Freddie Peyerl of Alpine Media Technology
An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Freddie Peyerl, the co-founder and CEO of Alpine Media Technology, which was honored in our:
Tell us the origin story of Alpine Media Technology – what problem were you trying to solve and why?
As avid Colorado skiers, we saw an opportunity to improve guest communication at ski resorts given the lack of or antiquated methods used (whiteboards, analog clocks, non-updated websites, etc) – information that would help skiers and riders make the most of their day on or off the mountain. For example, what runs have been groomed, lifts open/closed, resort events, weather/road conditions, etc. Once we secured a development partner in Winter Park Resort, that collaboration process helped us identify this was a need not only for the end user but for the operators as well.
What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?
In the conception phase, what we thought was going to be the biggest challenge (getting power to digital screens on a chairlift at 12,000 ft while maintaining 95%+ uptime of a digital product located outdoors in extreme temps) became rather simplified by our engineer partner Jeff Conors. To date, that has been one of the easiest of challenges to overcome. For now, it’s product adoption – resorts that haven’t embraced the digital age just yet and thus haven’t allocated capital improvement budgets to improve their guest communication systems.
What does the future hold for Alpine Media Technology?
Great question! From a software standpoint, we know we have a great foundation to continue to build, refine, and innovate from. The more customization we can offer our resort partners, the better, as they continue to think of new product features and tools. We’ve organically attracted other business sectors and organizations that also like our capabilities, such as HOAs, schools, hotels, chambers, churches, and bus shuttle companies. They all who want to deliver real time, customized informational content to their members/guests/customers via digital signage outlets, including mobile apps.
What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in Centennial?
We are proud of what we’ve accomplished on our home turf. All the founders live here in Centennial and we’ve been able to operate effectively and efficiently with our office/shop space here. We’ve been able to source many of our custom hardware materials, services, and employees from nearby areas as well. With ski resorts as our key partner, this is a great central part of Colorado where we can best serve locals, as well as out of state resort partners.
What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Don’t let the excitement of creating something or becoming your own boss be the main driver. Really identify a need or opportunity and vet it out fully, if you can, with a development partner. Better to go slow and steady and get it right than to rely on your own assumptions or industry stats, rush your launch date, and burnout before you ever really get off the ground. Our 3 founders are extremely complementary to one another and can truly divide and conquer. I credit that as our biggest success factor.