Entrepreneur Mike Nguyen faced a classic dilemma when trying to woo his first clients: his company, HIAlabs, was too young, and his “Google Maps on steroids” product was too untested. “They wanted an established company,” Nguyen said. After several rejections, Nguyen was ready to “do something that they never thought of doing.”
Working on spec, he and his team built a touchscreen kiosk for Hornblower, which operates the New York City Ferry. The kiosk’s interactive maps help tourists navigate their trips and find nearby restaurants, as well as forward this information to their phones.
The risk paid off, and now HIAlabs (which stands for “Here I Am”) counts Hornblower as its biggest client. The Pier 11 kiosk is right down the street from N.Y.C.’s WeWork Wall Street, where the two companies first met. Hornblower is looking to expand the partnership, which could potentially grow the HIAlabs workforce from 14 to more than 60. To make that jump, Nguyen says he’ll first hire a smart team to handle HR.
“I know what my strengths are: innovation and execution,” he said. “My weaknesses: all things corporate. I’d rather be skateboarding.”
This gutsy approach isn’t just a business mindset—it’s a lifestyle for Nguyen, a self-identified “extreme risk taker.” A former soldier and firefighter with degrees in neuroscience and biotechnology, he gets his thrills from trying new things.
I know what my strengths are: innovation and execution. My weaknesses: all things corporate. I’d rather be skateboarding.
Now with more HIAmaps sprouting up around the city (including in WeWork Wall Street’s lobby), Nguyen said his product is doing the talking. For example, when members of New York City’s Economic Development Corp recently visited Pier 11, they inquired about using HIAmaps for other tourist sites.
Nguyen said he’s already started to receive offers to buy HIAlabs. But he’s staying cool about it all.
“I’m not too worried about selling and becoming an overnight billionaire,” Nguyen said. “Having a billion dollars is nice, but it doesn’t contribute to me creating things, and that’s what I love doing.”
