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“There needs to be opportunities for you to make little changes. […] And all of those pieces together form part of this bigger puzzle that can bring about big change.” – Dave Budge
Dave Budge, Co-Founder and CEO, Jaunt Motors
Dave is the co-founder and CEO of Jaunt Motors. Dave grew up in Bendigo, Victoria and tries to spend as much time as possible exploring remote parts of Australia. He’s always felt a bit guilty driving a diesel 4WD to get to pristine natural places, which is what inspired Jaunt. With two decades of experience leading top digital experience agencies combining emerging technology with beautiful design, he’s excited to bring sustainable technology to adventure travel.
Key Points
The key points summary are taken from the recording published on 9 November 2021.
On the most pivotal learning moments of the start-up journey
“I think every week there’s something new that we learn and the first year was just an incredible, brain melting growth period for us as business owners.
There’s a lot of points where you could probably die as a business and fall over and go, “This is too hard” and give up. I think having a Co-Founder is (to me) – my key to it. I would have burnt myself out, and maybe I would made some dumb mistakes by being too stressed out and overworked. I think having more than one person balances you out, balances out the ups and downs and helps solve problems enormously.
[…] the things that stand out are the darkest days or the darkest periods or the scariest periods, [for example] the start of COVID, last year. […] We knew that we were going to have to dramatically change the operation. Does Jaunt still exist? Are our customers still going to want to buy a car like this? We didn’t know if we should shut down our whole operation, keep our Instagram page and kind of, still exist on paper.”
On creating a socially conscious business
“We call Jaunt, Jaunt, because the idea of making EV’s more fun and approachable and having a car that isn’t designed to drive 1000 kilometers, or 2000 kilometers in a day, but in a way that, [is] guilt free and fun. I think that’s important in the context of a larger mission, because whatever global change we’re wanting to bring about, social, environmental, whatever it might be, the whole problem is so big that it can be overwhelming to you as an individual. I’m not saying buying a Jaunt solves the world’s transport emissions but there needs to be opportunities for you to make small little changes and to do small little things. And all of those pieces together, form part of this bigger puzzle that can bring about change.”
On bringing people along with the journey
“It’s very easy to get lost in describing the technology, and the only people who care when you talk about it in that way are the people who know what you’re talking about. What we have to do as a company, [when] trying to market our goods, is really describe those benefits not describe the technology. People are inherently intimidated, in some ways around a completely new kind of vehicle that really does work in a completely new kind of way – we need to communicate the benefits.”
Questions from our conversation
[1:09] What would you say are your top unconventional locations that you’ve travelled or adventure to Australia?
[3:48] If you were to look at your life as a highlight reel, what would you say are your standout memories that have brought you to where you are today?
[10:56] Was there a moment where you felt that there was a catalyst for you, or something that impacted you in terms of thinking about sustainability or environmental impacts?
[16:54] You mentioned a little bit about how Jaunt started, but very simply what is Jaunt?
[17:12] Is there a reason why you specifically have Land Rovers?
[20:59] In terms of readiness to start the development process for a different car, what would that look like ?
[23:18] What was the most difficult, or the most pivotal learning moment of this journey?
[27:27] Do you find that a lot of your customers are more seasoned adventurers?
[29:52] How would you want people to perceive Jaunt in terms of lifestyle or aspiration?
[34:38] You mentioned before that you wanted to target people who don’t necessarily care about the tech, what do you find is one of the biggest challenges in terms of keeping the simplicity in that messaging?
[37:16] What do you think are the biggest barriers in terms of the market are amongst the population?
[40:14] Thinking about our conversation in terms of environmental or social impact, things (such as) sustainable travel, it can kind of be seen more as a longer arduous road, a more difficult road, what do you make of that juxtaposition? And how do you see Jaunt fitting more into the bigger picture?
[42:27] What do you have more space for in 2021?
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More about Dave Budge and Jaunt Motors
- Website – https://www.jauntmotors.com/
About The Future Of Now series
Our goal at More Space For Light with The Future of Now (FON) series is to build a community of like-minded passionate professionals. We intend to bring together like-minded professionals to share, inspire, and explore new opportunities for growth. So you can discover new ways of working to bring back into your organisation.
