Tom Van Nieulande: “LunaTrain left for a great course. We
know where we want to go, and Delta Source is an important
link.”
LunaTrain, the online night train travel agency, helps travel enthusiasts book their next trip worry-free. Founders Bruce Verburgh and Tom Van Nieulande combine years of experience in tourism and IT. A strong match that ensures that the start-up has left the station on time and is off for a great trail.
Hi Tom!!! Thanks for making time to explain the story of LunaTrain to us.
“Of course! (laughs) I am proud of LunaTrain and the first steps we are taking.
So I am happy to tell you more about it.”
Then let’s get right to it! Traveling at night to get your
destination. How did you guys come up with the idea of the night train again under
attention?
“Nowadays, people fly more often than travel by train. However, traveling by night train
is much more relaxing than flying. You don’t have to be at the airport 2 hours in advance and your
arrives in the city center. Airports are usually far away from the
center. When Bruce and I met, I was an instant fan of his idea to set up a
online travel agency where you book the entire overnight train trip from start to stop. His
family is passionate about tourism, and Bruce has also been in the travel agency business for years.
At an imec networking event, where I was hoping to find an original b2c project,
we struck up a conversation and quickly discovered we were on the same page.”
However, you both have completely different expertise.
“That’s right. (laughs) Where Bruce knows the travel industry inside out, I put about 15 years of experience as a project manager and agile coach. I am energized by coaching large organizations according to the philosophy of small agile start-ups. So indeed we have very different professional backgrounds. What Bruce and I do share is our knowledge of management thanks to our studies. We know what it takes to make a business, new or existing, a success. That makes us a complementary team and gives us the enthusiasm to jump on the LunaTrain train together.”
"Losing precious time at the airport is a thing of the past with LunaTrain. We are bringing back the memories and the experience of traveling by night train. Just as night train travel is time-efficient, we also facilitate its booking process. Everything you need, from tickets to accommodation, you will soon find in one place: our booking website."
LunaTrain quickly saw the light of day. What initial ambitions lie behind it?
“On the one hand, because we believe in the concept of a booking website for overnight trains. We dream of becoming the benchmark for night train like Booking.com and Airbnb are that are for staying. On the other hand, because both Bruce and I know that with a good idea, you can make the market quickly. I know better than anyone that agile working brings as an advantage That step by step you build your product, evaluate feedback, adjust and strengthen it.
LunaTrain caters to individuals and we want to help them quickly as an online travel agency. Thanks to our flexible way of working, we do that initially with a basic website, which already carries initial feedback. This is how we make LunaTrain gradually getting better.”
You have a solid backpack of IT knowledge yourself. Why did you welcome Delta Source
as a software partner in the story?
“Already, travelers can view, compare and book the main night train routes on the LunaTrain website. Although behind the scenes there is not yet a direct link to our partners. Today it is still a mix of online booking by the consumer and manual travel organization by us. We want to see that changed, of course. In a start-up there are so many tasks, that it seemed more efficient for us that I assist Bruce in the entrepreneurship, in place of continuing to develop everything myself. I can fall back on IT know-how, but not like team Delta Source has in-house. As a start-up, you have to weigh your investments carefully: when to buy and when to build? Engaging Delta Source is a conscious choice, which we
fully support!”
How did you end up at Delta Source?
“I have been participating in software teams myself for several years and in the past I had the opportunity to work together with Mark and Joeri. At that time we all worked at Telenet in Mechelen and were even on the same team. That’s how I got to know them as software specialists with strong
problem-solving skills and with whom it was always very nice to work together. As a start-up you have a lot of uncertainties and novelties crossing your path. Then it’s nice to have a external partner to give you confidence. I knew what to expect from Delta Source and they live up to those expectations completely.”
How has the collaboration with Delta Source been?
“LunaTrain and Delta Source have worked closely together as one team and in sprints of two weeks. From sprint planning, to sprint review, to demo and then the same dynamic flow again. We were very fortunate that Delta Source was available when we submitted our request for software development. Moreover, Delta Source not only claims to be agile, they really are. While there are other programmers who proclaim that, Delta Source walks the talk! (laughs) The fact that they can assist in both frontend and backend and are not afraid of complex projects make them the ideal partner for us.
Within a few weeks, their work will be live and not only private individuals but also we as
organizers will enjoy a smooth, digital total experience while booking. Then LunaTrain will enter a new phase and it will be up to us to find investors for the next steps. Once there are, we will be very happy to knock on Delta Source’s door again for the further expansion of LunaTrain.”
Thanks for the fascinating conversation, Tom. We are very happy to help LunaTrain on the
technical rails!
“It’s great to work with such a committed partner like Delta Source. For the
follow-up development, we will definitely come knocking on your door again. See you soon!”
"A good idea, we have. But manpower is limited when you only start a business with two. So as a start-up you have to weigh your investments carefully: what do you do yourself and what do you outsource? That is the well-known dilemma between buy or build. Engaging Delta Source is a well-considered choice in which we have great confidence!"