How did the relationship with Pocketworks start?

Pocketworks started working with Amber Cars to develop a mobile app that launched as an MVP in 2012. It really took off, and in 2015, Veezu acquired Amber Cars and their journey booking app. I found a dispatch system, iCabbi, and the two pieces came together.

What was the initial problem you were trying to solve?

My remit at Veezu was to put the infrastructure in place and scale the business from 500 cars to 5,000 in five years. We began white-labelling the app for multiple brands, but in 2020 decided to consolidate everything into one app. We rebuilt the Veezu app from scratch over a period of 3–4 years.

How has the app changed your business?

The app has played a huge role in scaling Veezu. When we were about to double our footprint - going from 5,000 to 10,000 cars, I asked Tobin to grow his team, which he did. Since then, the app has hit 1 million downloads, and handles 90% of our bookings. We now acquire, migrate, and rebrand companies - all through that single app.

How have Pocketworks met your expectations as a partner?

They’ve done a better job than we could’ve done ourselves. It was tough in the beginning. We were under pressure to launch and we missed our target. But when we did launch, it ran smoothly with no downtime. The team knows the product inside out - especially Matt, who heads it up.

If you were to start the app development process again, what would you do differently?

I would hire a product manager on our side much earlier. Having a dedicated person improves communication and coordination. I’d also integrate Pocketworks into our business sooner. Early on, I acted as a buffer, but I should’ve let them interact with more people - like marketing, for example. Now we’ve done that, things run more smoothly.