Welcome to the Stage: Hunter Strickler
Co-Founder and CEO of Clutch!
Startup Spotlight: Clutch!
Clutch! is a Birmingham based peer-to-peer parking app and platform for gamedays and events. Users can reserve privately-owned parking spaces in advance to avoid the stress of trying to find and pay for, a spot on the day of the event. No more having to remember cash or overpaying for a parking pass.
Sellers on the app simply list their available space on the app and watch the reservations come through. Much like Airbnb, sellers can create premium experiences buy offering shuttle service to the game, having beverages on-site and even offering restroom access.Â
This peer-to-peer app is available throughout the Southeast and has begun to partner with recognized sports brands such as Ole Miss Athletics and the Birmingham Legion to manage their gameday parking operations.
For Clutch!, parking is just the start. This company has the vision to change the gameday experience from start to finish.
Meet Hunter, co-founder, Clutch!
Hunter is a Birmingham native and passionate Alabama sports fan and alum, who’s love for gamedays in Tuscaloosa proved to be part of the inspiration to start Clutch!. Prior to co-founding Clutch!, Hunter served as the Co-Founder and President of Visify, a leading developer of online training and compliance software for the commercial transportation industry. I’ve been fortunate to have known Hunter for close to two years now and he has served as someone that I can count on for advice and knowledge when it comes to running startups. Hunter is a wonderful founder that’s focused on building a high growth yet sustainable business right here in Birmingham. I’m excited to share his and Clutch!’s story with you.
1. What's been the biggest challenge you've faced as a founder?
When we started the company, we set out to enhance the fan experience for people attending live sporting events by eliminating one of the primary stressors in their gameday experience - parking. Fortunately, we’ve done that. We’ve built a product people really love to use as it solves a real pain point. What we’ve learned since our launch is that our product has applications beyond just being a consumer-facing app. We’ve also built solutions to help universities, athletic departments and professional teams eliminate the inefficiencies in how they manage parking at their venue(s) on game day.
As is the case with many startups, we’ve definitely had to take a closer look at our growth strategy as we balance how we deploy resources into building solutions both for our enterprise customers (the teams and venues we support) as well as the end users (fans). Can we do both effectively? Should we prioritize one over the other? Can we adjust quickly enough to meet our goals? Those are the challenges that are top of mind for me.
2. Is there someone or something that you rely on to get through the tough days?
I’ve been very fortunate in my life and career to have had a lot of help along the way. At Clutch!, I’m surrounded by terrific business partners, investors, and colleagues, so it doesn’t feel quite as isolating as the stories I hear from solo founders and others who don’t have quite the same support system. One mentor I frequently rely on as a sounding board, particularly when facing difficult decisions, is Anoop Mishra ( VP of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta), with whom I had previously worked for 10 years early in my career. He routinely helps me get out of the weeds and see the bigger picture. It’s difficult to measure the enormous value of having someone like this to offer sound guidance when things get tough, but it’s hard to imagine life as a founder without it.
3. What is something that people get wrong about startup founders in the southeast?
I’m not sure if it’s specific to the Southeast, but one thing I find concerning is that many smaller markets are so hungry for startup success stories that they end up embellishing a good bit to prop up marginal or average companies with little chance of long-term success. The net impact is that people can easily get the impression that every startup in every town is destined to be the next billion-dollar company. The risk is that starting and scaling a new company can appear much less challenging than it really is, attracting people who aren’t fully aware that the ride can be quite bumpy at times.
4. Why start your company now?
The flip side of what I mentioned above is that so much of the positive momentum for startups is justified, and we should be incredibly excited about the many ways startups can benefit by riding the wave of entrepreneurial energy across the country. From access to capital to incubators and accelerators, there is no shortage of resources available to startup founders launching companies today.
Plus, we’re at such an incredible time in history. We have the internet on our phones! What would have been unthinkable a generation ago is now taken for granted. There’s perhaps never been a better time for good ideas to flourish.
Want to learn more? Head on over to imclutch.com and if you’re based in the Southeast, download the app and reserve your spot for your next event or game day.