ThrustMe AS

The journey that started three years ago

How I got started to work with the people behind Thrustme is actually a compelling and interesting story to tell. While working my part-time job at Power as a salesman, this gentleman called Kjartan Jensen approached me and was looking to buy a computer to his son. Following my routines and having to register the user (for warranty reasons), I asked him "Which name would you like me to put this on?". "Put it on my company's name", he answered.
Being in awe that a CEO of a company was standing besides me, my curiosity started blossoming. I knew I had to ask him about his company, and so I did. At the same time as I was asking, I was elucidating that I do web design and development in my leisure. Little did I know that this small conversation would lead to a partnership that has lasted three years and still counting.

The early stages

Dealing with start-ups is difficult, as they are constantly evolving and changing, and thus their website needs to follow this evolution. On the surface, the task I was presented initially seemed do-able, but little did I know that once the first layer is scratched, there were a hundred more, increasingly more complex challenges to be dealt with. Knowing, perfectly fine at the age of 18 with limited knowledge that I really did not meet all the requirements, I took on the responsibility of being in charge of their website and ecommerce store. They say "don't bite off more than you can chew". To that I say; bite off more than you can chew, and then chew really hard.
As the time progressed and I learned new tools and tricks to be of higher value to them, the website evolved as well.

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Switch in products

As I initially pointed out, working with start-ups is challenging. Thrustme's original idea was to create a "Thrustpack", literally being a backpack that gives you trust through electrical motors (mainly for skiing purposes). However, they soon pivoted their focus away from skiing and towards kayaking and canoeing.
To me, it was hassle to keep optimizing their website for the products that they were offering, as changing the main product from being ski-focused to water-focused also had to came with a change of brand perception.

A link to a video of the Thrustpack can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ2gx4U09Fo

Meet The Cruiser

The Cruiser is their patented product that has been in development for over 3 years. The Cruiser is an electrical motor weighing only 3,3 Kg with the battery included, making it easy to fit on most floating devices. It’s controlled with a remote, making it for an easier and more enjoyable trip for you. It has been featured in national news and TV-programs in Norway, and after their first appearances on national television, they got their first pre-orders through the website that I had made!

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Thrustme.no as of today (27.07.2020)

The website is powered by WordPress and has its shop enabled through WooCommerce. However, as it stands today, there are some crucial limitations that are detrimental to overall success, such as: 
1. Price based on Geography (I.E. Dynamic Pricing).
2. Enabling/Disabling shop based on country (We have a deal with Prijon in Germany, and thus online sales from the website should not be possible)
3. Enabling both Klarna and Stripe as payment options.

When that is said, the website is doing well considering the product is sold out and marketing dollars are not being spent:

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What I have planned for the future of Thrustme.no

Being fully responsible for their website and how it performs online, there are a few changes that will be implemented.
1. Fix all the problems associated with the current website.
2. Showcase their new products, enabling for a bigger target market (The Kicker and The Thruster).

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Furthermore, as the products start making their ways into customer's hands, a bigger emphasis on building a brand to enable the synergy of integrated marketing will be carried forth by the Thrustme team and me.
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