Summary
‍On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Mark Marsiglio, Co-founder of TrailPilot, and his business advisor, Charles Greathouse. TrailPilot is an iOS and Android audio guide app designed to help mountain bikers navigate off-road adventures. The app gives riders expert advice on trail features and provides turn-by-turn directions based on their GPS location. Throughout the episode, James, Mark and Charles discuss the ins and outs of TrailPilot, their experience with being a Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program cohort and how Bentonville is working to be ‘unrecreateable.’

Thanks for tuning in!

‍Show Notes
‍(0:56) Introduction to Mark and Charles
(2:52) About TrailPilot
(5:35) Accessibility for Beginners and Visitors
(8:40) The Cost of TrailPilot
(9:47) Next Year’s Forecast
(11:03) Being a GORP Cohort
(16:41) Advice for Those That Want to Join GORP
(20:47) The Past and Future of Bentonville
(28:26) Bentonville Favorites
(36:01) #Bentonville Story
(38:53) Closing Questions
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‍Links
JAMES BELL‍‍
‍BENTONVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT‍‍
MARK MARSIGLIO
CHARLES GREATHOUSE
TRAILPILOT
LATINAS EN BICI
DEAN MATT WALLER
TOBY TEETER
PHIL SHELLHAMMER
GREENHOUSE OUTDOOR RECREATION PROGRAM
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
PEDRO SOMARRIBA
LACAIDA ROPES
MORGAN BAUMGARDNER
TYLER BAUMBGARDNER
ENCORE BIKE RENTALS
NICK OLANO
AMERICAN HUNT
SLAUGHTER PEN TRAILS
LADY SLIPPER
FUEL ACCELERATOR
DOWNTOWN BENTONVILLE INC.
FITZGERALD MOUNTAIN
CASTLE HUB
BAR CLEETA
ROLL AND FOLD
BEAVER LAKE
OZARK ADVENTURE TRAIL, DAY 3
OZARK ADVENTURE TRAIL, DAY 4
YEYO’S EL ALMA DE MEXICO
TABLE MESA BISTRO
THE PREACHER’S SON
ONYX COFFEE LAB
AIRSHIP
THE METEOR
THADEN FIELD
OZ1 FLYING CLUB
COLER MOUNTAIN BIKE PRESERVE
BENTONVILLE BIKE FEST
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Quotes
“They don’t have to wonder where they are, and most importantly, they don’t have to wonder what things the trail has in store for them that they might not expect. We want a rider to enjoy the trail more on their first run and be able to have a safer experience that is not going to surprise them.” – Mark Marsiglio, (3:12)

“It turned out to be a great opportunity, and I learned a lot and got a lot of resources and education focused on personal commitment from my side to have the accountability of the program behind me. It resulted in great progress for the building of the business.” – Mark Marsiglio, (11:50) 

“I would say that if you’re the next Austin or the next Silicon Valley, there’s two things you must do that you don’t want to do to be the next version of somebody else. Number one, you must take their problems and number two, you must accept you can only be second.” – James Bell, (26:47)

Making Trails Safer and More Accessible with TrailPilot
‍On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Mark Marsiglio, Co-founder of TrailPilot, and his business advisor, Charles Greathouse. TrailPilot is an iOS and Android audio guide app designed to help mountain bikers navigate off-road adventures. The app gives riders expert advice on trail features and provides turn-by-turn directions based on their GPS location. Throughout the episode, James, Mark and Charles discuss the ins and outs of TrailPilot, their experience with being a Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program cohort and how Bentonville is working to be ‘unrecreateable.’‍‍‍
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The Usefulness of TrailPilot
‍TrailPilot allows riders who have never ridden a trail before to experience the trail like a local without having to look at a map throughout their ride. All riders have to do is open TrailPilot, choose what trail they want to tour, and wear an earbud that will audibly describe the trail to them as they ride. The app informs the rider what features or hazards are upcoming and will even describe what the trail bed looks like as far as gravel, smooth dirt, steepness, etc. 
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“They don’t have to wonder where they are, and most importantly, they don’t have to wonder what things the trail has in store for them that they might not expect. We want a rider to enjoy the trail more on their first run and be able to have a safer experience that is not going to surprise them.” – Mark Marsiglio, (3:12)

The way TrailPilot works is that a local expert rides the trail and records the tour in their voice while their audio is being queued by GPS. Therefore, at any particular point in the trail, the audio will be relaying something along the lines of, “Around this corner there’s a rock garden and an optional alternate line on your left with a rock drop.” This information allows the rider to make decisions on how they want to proceed with their ride before they even arrive at that location.

A Prosperous Partnership
‍TrailPilot is a cohort company of the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program, which is a business incubator through the University of Arkansas focused on outdoor recreation entrepreneurs. GORP helped Mark better understand the process in which entrepreneurs and companies position themselves to talk with venture capitalists. Although TrailPilot didn’t intend to receive funding at the time, it was important to set the business model up where that opportunity could be taken advantage of in the future. 
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“It turned out to be a great opportunity, and I learned a lot and got a lot of resources and education focused on personal commitment from my side to have the accountability of the program behind me. It resulted in great progress for the building of the business.” – Mark Marsiglio, (11:50)
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TrailPilot’s original approach was to have in-app purchases of the trail tours. This was valuable for individual riders, but TrailPilot didn’t have a reliable way to reach those riders, leaving the uptake low. Therefore, GORP advised TrailPilot to shift its business model in order to grow the idea. As a result, TrailPilot partnered with tourism agencies and bike brands to amplify their message while also creating value for riders by keeping the app free for them to use. 
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Get Connected!
‍Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories from entrepreneurs and business leaders who are making a positive impact on Bentonville’s culture, community, and lifestyle. Don’t forget, Bentonville is a place where you can have more of what you want and less of what you don’t!