Today we’d like to introduce you to Trevin Fluker.
Hi Trevin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
– So, I’m a software developer working at a large financial corp in Atlanta. Since the beginning of my career (5 years ago), I’ve been taking on side projects to earn money. My approach had always been to find someone who had a problem and build software to solve it, but I had no luck scaling those software solutions to other customers.
– 2 years ago, I decided to stop relying on other people to help me find the right problem and product. I decided to trust myself to find a problem that other people would pay for.
– At the same time, I was live streaming on TikTok, and using my programming skills to create interactive games for my channel and audience. I had no idea my software product would be inspired by my TikTok channel.
– After a lot of trial and error, I found a word game that my audience really enjoyed playing together. It was an existing word game that I adapted by using code to allow my audience to all play at once. I kept adding features to the game and over time my audience had grown to 10k plus followers. At that time I was earning money, but thought I could earn a lot more by selling my live stream setup in a chrome extension. My assumption being, if I’m getting 400 followers a stream, other streamers would pay to be able to do the same.
I’ll never forget the day I thought I had my first customer, but it was actually my own email address I had forgotten to unsubscribe from my service while I was testing! Today, I have more that 200 monthly subscribers paying a subscription to use my live stream games. The income has actually improved me and my wife’s quality of life and I’m working to ensure it’s just the beginning.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road, but I have learned valuable lessons. It’s important to set expectations clearly with customers on new feature delivery timelines. They will be unhappy if expectations aren’t met. They don’t care that you work a 9-5. They want value. Another lesson, if you create something valuable, others WILL copy your work. I have been copied by people from other countries. I have seen people making videos claiming to have created my work themselves. I have also learned that taste can set your product apart. Customers value the look and intuitiveness of software. And they will pay for it even if a competitor is giving away a version of what you sell for free if the competitor’s version doesn’t look the part.
We’ve been impressed with Chat Capture, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What more should you know about my business?
– It has over 200 monthly subscribers currently, who originate from various countries but most live in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK.
– It is growing out of being a side project to becoming a viable business, but I do struggle to keep momentum up while working a full time job, and would love to meet an angel-investor who could make taking a hiatus to work on my project full time a possibility.
– The tiktok gaming market has built in advertising and distribution. As hosts play my games, naturally their viewers may wish to do the same when they want to become hosts as well.
What am I known for?
I am know for creating live stream games. When I enter a chat on TikTok, people often times know my account, which is weird because they don’t actually know ‘me’. My reputation has given me the opportunity to inherit another popular gaming site that I am now managing the codebase for.
What sets me apart?
Never giving up. Always believing that there is better for me, and that my next opportunity will be the one.
What am I most proud of brand wise?
I’m most proud that I have created an experience that others use to grow their own social platforms.
What do I want your readers to know about my brand, offerings, services, etc?
I’d like them to know I do offer custom gaming experiences for hosts who want to engage their audiences in a novel and interactive way. I’m open to new ideas for or chatting about live stream games.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I’ve learned that often time self-doubt is the biggest inhibitor. I continually find myself doing things that I doubted I could, and I’m learning to just believe and implement my ideas, because the doubt costs you time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.runchatcapture.com
- Instagram: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/interactive-contexto/mnlengmmokcfhkignhcmdkcfaicepobo?hl=en
- Facebook: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/interactive-contexto/mnlengmmokcfhkignhcmdkcfaicepobo?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevin-fluker
- Twitter: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/interactive-contexto/mnlengmmokcfhkignhcmdkcfaicepobo?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VobwtGkgCY4
- Yelp: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/interactive-contexto/mnlengmmokcfhkignhcmdkcfaicepobo?hl=en
- Soundcloud: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/interactive-contexto/mnlengmmokcfhkignhcmdkcfaicepobo?hl=en
- Other: info@flukertech.com
Image Credits
Rebecca Muhihu – Steel Peaches Photography
