Inspiring Conversations with Jovan Pizarro of KickSnap

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jovan Pizarro

Hi Jovan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a sneaker fan myself, it all began with a simple concept – when a pair of sneakers caught my eye, whether on social media feeds or real world settings, how could I identify what they were and purchase that pair for myself? After all, replication is human nature and the world is an advertising board. We’re all constantly marketing the hottest sneakers and trends just by throwing on our favorite shoes and going about our day or by posting on social media. I truly pursued the idea after completing my bachelors in finance at ASU in 2016. I began by reaching out to image recognition companies in my free time from work to present the concept and obtain a venture partner with image recognition technology. After successfully establishing a partnership with CloudSight, a Los Angeles based technology company, I then began to seek out app developers to create the concept in app form. After posting a short video on several angel investor/VC start up funding sites, I was discovered by Ayush Jain, the CEO of Mindbowser Inc, an app developer headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra (India), who took a liking to the concept and was willing to take an equity stake in the venture. This partnership approach truly separated Mindbowser from several other developers I met with who were accepting of building the app. KickSnap stayed in the conceptual stage for some time while I did a brief stint for work in San Francisco in 2017/18 and then dove into a financial advisory career after returning to Phoenix. I continued to fund the venture with my earnings from work in obtaining interactive wireframes to showcase to investors and continued outreach on angel investor/VC start up platforms. I then returned to school, completing my masters in finance at ASU in 2022 before starting in my current field as a financial analyst. Behind the scenes, I continued to work on KickSnap and seek funding to build the app with my developer. After securing funding to begin development on the minimum viable version (MVP) of the app, the KickSnap app officially launched on App Stores in September of 2023. Since launching, we’ve collaborated with influencers in the sneaker/fashion space with YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, sought feedback and took steps to enhance aspects of the app in launching a version 2 in spring 2024 and continue efforts to push the concept to sneaker enthusiasts and general audiences globally. We are actively working our third version of the app (V3) and plan to launch in Q2 of 2025.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
While the KickSnap venture has been an incredibly enjoyable creative process, it has been anything but a smooth road. The venture/start up world can be challenging to navigate – where do I begin? how do I get my idea out? How can I obtain funding? How do I stay motivated without seeing immediate results? These were all hurdles to overcome and still battle to this very day! Having a strong support group of family and friends is tremendous to begin with. Everyday life and responsibilities such as work, home, schooling, fitness & health are priorities but the support from my friends and family have kept me motivated and passionate on the venture. Establishing a strong professional team has been a vital component along the way; having experts in the right spaces such as tech/development, marketing and analytics/data created the foundation in moving KickSnap from concept to reality. My team’s continued strategic guidance and mentorship really steered me in the right directions in this venture. Also, very importantly, reminding yourself of your “why” and maintaining a consistent work ethic and grind will feed that passion to keep going.

We’ve been impressed with KickSnap, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the founder and CEO of KickSnap, headquartered in Phoenix Arizona. The KickSnap sneaker app is an all-inclusive sneaker shopping hub bringing a fun new edge to the sneaker shopping experience. Showcasing powerful image search ability, users of the app can purchase, save and share footwear from Nike, Adidas, GOAT, Stock X, FlightClub, Amazon, Niemen Marcus and more all in one app. KickSnap solely focuses on footwear, bringing users the newest releases and the nostalgic finds you’ve always wanted. Whether you come across some eye-catching kicks scrolling on your social media feed or in a real-world setting like the gym or the store, KickSnap it! Either snap or upload a photo of the sneakers to the app for relevant matches sold online. Traditional text searching and our newly added ‘Browse’ feature in V3 are also available to shop for your favorites. The app also showcases the newest sneaker releases and sneaker news/articles to keep up with the latest trends and drops. My favorite feature is the kick rack where users can save a multitude of sneakers from various different websites all in the one tab by ‘hearting’ your favorite kicks; I’ve always had an ongoing “line-up” of different sneakers I’ve been wanting to purchase in my head and this feature is that concept brought to life. While consumers absolutely can go directly to sneaker websites to shop, the kick rack feature (and the overall hub that KickSnap is) really is a unique aspect in the sneaker shopping experience by bringing it all together for the consumer. Working on and seeing the concept grow from an idea to an app available for download on app stores globally is what I’m most proud of. The app is available for free download on Apple iOS and Android Google Play stores – please support and download to give the KickSnap experience a try!

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Share, share, share! Please download the KickSnap sneaker app and pass it along! I want EVERYONE to shop on the app and give KickSnap a try as a new and fun way to shop for footwear. Ultimately, If you need footwear (everyone), I want you shopping on KickSnap. Screenshot those kicks that caught your eye while scrolling Instagram; KickSnap those sneakers you saw that person wearing at the gym or on the subway ride; share those nostalgic finds you come across on the app with your friends using our share feature; rack up your favorites in the kick rack that you’ve been lusting after- please USE the app! And give us feedback as we’re constantly looking to improve the KickSnap experience. The KickSnap sneaker app is available for free download on Apple and Android app stores today! Your support means everything to me – a local Phoenician looking to achieve my dreams of breaking into the exhilarating world of venture capital.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kicksnap.app
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jvxpzro/

Image Credits
n/a