Babson Business: CANDITTO
Name of Business: Canditto.com.
Mission: Let party hosts see their event from their guests' perspectives (with a kiosk that copies their digital photos taken that day.)
Year Began: (Provisional Patent Submitted to USPTO in 2007)
Initial Investment: $920
Break Even: Expected – April 2008
Where: Cambridge, MA
Founder: Rush Hambleton; Rush@Canditto.com; 860 961 8100;
Babson MBA student; serial entrepreneur.
Employees: 3 (1 Olin undergrad, 1 Babson undergrad, 1 Babson graduate student)
Founder's Past Life/Business: Founded first of its kind yachting services business www.BluewaterLogistics.com
How the Idea Began: While attending a friend's wedding, I saw dozens of digital cameras among the crowd. I wondered how many of the photos would eventually get back to the bride and groom (who were very eager to see them.) Two months later the bride and groom only had photos from three of their guests!
Initial Preparation to Germinate Idea: I went to Target and bought a pencil box. (It happened to be bright green.) I rigged up some blinking LEDs and asked friends, Would a device like this be useful to you?
Favorite Thing about the Business: I get to provide hosts and hostesses a view of their happiest moment that they would otherwise never see.
Worst Thing about the Business: Wedding season coincides with sailing season. (I should have thought about this beforehand!)
Biggest Challenge: Convincing users that the device will not copy the scandalous photos they've taken. (It has a patented algorithm that only copies photos taken at the event.)
Lesson Learned: It's really satisfying to provide a service that brings smiles to my customers.