From Bootstrapping to $400 Million – The Hustle Behind Hipcamp with Alyssa Ravasio

In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I’m joined by Alyssa Ravasio, CEO and Founder of Hipcamp. Hipcamp is the platform that has revolutionized camping, with a mission to “get more people outside.” By making it easier for people to find camping on public lands—and then expanding to include private lands—Hipcamp significantly increased the supply of camping spots, making the outdoors more accessible to all.

In our conversation, Alyssa shares how her childhood fostered a deep love of nature, and how missed opportunities ultimately led her to become a founder. We dive into Hipcamp’s mission and discuss how staying true to it has been key to the company’s success. We talk about the following: 

• How a rejection led Alyssa to create her own major, Digital Democracy

• The early experiences that shaped Alyssa’s respect for nature

• The problem Alyssa set out to solve when she started California Camping (now Hipcamp)

• Why Alyssa took a coding bootcamp and the early days of bootstrapping Hipcamp

• How Hipcamp expanded the supply of camping by opening up private lands

• Hipcamp’s many value-enforcing practices, including tying performance reviews to values

• The power of direct feedback, and why Hipcamp seeks diverse perspectives 

• The practice of treating the business as an ecosystem 

• And much more!

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Where to find Alyssa Ravasio:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-ravasio-23114717/

• X: https://x.com/alyraz

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Where to find Eric:

• Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericries.carrd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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In This Episode We Cover:

(00:00) Intro

(02:28) Alyssa’s entrepreneurship journey

(03:40) Alyssa’s outdoorsy upbringing that fueled her desire to democratize outdoor access

(06:30) How film school rejection led Alyssa to design her own major at UCLA

(10:20) Alyssa’s philosophy of using technology for good

(13:40) Learnings from Alyssa’s first two startups

(16:05) How Alyssa prioritizes Hipcamp’s mission with her employees

(19:20) Hipcamp’s hiring process

(20:24) How California Camping became Hipcamp

(21:47) The initial idea behind California Camping

(24:52) How Alyssa dealt with naysayers in the early days of building Hipcamp

(28:00) How solving a customer’s problem on Twitter drew Alyssa’s first investor

(31:22) The early days of bootstrapping Hipcamp

(36:40) The power of a shared vision

(38:07) Overcoming scarcity in outdoor spaces by adding private lands

(42:15) Why the business model of Hipcamp is a win-win for all

(47:10) Systems and cultural practices that keep Hipcamp aligned with its mission and values

(54:15) A case for bringing teams together in nature

(56:50) The current state of Hipcamp

(59:42) How Hipcamp might scale impact with a fund in the future

(1:03:15) The practice of treating the business like an ecosystem

(1:10:14) Why a positive-impact business is also good business

(1:12:41) Alyssa’s thoughts on AI and how Hipcamp plans on utilizing it

(1:17:03) Lightning round

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Referenced 

• Hipcamp: https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US
• Francis Ford Coppola: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000338/
• The Godfather: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/
• Arab Spring: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Spring
• Bryce Roberts on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atbryce/
• Tim O’Reilly on X: https://x.com/timoreilly
• OATV: http://oatv.com/
• Ben Horowitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/behorowitz/
• Matt Mullenweg’s website: https://ma.tt/
• The Oracle Of Silicon Valley Shares How to Create More Value Than You Capture | Tim O’Reilly: https://www.ericriesshow.com/tim-oreilly/
• Newbook: https://developers.newbook.cloud/rest.php
• Introducing Project Monarch: A Letter from Hipcamp Ecologist Charles Post: https://www.hipcamp.com/journal/company-news/introducing-project-monarch-a-letter-from-hipcamp-ecologist-charles-post
• Packet switching: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packet_switching
• Whole Earth Catalog: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Earth_Catalog
• Stewart Brand on X: https://x.com/stewartbrand
• Elinor Ostrom: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2009/ostrom/facts/
• E.O. Wilson: https://eowilsonfoundation.org/about-us/e-o-wilson/
• The Extinction Crisis: https://eowilsonfoundation.org/what-is-the-half-earth-project/the-extinction-crisis/
• Hipcamp CEO Alyssa Ravasio Speaks at ‘Our Shared Future,’ a Celebration of Half-Earth Day 2022: https://www.hipcamp.com/journal/camping/alyssa-ravasio-our-shared-future-half-earth-day
• 30x30 California: https://www.californianature.ca.gov/
• 6 tips for coping with climate anxiety: https://www.colorado.edu/health/blog/climate-anxiety

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Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.