5 Questions with Jake Warn

1. What is SledTRX, and what services do you offer to customers?

SledTRX is a snowmobile mapping service that allows riders to pre-plan their trip while looking for new places and locations to visit. Services include:
– Points of interest like gas stations, restaurants, lodging, & power-sport shops 
– All trails, both ITS and local club trails 

In the future, SledTRX users will have access to finding backcountry land layouts to determine how to best explore the outdoors.

2. What differentiates SledTRX from other mobile trip planning platforms?

The reason SledTRX is different from our competition and other GIS mapping apps is due to our focus on connecting to clubs and organizations that manage and maintain those trails. More importantly, we understand the connection between frustrated landowners and our trail system, which has allowed us to support those relationships via accurate trail information. This helps by getting riders and everyone in between all on the same page. 

3. You recently won Green Light Maine’s Collegiate Challenge, which included a cash prize of $10,000. What are you planning on using the funding for, and how will this assist in the growth of SledTRX?

When SledTRX won the 2022 Greenlight Maine College tournament, we were very excited, and we took that money and put it towards an MTI Grant. After we applied, we ended up using the rest of the money towards a subcontracting deal to build out an IOS app. That turned out to be a good learning lesson on the importance of having all the tools needed to complete a project like that. SledTRX, unfortunately, did not, the reason being that delays started accruing because of a lack of resources around the software business. However, the publicity from the Greenlight Maine Pitch allowed us to connect to more developers and now we are in the process of bringing someone onto the team for the second time.

4. What resources, partners, and companies have been helpful to SledTRX as it has continued to grow? 

Sled TRX has been fortunate to work with and receive assistance from some incredible organizations in Maine, such as Maine Technology Institute, Chimani, the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College, Mainebiz, and Outside Edge, as well as engage and participate in some of Maine’s top entrepreneurial pitch competitions, including Greenlight Maine, Top Gun, and Big Gig.

5. What are your plans for growth within the next few years? 

After our learning lesson with the first subcontracting experience, our focus is now on building out an in-house team and focusing on releasing a service that is valuable in the use case it was developed. Rather than lots of cool features and a flashy service, we have really locked in on building a good base that includes a solid development team, which I know now is the most important aspect of starting a software/data company. 

Last modified: July 7, 2022