Wise Words with Ardon and Jaron Lukasiewicz

Ardon and Jaron Lukasiewicz created Ticketometer in mid 2011, and early success has led them to develop ambitious plans for growth.

Ardon and Jaron Lukasiewicz are the Co-Founders of Ticketometer. Ardon is also a financial analyst at CityCenter in Las Vegas, and has worked as a consultant for a solar energy company, a startup apparel line and in real estate. Jaron also works for a Houston-based private equity firm and was an investment banker at J.P. Morgan and Madison Williams.

Ticketometer is online service that allows concert organizers to create shows that only happen if a minimum number of tickets are sold. Artists set up their show on the site by entering the city, date, ticket price and then, most crucially, the “set-off point” — or minimum number of tickets needed to sell to make the show profitable. The artist promotes the show via their website and social media, and fans purchase tickets through Ticketometer. Once the set-off point is reached the artist is notified to reconfirm the event, and fans are charged. If the set-off point isn’t reached then the show is removed and fans fully refunded.

1. Where did the idea for Ticketometer come from?

Ticketometer began with Jaron mentioning that he wished there were a “Groupon for concerts”. We explored this initial thought further, since we both wanted to do a start-up, and developed it into its current form. Our company offers fan-driven ticket sales, with the goal of maximizing artist profitability.

2. Can you describe a typical working day?

Monday through Friday we both work our “corporate jobs” during the day. We wake up early to check-in and answer emails and try to fit in a gym session at some point if possible. Our team is currently located all over the U.S., and potentially soon, the globe, so time zones and getting information to the team in the morning can be important. We look in the mirror and practice our success speeches to hopefully be given at future conventions, fix our ties and head out the door. Communication and emails are important on the weekdays. We work on Ticketometer from the time we get home through most of the evening, trying to roll up our sleeves and get into the depths of the internet. Weekends are a chance to devote entire days to Ticketometer, and they also provide the opportunity to huddle up as a team on our weekly Skype call. We conduct a majority of our business calls those days and sometimes work through the nights.

3. How do you unwind or relax when you’re not working on Ticketometer?

Given our work schedules, it can be hard to fit in relaxation time. A lazy Sunday is really prized amongst our team. Honestly, we are passionate about the industry and our service, so we really do enjoy working on it. Outside of business, we try to get gym time in, hike, cycle, sail, go out with friends, meet girls and go on dates. Brainstorming new ideas can be relaxing and intriguing at the same time.

4. What’s the secret ingredient to success as an entrepreneur?

The secret ingredient to success is to never be afraid to approach people in high stature in your respective industry. We have numerous exciting opportunities in the works with partners that believe in our vision. It is also important to get into a business that you enjoy with a service/product that brings something new to the table, constantly focusing on your “minimum viable product”. Your best market research comes from your users, partners and customers. Once you have a clear product to offer and a working prototype, the people actually using it will help shape its success.

5. What drove you crazy when building your business?

Finding the right web developer can be a difficult task. Road bumps in general drive us crazy – but anything can be overcome with a clear head and dedication to a valuable end product. Although business has moved quickly in general for Ticketometer, waiting a week on emails, site development or any other progress forward can be tedious.

6. What motivates you to keep going?

The thing that motivates us most, in pure honesty, would have to be the opportunity to change the music industry in a way that helps artists and concert organizers play more and better shows. Each and every individual on our team also motivates us on a daily basis. Besides success and the people around us – girls, money, respect and leaving a mark in the tech/music industry are key driving factors. 

7. If you were to start again, what would you do differently?

We definitely know what we wouldn’t do differently – we would start Ticketometer as a brother partnership again and again. This is a tough question since we are still relatively new, but we would have looked into the technical side of web development more. It has been a great learning experience, and we are quite proud of the product.

8. Where do you see your business in five years, and how will you get there?

In five years, we see Ticketometer as a well-known concert booking website that branches out into territories others would think are impossible. We strongly believe in innovation and will bring new concepts to the music industry that add value to artists and their representation, and most importantly, we will get fans involved in the concert booking process and one step closer to interacting with their favourite artists. We plan to achieve our goals for Ticketometer through strategic partnerships and by helping out the people that need us most – independent artists. Our involvement with international partners will be important to our success. We also plan on releasing new and exciting services in the coming months.

9. If you weren’t working on Ticketometer, what would you be doing?

Before starting Ticketometer, we knew that we wanted to start a business, so we would still be in the idea generation phase of some start-up. Ardon would also probably be dating more girls since he is a workaholic now, and Jaron would be sailing more often instead of staying inside working.

10. Tell Springwise a secret…

Our biggest secret is that this is our first business. A start-up in its truest form and we love it. We think that makes us “cooler” too.

11. Any final words for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Work hard, work late, and tap into your smartest/most energetic friends and associates for help. Spend a lot of time creating a niche or redefining an industry that is considered standardized. After you spend an intense amount of time on concept generation, put even more into its development. Listen to negative feedback and learn from it. Your business should be a source of passion for success rather than a drive for money, and don’t let your emotions blind your own growth. Once you figure out what your business will be, make sure to focus on a specific target market and then simplify your concept. Although in literal terms we are a concert booking website and ticket vendor with the specification of minimum ticket thresholds, we can more deeply be described as “fan-driven ticket sales” or “crowdsourced concerts”. Be new and don’t fear flipping an industry upside-down. With your idea and drive, find opportunities until they find you as well.

You can read more about Ticketometer in our article here, or visit the Ticketometer website here.