Episode 15 with Mr. Ben Zavadil

Episode Summary

Join Dr. Adnan Baranbo in 15th Episode of AVIAPRENEURS talking about Crowdsourcing NOTAMs features The Co-Founder of JumpSeat Mr. Ben Zavadil.

Mr. Ben Zavadil a young AVIAPRENEURS from the USA, a licensed flight dispatcher from the Federal Aviation Administration with more than 10 years of experience in the aviation industry. Ben started his aviation career in World Fuel Service, where he was in charge in various roles in operations, sales and finally training and development. He then moved to Flight Service Bureau and OPS Group, where he worked as product manager, until he set up his own aviation startup JumpSeat at the end of 2019.

Watch this episode to know Mr. Ben’s answers to the following questions: 

1. NOTAMs, Notice to Air Missions, or Notice to AirMen as some others would like to call them. This system has been in place for a long time since aviation was invented. What makes you think of the need to change this system?
2. Crowdsourcing aviation information from all over the world, by relying on thousands of professionals, rather than verified sources. Is this the best way you think the NOTAMs system can be changed? 
3. JumpSeat: You started the business in November 2019. Where is it now and how’s the reaction of the aviation community, both as users and as contributors submitting data and information to JumpSeat?
4. Did you reach the profitability stage in JumpSeat? How are you monetizing JumpSeat? 
5. Financing is not easy for aviation startups, projects, and products. How did you finance JumpSeat? Did you think of Crowdfunding it like you crowdsources it? Have you heard of any aviation business crowdfunded? 
6. Earlier to JumpSeat, you oversaw the conversion of Flight Service Bureau operation services into products by productizing service and information offered under OPS Group. 
7. This achievement is very important for every service segment in the aviation industry and in other industries as well. 
8. How easy it is to move from providing service to customers, requiring a lot of time of adjusting and tailoring the service to each client’s requirements.
9. into products which can be sold as packages to various customers sharing the same needs or characteristics that can make them groupable under one category? 
10. It’s noticeable in your career that you took your product management skills and experience from the aviation industry to another company outside of the aviation industry in 2019, by joining Charles Schwab as Senior Product Manager. Stock Plan Services. Your experience in this area opens the door wide for the aviation professionals, as it proves that some of their skills, experience and knowledge can be transferable and beneficial to companies in other industries. Can you share with us your experience in this area?
11. I am sure you have learned a lot of lessons in your 10 years aviation career, lessons you wish you learnt 10 years ago. Can you share them with the listeners of today’s episode of AVIAPRENEURS ?

All of this and more on the 15th episode of AVIAPRENEURS!