5 Things We Learned From v1.0

Startups tend to be a wild ride and Rally has not disappointed. Our journey started in January 2021 when we the team started to come together and the first version of Rally started to shape up.

Even with all the information out there for startups, the best way to figure out if your idea has the potential to make an impact is to start building and “ship it” as soon as you can. The idea is to get the product in people’s hands, even if it’s a little rough around the edges, so you can get feedback and integrate or “pivot”. To pivot is to change the direction of the product, usually building off of some insight in the initial product you launched.

We launched the first version of Rally in August of 2021. Rally 1.0 (Rally Moto Club), was a community app, available on iOS only, and to only a few cities on the West coast of the US. User’s could post their events, see events in their city, connect with other riders, and get some inspiration for the next ride with curated “Rally Points” which were select riding destinations in each city.

A lot of people loved the app and we were fortunate to have a strong base of people who used it regularly. It was exciting to see what we built out in the world with people using it and, more importantly, the feedback was flowing in.

What we learned

1. Community leaders want a digital "third space" for their people to gather and connect. Slack feels too business-oriented. Discord is too gaming-focused. Facebook groups work, but people are leaving the platform.
2. Any new platform has to make the lives of community leaders easier. Community leaders are responsible for multiple platforms and use various tools to get the job done. If they're going to adopt a new platform, it has simplify their lives.
3. Community leaders will dip into their own pockets when necessary to make things happen. Community leaders spend an average of $3,500 out-of-pocket each year to fund events and other miscellaneous things like t-shirts.
4. Accessibility is key. Since it's a space for community, inclusivity and accessibility are incredibly important. The platform has to work for everyone, whether they use an iPhone, an Android device, or a laptop.
5. Motorheads are motorheads. People that are into motorcycles are often into other forms of motoring culture like vintage cars or overlanding. Electric vehicles are also taking off and have a lot of curious about these new machines and what they can do.

What we did about it

Rally 2.0 (Let’s Rally) launched April 28th of 2023 and the ride continues.

1. Anyone can set up their own dedicated community space with custom and private channels
2. Rally was designed to be the easiest way to start, manage, and grow a community
3. We're building a way for community leads to charge member dues to cover expenses
4. It's a web app so is accessible by anyone, anywhere, and with nothing to download
5. We've expanded to include auto clubs and overlanders

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Feel free to take the new version of Rally for a spin and let us know what you think.

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