Today we’d like to introduce you to Oscar Chavez.
Hi Oscar, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Oscar. It’s been quite a journey, actually. I was born and raised in Peru, and that’s where I really started my career in the tech world. I built a web development company from the ground up, focusing on websites and e-commerce platforms for local businesses and education institutions and it went really well.
After that, I decided it was time for a change, so I moved to the U.S., to the state of Utah, for my studies, which was a great experience and after selling my web development business to a large Spanish corporation I wanted to be somewhere with a very different climate and specific kind of energy for starting a new project. That’s how I ended up in Austin. I’d heard so much about the “Silicon Hills” and the entrepreneurial spirit here. It felt like the right place to start something new, so I packed up and headed to Texas.
When I first got to Austin, I started working in moving services back in 2020 as a side hustle. I wanted to stay busy while I figured out my next move. But because of my background in tech, the experience I got in the moving industry and seeing another related businesses I figured out how to make this industry more flexible and fast for customers who only need to move a single or a few items locally without spent a lot for an entire big moving truck, like an “Uber for moving” so I wanted to create a platform for customers and movers with moving vehicles, then I started Rapimove.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The timing was crazy because of the pandemic. It made everything so much harder at the start wearing masks, social distancing, people being afraid to let strangers into their homes. But I used that time to really learn the business. I started by building the website myself and hiring a few friends to help me out, and we just grew from there.
As you know, we’re big fans of Rapimove. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I found a niche that the “big guys” usually ignore. Most traditional moving companies have these strict rules like a three or four-hour minimum and they only want to do big house moves.
I decided to be more flexible offering a **single-item moving service** for people who just need one heavy sofa moved across town. We also have a **one-hour minimum** and offer **same-day booking** for certain jobs which is a lifesaver for many people and also paying our movers the **same day** they finish the job, which is really appreciated by them. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Right now Rapimove is currently going through a total “rebuild.” We’ve served thousands of customers in Austin already, but to scale the business, I’m developing a more modern, proprietary software. I am also working on a brand-new mobile app and a fresh website to make the user experience even smoother. My goal is to find the right partners and collaborators who share this vision so we can eventually expand into other states. I want Rapimove to be the go-to name for quick, reliable and affordable moving service across Texas. It’s a work in progress, but we are getting there day by day.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Austin. I really do. Moving here was definitely the right choice. There’s just this “vibe” in Austin, people are friendly and there’s a real sense of entrepreneurial community. Plus, you can’t beat the food and the places to hang out are more than enough.
The weather is great for the most part, I enjoy the warmth over the cold. Though I have to admit, summer here hits really hard! It gets extremely hot. But honestly, the strong tech industry and the city’s dynamic energy make it all worth it. Austin is the perfect place to live and work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rapimove.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rapimove
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rapimove
