Phatfinger started mobile, going social

Phatfinger.com is a niche mobile community for outdoor enthusiasts. Hardcore outdoor enthusiasts number close to 50 million people in the United States, out of a total outdoor activity group numbering close to 100 million. Of this group, about 20 million are extreme sports fans that make their passions part of their everyday life.

The concept began three years ago as a text messaging solution that allowed whitewater kayakers to retrieve real time river flows on their mobile phones. Soon, the founders were contacted by users wanting to see other outdoor data, such as surf, wind, snow pack, and other related data also added to the service. Naturally wanting the free service to be super useful for the community, they obliged.

That is when it really got interesting... as users nationwide started pinging the Phatfinger network via SMS for outdoor conditions, the next logical step for the service was a group messaging feature that allowed climbers to pass on condition info to a predefined group of friends in the course of planning their next trip.

"Soon, we started seeing activity levels that led us to believe we could create an even more interesting service that acknowledged these groups, creating a social network as a natural byproduct of using the service," says co-founder Bodie Chreesta.

So where's the money?

With healthy usage during peak seasons, Phatfinger is monetizing the network through (you guessed it) advertising. In addition to tagline text adds appended to SMS message traffic, online ads also accompany the group and activity profile pages. The text ads are particularly exciting because in many cases Phatfinger understands geographic context and is able to deliver the most relevant ads to the users.

"When a group of 5 or 10 kayakers are running the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and use our service, the local North Bend Bar & Grill delivers a half off ad to the group as part of the text message," explains Bodie, "You can bet those paddlers will think twice about grabbing a burger and beers on their way home."

Coming to a Soccer Game Near You

Coffeestream has been slowly building their brand in the Seattle area since 2005. Their signature is their fleet of classic Airstream trailers retrofitted into high tech latte stands. James and William Scorky, two brothers from North Bend, started the company by taking their parent's old Airstream and turning it into a latte stand for games and other local special events. Soon, the the local community began to expect an Airstream at every fair and event. To make matters more interesting, event and fair organizers from across Washington State soon began calling the brothers to request their presence, by popular demand.

One key to their success is their commitment to great coffee and a super clean operation. Brewers of the delicious Zoka Coffee, the brothers' mobile coffee business appeals to all types of coffee taste. Add to that the brand recognition, and you have a recipe for success.

What's next for the business that has grown to a fleet of 35 Coffeestreams? James says they are experimenting with placing Coffeestreams along interstate travel corridors like I-90 and I-5, focusing on locations where no alternative exists for weary travelers that need a latte fix. Rest stops, and remote gas stations along the well traveled Interstate seem to be picking up on the Coffeestream brand.

"The great thing for Coffeestream is our inherent ability to experiment with location and make adjustments quickly," says Will, who heads up the customization shop for the Airstream trailers.