How Dash is Trying to Make Your Night Easier

Ever been ready to close out your tab at a bar but because it is too crowded you can’t get to the front? Ever gotten a vastly different priced item at a restaurant while with friends and didn’t know how to split the bill? Dash is here to help. Dash partners with restaurants and bars in New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C, and Atlanta as well as at Universities like Ohio State, Cornell, Stanford, SUNY New Paltz and many more. With Dash, you are able to keep a tab open/close a tab, split the bill, or add a tip easily without actually waiting for the check. We had the opportunity to speak with Dash’s VP of Marketing, Michael Jones about all things Dash:

TechDay: How did you get involved with Dash?

Michael: "I joined Dash a year and a half ago in April of 2014 and at the time there were only five full time employees. What attracted me to Dash was the potential of the space. I think that everyone who is even remotely involved with technology, not just working in the space, but also interacting with it, had the inclination that there would be a lot of changes surrounding the mobile space as well as hospitality. We were both passionate about it so it made sense."

T: What are the challenges involved with getting specific venues to use the app?

M: "There are so many challenges. I think that with any market it’s always difficult to build up a supply size initially, because you have to get people to buy into the long term mission of what you’re trying to offer. For us, the most important thing is developing tools that take into account the merchant value. I think the fact that we focus on merchant value is something our network of merchants have responded positively to."

T: Was there ever a time when you thought that the business would fail?

M: "No, certainly not. With that said, if you have ever worked in a startup, you know that there are days that are much more difficult than others. Often times those are based around resources and the fact that it’s challenging to prioritize. Not to say that we don’t have challenges, we do, but I believe in the product we are building and the team that we have in place. I don’t think I ever woke up and thought this was the end."

T:What did you feel like on the best day of your company's existence and why?

M: "Sometimes there is something so incredible about working with people you really respect. People might think immediately that the best day would be when we launched the second market or hit a milestone or became really active in colleges- all of those were really good days, but some of the best days involve internally dealing with challenges that you eventually overcome."

T: What is your differentiator?

M: "The demographic we target is a little different than others in New York. Most are focused on the high end market, but we focus more on the casual bar and restaurant. Our branding is a little bit younger and light hearted. I think that those are the differentiators. We have the best solution for itemized bill splitting among group diners.  That’s a pain point for diners or people that go out in groups; figuring out who owes what and then one person just ends up throwing down a credit card cause they just want to be done with it. With the ability to drag and drop the item you ordered, it takes away any discomfort that may exist."

T: What’s the level of growth you’d be satisfied seeing in the next year?

M: "We are constantly doubling the numbers. I think that doubling the merchants and doubling the users would be an attainable and exiting goal." 

Dash is easy to use and is incredibly helpful when out with a group. No need to wait for the bill anymore, you can just pay with Dash.

Special thanks to Dash’s VP of Marketing, Michael Jones.