Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur – Ready, Set, Go

We have built the Trivago of groceries. Here is what the app includes:

• Find the lowest-cost basket of groceries. Gofer compares every item on your list across nearby stores and shows where you can spend less. Sometimes the biggest savings come from visiting more than one store, but often you’ll find savings in just one store compared to your usual shop. Gofer simply shows the options, you decide what works for your time, route, and budget.
• Price comparison by unit across neighbourhood stores (e.g., $/100 grams or $/100 millilitres) for accurate product comparisons so users can compare “apples to apples”
• Swap products if the AI did not return the exact product, you were looking for you can change it
• Smart grocery lists that can be shared with family members prior to the actual “gofer run” so all household members can add to the list – who put two boxes of ice cream bars on the list?
• Weekly flyers/Price-matching lists to easily use in-store
• Photo search, allowing users to snap a picture of a product to compare prices while shopping; or find out which stores carry the product
• List digitization, converting handwritten lists into digital ones
• Saved lists and multiple shopping runs for recurring trips
• Endless Recipes, easily allowing ingredients to be added to a “gofer run”
• Highlights Canadian products by designating returned products with a maple leaf.

A special thank you to our beta testers, we know it is a frustrating job.  We have taken all your feedback and tried to encapsulate it in this version. It will never be perfect, but we think we have leap frogged to a higher plateau and we have all the testers to thank.  Never stop sending us feedback.

Building great technology doesn’t mean you will be successful, it is one piece of the puzzle, but the other critical piece is creating a user base that allows us to generate revenue. This is equally challenging if not more so.  When I talk to people about how challenging it is to launch a consumer app in Canada I ask them one question, name me a successful Canadian consumer app.  The usual response is silence while they scour their brains to think of one. Common responses are Shopify (a business app) and Skip the Dishes (once Canadian but no longer).  We talk about Canada developing great talent but the products that talent creates are usually sold like (Skip the Dishes) to a foreign entity.

So, we’re inviting you to help spread the word (see how below). We’re bootstrapping this on a shoestring budget, and every share/like helps more families discover Gofer... One thing I noticed very quickly when visiting Silicon Valley a couple of years ago is that beyond being a capital rich region it also had this “je ne sais quoi” – in an extremely competitive market everyone seemed to be very willing to help others.  The opposite of what one would expect. We need to build our own “je ne sais quoi” in Canada and why not do it with gofer.run.  Let’s support Canada and Canadians first. I am asking every Canadian to have my back. Let’s build our own tech giants. Let’s coin the term, don’t google it, gofer it.

In the last few years while working at Canadore College I was taking an MBA while raising three young kids. (I took a master’s in education before that; my wife is an angel).  The MBA used cases in almost every course to drive home decision making.  These cases were all done via group work and the group that I was with during the MBA was exceptional.  You could drop a case on us on Friday afternoon and we would turn it around over the weekend. A polished researched and thought-out professional report.  I started noticing I could not replicate this teamwork at Canadore.  It was there at the beginning of my career but not at the end as all the people I gelled with left. I have been lucky to be in a number of high performing teams over my career and when you are in that grove it feels great. I am once again in one of those groups with gofer.run and it gets me out of bed in the morning.  If you are currently in a job and are not feeling this then it is time to start looking elsewhere, you do not know what you are missing.

Monday the press releases went to large and small media outlets in Canada.  We are also beginning to spend money on influencers and Reddit to start. This is our first time using influencers.  I think it makes sense as our message is crystal clear. Christina and Noah have been doing a fabulous job creating the narrative, look and feel for all the messaging that is about to begin. Sometimes when building companies technology and marketing don’t always jive. The message is hard to get across, the creative is off, the marketing overpromises or technology underdelivers and there is a general disconnect between the two.  I think this time they are both running in sync, so we all have our fingers crossed and are excited for the coming days.

I’m sorry if this sounds a little salesy, we’re just incredibly excited to get this product finally out the door. Together, we can help Gofer grow!

Here are a few simple ways you can help:

1. Use it. Share it.
   Download the latest version and try it on your next grocery run.
   If it saves you money, tell someone. Use the in-app “Refer a Friend” feature and share it with family, friends, and coworkers.

Real experiences spread the fastest.

2. Help spread the word on social
   Follow Gofer on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or TikTok.
   Like, comment, or repost when you see something.

   Even something simple like:
   “Tried Gofer and saved $50 on my grocery run.”

   Every bit of engagement helps more families discover it.

3. Send us your receipts
   If you shop without Gofer (it happens 😉), send us the receipt or grocery list.
   We’ll re-shop it using Gofer and show what the savings could have been.

Real grocery baskets make the best examples.

4. Leave a review in the App Store
   Reviews help other shoppers trust the app and decide to try it.
   If Gofer helped you save, even a short review goes a long way.