Bisk Bilvask

My friend and business partner, Bardia, is a big fan of car detailing. One day, we had an idea. What if we made it easier for people to get their car washed? Whether they’re at home, work, or even out shopping, we thought, why not bring the car wash to them?

Inspired by the Lean Startup culture, we decided to test the concept and create a quick, simple MVP. We bought a small car with space for a 400-liter tank in the back, along with all our equipment. After some initial trial and error, we achieved a working setup and created a simple React Native app, which we published on the iOS and Google Play Store.

We incorporated only the essential functionality needed to request a car wash. The backend was built using Node+Koa, with PostgreSQL for the database, and Google Cloud Run for serverless operation. Payments were handled through Vipps Mobile Pay, and login was simplified to an SMS code via Twilio. It might not look like a million dollars, but its rapid development is impressive. Bonus fun fact: we didn’t encounter a single issue with the production app throughout our journey!

To attract customers, we ran Facebook ads and even received press coverage in our local newspaper. This brought us around 500 users, and we completed numerous car wash orders. For some customers we brought baked goods to the site, making them feel extra special and happy with our service.

Running this business had its challenges, which became apparent through experimentation. For example:

• Time Vs. Money. Our main competitors were automated car wash machines, costing between ~$20 and ~$50, and local hand wash services ranging from $50 to $200. Competing with these prices was challenging when considering our travel time, transportation costs, and mobile setup limitations.
• Environmental Factors. As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, we observed major trends in the car wash ecosystem. New regulations for collecting cleaning chemicals were introduced. There’s even talk of banning home car washes. These factors made our business model uncertain.
• Seasons. Operating in Norway, we faced diverse weather conditions – warm, cold, rainy, and snowy days, often changing rapidly. We developed accessories for our car to create a heated tent, which worked moderately well but compounded the “Time Vs. Money” issue.

Considering these factors, we decided not to continue with the business. It was a great learning experience and fun. Though it didn’t become a huge success, every ending is a new beginning.