different shops come online before launch, you'll be able to use your pass but your year's membership won't start till September. Effectively you are getting your pass cheaper and it'll be valid for longer.
And your message for committed adventurers and potential members would be?
Adventure should not just be for the wealthy, we want everyone to be able to try some adventurous activity or improve on their skills, and that's why for every two club passes sold, we'll be donating one to at-risk-youth charities. So not only are you getting your own adventures cheaper, you'll be helping those less fortunate to do so too.
