JetBoatPilot, LLC

By Robert J. Goetz

Will Owen, Shane Huseby and Tom Watts launched JetBoatPilot LLC in 2010 out of a garage in Panama City. Today, the company has moved to a bigger facility and yearly sales are close to seven figures with orders being shipped to boaters worldwide.

The three founders share a passion for jet boating and came up with a solution to a problem: At slow speeds, jet boats, by design, steer quite differently than traditional boats. In the absence of a rudder, steering relies on the driver’s ability to turn the steering wheel with precisely timed bursts of engine thrust to control the boat around docks, in no wake zones and while loading the boat on the trailer. To a new boat owner, this often presents a steep learning curve and is far less than an ideal situation.

Yamaha Watercraft USA was, and remains, the predominate producer of jet boats for the recreational market. Slow speed steering is a concern to many prospective jet boat owners, yet Yamaha boats are still flying out the doors at dealerships all across the US. Over the years, Yamaha engineers have made various improvements to the slow speed steering characteristics of their boats through innovations like their “No Wake” system and “TDE” system (Thrust Directional Enhancer), but to the average new jet boat owner, there still remains a need for a more effective solution.

In 2009, through a chance meeting with Tom Watts, founder of WattSound, a local car audio and home audio company, Will Owen began to learn of Tom’s capabilities in the area of design and prototype fabrication.

At that time, Will was selling Yamaha Jet Boats at a local dealership and promoted an existing product designed to help enhance slow speed steering on jet boats. Tom had the idea that together the three partners could start a company that could make a better steering system. During the summer and fall of 2010 the initial development of the “Thrust Vector” steering system commenced and by winter JetBoatPilot had a production-ready, slow speed steering solution. On December 1, 2010 the trio took a leap of faith and applied for a utility patent. “Thrust Vector” version 1 had arrived.

The team moved quickly to get a basic, core product out to the market place. They intently observed what users liked or did not like, and continued to iterate designs and processes to improve the customer experience. As Will described an early customer phone conversation, “After installing our first version of Thrust Vector, the customer was still not able to steer, requested a refund and was preparing to sell his boat . I asked if he would allow us to cut him a slightly longer fin. He agreed. The longer fin, now known as the “Thrust Vector XL”, was designed, produced and shipped to the customer who promptly bolted it on to the boat . It worked perfectly and the customer was exuberant that he could now steer his boat.”

Shane confidently states, “We went into this thinking: We’re going to do this different.” The trio has an obsession with product excellence. They know how to innovate . They regularly ask themselves, “What can we do better?” Will serves as CEO and heads sales and marketing. Tom focuses on design and engineering. Shane addresses finance and operations. This is a team that clearly knows how to execute.

Entrepreneurship is often confused and freely interchanged with small business. The two are not one and the same . Small business is focused on the mechanics of managing a business enterprise. Marketing, finance, and operations are key concerns. Entrepreneurship is about discovery, critical thinking skills, and problem solving. One of the best definitions of entrepreneurship was coined in 1983 by Harvard Business School’s Dr. Howard Stevenson “Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard for resources currently controlled.” This really is quite different from small business management.

Will, Shane, and Tom exemplify today’s lean startup methodology. They are not afraid to fail. They move forward with deliberate speed, learn quickly, and can pivot on a dime. They are highly adept at learning from failure.

JetBoatPilot has established a solid reputation as experts in all things related to jet boat ownership. The brand has expanded its dealer distribution network across North America, and has built out the product offering to include boating accessories such as traction mat kits and marine upholstery products. The firm employs a staff of nine in Panama City and has just acquired its third CNC (computer controlled cutting) machine. The team announced their newest product developments with us and there are even more incredible products and great solutions to come . To find out more, visit www.JetBoatPilot.com.

 

[author image=”https://www.panamacityliving.com/media/2014/07/Robert-Goetz.jpg” ]Born in New York, Robert Goetz has called Florida home since 1977. He worked in a variety of jobs from newspaper delivery to catering until realizing that with an entrepreneurial mindset, he could become the employer instead of the employee. Robert is now the director of the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) at . He is also certified in technology consulting and disasters procedures, and was the founder of a successful marketing company with clients that included Planet Hollywood, Disney and Tupperware. Robert is well versed in entrepreneurship and has been a regular presenter at national conferences. He and his wife Joanne have twin sons and live in Panama City Beach.[/author]