Alfie Willis (LGS 2020) shares with us his varied journey full of experiences, from studying at Exeter University to lobbying in Austin to now launching his own start-up, Choo Choo, an app designed to simplify train travel.
Five years have passed since I left LGS; an ending that was bittersweet, my A-level year cut short by Covid-19. But in that time, I’ve had a whole host of new experiences and challenges. From navigating lockdowns as a fresher to working as a lobbyist during the 88th Texas Legislature in Austin, and now founding and running my own start-up, it’s fair to say I’ve been busy, and I’m absolutely loving it.
Exeter
After LGS, I headed to the University of Exeter to study Business Economics. Immediately sold by the sunny weather, expansive sporting facilities, modern campus and impressive business school. The small city suited me perfectly after the large town of Loughborough, and arriving alongside plenty of fellow LGS and LHS students made the transition all the more welcoming.I loved my course, due to its variety and flexibility. With so many optional modules to choose from (I didn’t even have a mandatory module in my final year) I could dive into subjects that genuinely fascinated me. This passion for learning, and my ability to speak about these topics with honest enthusiasm, ultimately, opened the door to an unexpected opportunity to work in Texas during my third year.
Dylan Church (LGS, 2020) and I at Exeter rock during his graduation.
Austin, TX
Yet Austin never lets you forget its distinct American character. I’ll never forget the day my boss Trey and I were working in the State Capitol, grabbing lunch, when an entire cheerleading squad walked in to grab lunch also. I found myself utterly confused about why a whole cheerleading team was inside what is essentially Texas’s Houses of Parliament.
“Welcome to Texas!” my boss chuckled as if it was normal.
“But why?” I asked, laughing.
“They’re lobbying too.”
I can’t imagine what the British media would make of cheerleaders turning up at Westminster to encourage MPs to vote one way or another.
Fully embracing the ‘Cowboy’ look with my Cousin Taylor in Austin.
London
Fast-forward to January this year, when I decided to put things in motion and the more I learned about the industry, the more inviting the opportunity became.
And this led me to found Choo Choo, a travel tech start-up that’s looking to disrupt how people book train tickets and claim compensation. Our app helps users understand when they can claim their delay compensation and how much they’re owed, all while offering a completely transparent booking experience with a simple and easy user interface. We’ve secured accreditation from National Rail, and Choo Choo is now available on both the App Store and Google Play Store, with our web platform launching soon.
What sets us apart is our commitment to simplicity. We’re a platform built by people who are frustrated with the current system as I’m sure many of you are too. So we have created an app without any of the aspects that annoy you; we never charge booking fees, we find split ticketing savings for cheaper fares, we don’t push through pointless notifications and we have no ads or annoying pop-ups. We’re not looking to maximise profits, just simplify train travel and create the most straightforward train ticket app out there.
I hope you give it a try, plan your next business trip or weekend getaway with it and let us know your thoughts.
Reflection
The journey from LGS student to founding my own start-up has been anything but predictable, but my aversion to the status quo, a quality that definitely annoyed my sixth form tutor Mrs Cooch I’m sure (apologies Miss!), has proven valuable in spotting opportunities where others accept an inefficient process as part and parcel of life. Each lesson, lecture, job and experience couldn’t have prepared me for this venture, but it certainly gave me the confidence to give it a go and LGS has played a huge part in this.Meanwhile, LSF has also unknowingly played its part in the app’s development, as many of my LSF friends volunteered to help during our testing period, to debug the app and suggest helpful features that have shaped the platform we are now.
Looking forward, I’m incredibly excited about the future of Choo Choo and hope to improve its simplicity and raise awareness of the platform for commuters and train travellers across the UK (and hopefully in time, Europe).
