Going Backpacking This Summer? Make Sure You’ve Got 30 Words In Your Arsenal

[inline:hands] While Bros hold down jobs of all types, there is no career aspiration more common among us than the prospect of becoming a successful entrepreneur. What Bro hasn't had an idea for a new business and dreamed of making it big -- and yes, striking it rich? And so, every week, BroBible picks the mind of a successful Bro entrepreneur and discovers what it takes to turn a simple idea into a thriving business. You've already met Maverik Lacrosse's John Gagliardi, Tap'd Founder Craig Zucker, New York party promoters Derek and Daniel Koch, TOMS shoes founder Blake Mycoskie, sports agent Doug Eldridge, Hollywood agent Ben Press, YouRenew.com co-founder Rich Littlehale, Tanteo Tequila founder Jonathan Rojewski, and Bonobos co-founder Brian Spaly. Up next are Andrew and Erin Kitchell, co-founders of 30 WORDS, a company that creates language guides perfect for backpackers and adventure travelers. So far, guides for both European and South/Central American Spanish are available, with Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Quechua, and Italian guides coming soon. Stay tuned for information for how you can win a 30 WORDS guide for your next trip. BROBIBLE: Where have you traveled throughout the world and how have language barriers impacted the way you experienced those countries? ANDREW KITCHELL: I have traveled to 20 countries throughout Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and North America. My travels have led me to believe that "language barriers" are superficial. Mastering a language is difficult, but languages are designed for communication, not confusion and it is much easier to start speaking a language than most people acknowledge. When I say that language barriers are superficial, it is important to emphasize that I am not unusually gifted linguistically. I was never an 'A' student in my language classes. I had great, enthusiastic teachers, but I was not interested in learning languages. However, traveling through Asia completely changed my perspective on the value of language. In Asia, a small working vocabulary proved to be an essential and invaluable tool. My brother and I were welcomed into homes across Asia simply because we could speak a small amount of the local languages. This said, my travels also illustrated that perceived language barriers can be a blessing! My brother and I spent an 18-hour train ride in a comfortable Chinese dining car (versus a car so full it was 'standing room only') due to our 'inability' to understand that our ticket did not grant us a permanent place in the dining car. What is your favorite city to visit? My favorite city to visit is Hanoi. I value cities based on their outdoor markets, the availability of unique and fresh food, their historical draw, and their dance floors. Hanoi has all of these qualities, plus some stellar karaoke bars and a fantastic Jazz bar, Minh's. However, my ideal adventure involves horseback riding across Central Asia, and swallowing warm bowls of mutton stew and homemade vodka, before a heavy sleep under a spectacular bed of stars. I find Central Asia to be particularly fascinating. How many languages are you fluent in or at least proficient in?

I speak Spanish well, I can entertain people with Chinese and Vietnamese, and my Croatian, Laotian, and Mongolian are fading! However, I need to stress that I am not a multi-linguist. I focus on tricks that help me speak a new language quickly. I view language as a tool that can enrich travels. I learn languages to help spur meaningful and memorable interactions with people I meet while traveling. What makes 30 WORDS guides different from all the other foreign language guides out there? 30 WORDS language guides excel at allowing users to start speaking a language immediately. Every aspect of our guides is dedicated to achieving this goal. 30 WORDS guides are uniquely durable and portable. 30 WORDS are the size of a passport so they can slide into any pocket, they weigh about an ounce, and they can survive salt water, spilled drinks, and serious wear and tear. The guides' extreme durability and portability means travelers can take 30 WORDS everywhere -- and therefore any situation may become an opportunity to use a language. 30 WORDS' unique presentation of a language also maximizes speakers' ability to use a new language. Traditionally, language guides organize content by activity or alphabetically. While these methods enable users to locate words or phrases quickly, they do not permit users to create unique sentences. Therefore, 30 WORDS designed a unique system in which content is organized by sentence component (subjects, key clauses, verbs, nouns, and adjectives). 30 WORDS' system enables travelers to create an enormous diversity of useful and accurate sentences immediately. Additionally, 30 WORDS language guides are customizable. 