Pages

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Meet Chris Yeung of Vimbly

Chris Yeung is the Chief Technology Officer of Vimbly, an online booking platform that allows users to find things to do in New York City. Before Vimbly, Chris was a Vice President at BlackRock. He founded Vimbly after being frustrated at how difficult it was to find and book activities online.

1. What makes you so passionate about Vimbly?

When my partner, Sam, first came to me with the idea for Vimbly, I honestly couldn't believe that something like this didn't already exist. I felt that this was a product that people really need and that I would genuinely love to use. There have been so many times when I've thought about taking a cooking class with my girlfriend or trying to do some fun, out-of-the-box activity in New York, but given up on the idea because it simply took too much time and effort to decide, plan, and execute. 

More generally, I believe that life should be exciting. Too often, I feel that people get stuck in ruts and daily routines where they are rarely trying new things or trying to live a thrilling life. I believe that a good life is a life lived in a creative, human, and expansive way. Every day should be new. Youth and age are only concepts. The reason why I love Vimbly so much is that it facilitates this process of bringing more fun, excitement and novelty to one's daily life, which is without a doubt something vital but too often ignored. 

2. How does your background in technology come into play in your current position?

My background in technology comes into play constantly in this role. I am in charge of Vimbly's technological infrastructure and I make sure that everything about our site runs smoothly. You can always find me making improvements and implementing features to our website so that it can be the best it can be. 

3. With all the activities happening all the time in NYC, how do you choose the ones to feature on your site?

First of all, we have to make sure that we here at Vimbly would all actually use and enjoy anything that we feature. We try to test every activity ourselves before we put it on our site so that we can be sure that our customers are signing up for activities that will be both quality and enjoyable experiences. We also try to have a diverse selection of activities so that there is something for everyone. We want our customers to be able to find something they want to do on our site no matter what they are interested in; whether they are artistic, athletic, or adventurous, there is something that Vimbly has to offer for each and every one of them. That being said, we are constantly adding new activities to feature on our site. 

4. What are some of the most interesting (and unusual?) classes that people are finding and signing up for with the help of your site?

We have tons of interesting and unusual activities bookable through Vimbly. In fact, we have a whole section on our site called "Make Me Interesting" featuring captivating and unconventional activities. Some noteworthy ones are tandem hand gliding and Accomplice, an immersive scavenger hunt-come-show around New York City (which I will personally vouch for because I think it was one of the most fun and unique things I've ever done). 

5. Are there some activities and/or classes you've discovered through Vimbly and participated in yourself?

Tons! I wouldn't even be able to count how many activities/classes offered through Vimbly that I have participated in over the years. I make a point to try at least two of our activities a month and I always make sure to bring along friends or family because I know it'll always be a good time. Some of my favorites have been whitewater rafting, the French macaron workshop, and the dream car tour (though I'll admit I was sad I couldn't take any of the cars home with me!)

Thanks, Chris! 

No comments:

Post a Comment