30 WORDS' online platform (accessible through our website) allows travelers to add well-organized, activity-specific content to their guides. Allowing travelers to select their own content facilitates language acquisition because people are more likely to use vocabulary that is personally relevant. 30 WORDS printed guides contain over 700 words and phrases for essential travel activities. However, for travelers interested in surfing, biking, etc., our online platform contains content that enables travelers to acquire an expansive yet focused vocabulary. [inline:pass]What kind of travelers are they intended for? 30 WORDS' are designed for travelers who want to get off the beaten path. We think of 30 WORDS as a tool for accessing both language and adventure, and we built guides that can withstand the wear and tear of adventurous travel. While 30 WORDS' durable design makes them ideal for rugged journeys, their straightforward customizable content and portability, makes them an ideal tool for anyone who wants to start speaking a new language quickly. You offer some content online, but these guides are not really "digital," so it seems like print -- or laminated print -- isn't "dead" from your perspective. Why's that? Why not just make these iPhone apps? 30 WORDS are definitely not digital. Our rationale for printing language guides in the digital era is based on our observations of how travelers use languages. Simply put, the goal of any language guide is to enable travelers to experience a unique culture by speaking the local language. This goal is best achieved through portable and durable mediums that enable users to rapidly access key content. 30 WORDS' printed guides excel in this regard. Additionally, travelers need to consider how different mediums might affect their ability to access a culture through language. In many regions of the world electronic medium may act as a barrier to experiencing a culture. Finally, for travelers heading to more remote regions, charging your iPhone is not an option. I spent over a week in the Mongolian dessert and the Yurts do not have outlets. However, the existence of digital mediums did influence the design of 30 WORDS. Most notably, we designed 30 WORDS to be an adaptable printed medium. 30 WORDS built a free online platform that provides access to well-organized content so travelers can supplement their printed guides anytime, anywhere. While we continue to evaluate electronic mediums for future development, durable printed guides still provide an ideal platform for travelers seeking a cultural experience abroad. What challenges have you faced in starting this company? Have you had a "big break" moment yet? What's next for 30 Words? Our daily challenges include entering a market with a slew of competitors, operating within a tight budget, and the challenge of conveying our message succinctly and effectively. Add in printing delays, last-minute design changes, lost data, etc., and you can understand why starting a company is so damn fun. We optimistically believe that each challenge changed and improved the way we operate our business and build language guides. Optimism is essential. 30 WORDS has not had its 'big break' moment... yet. We are a young company with high hopes, a unique product, and the desire to build a community around our company and brand. What's next? 30 WORDS is busy developing its next group of language guides. We are publishing guides for four new languages this summer. We are focusing on a diverse set of languages that demonstrate the value of our model across different language families. Other than that, the work does not stop at a small company -- from sales to developing new languages and putting in time to develop a 30 WORDS community -- there is little time to rest! However, we always have a surprise up our sleeve -- keep your eye on 30 WORDS come August/September! What advice do you have for other young entrepreneurs? For product development: Seek feedback constantly and from diverse sources. Your idea will only get stronger with others' input and you never know who will have a great idea. 30 WORDS benefitted from watching 6-year-olds play with mockup guides, and the advice of a 91-year-old man sent us back to the drawing boards. For building a company: Find a great business partner. Find a partner who will inspire you, make you work harder, and challenge your assumptions. You should have to justify your decisions to someone other than yourself -- it will keep you honest! What are the 10 words every English speaker should know when he goes to a foreign country? Focus on usable content. I would recommend the following: 3 exclamatories: Hello! Thank you! Delicious! 2 verb phrases: I would like (to), Do you like (to)? 4 verbs: go, eat, drink, sleep And one key question! "How do you say..." This vocabulary will ensure your survival, make a local cook's day, and enable you to find a teacher anywhere. The next few words would be 'beautiful,' 'beer,' and 'bathroom,' and for girls, 'boyfriend', as in, 'I have one.'