A lack of consistent parking is a challenge faced by nearly every car owner in a major city.

To remedy this issue, University of Utah graduate Noman Khan founded PinPark, a mobile app that utilizes sensors and cameras to help drivers locate vacant parking spaces in real time.

Khan encountered this problem while studying at the U, which inspired him to develop a solution that eases the stress of finding parking, not just for students, but for all car owners, too.

Building PinPark from the ground up

Khan received bachelor’s degrees in film and media arts and in strategic communication, as well as a master’s degree in international affairs and global enterprise, and a Master of Business Administration from the David Eccles School of Business.

Khan developed the idea for PinPark while earning his MBA at the University of Utah and working with a team in the Master of Business Creation (MBC) program. He said the idea came to him during one of the many mornings spent circling campus for a parking spot.

“[Finding parking] was causing anxiety, especially if you have a final or something,” Khan said. “One day, while I was sitting in the parking lot just waiting for somebody to come out so I can park my car, I thought of this idea. I was, like, ‘why don’t we have anything that can help people find parking in real time?’”

Turning that concept into a startup became possible with the hands-on experience he gained at the U.

“Whatever I’m learning in class, I’m literally applying that knowledge, not even the next day, [but] the next hour,” Khan said. “I think [the network of experts associated with Lassonde Studios and MBC] brings in a unique skill set that us first-time innovators or startup founders can take a huge advantage of.”

Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, a School of Business program created to help facilitate entrepreneurial spirit for students and innovators, featured PinPark in their website’s “Launched at Lassonde” promotional series. Khan says that Lassonde played a large part in PinPark’s success.

“The [Lassonde] space is open to a lot of people, but it’s the connections that are very useful,” Khan said. “When you’re around people that are innovators, thinkers and problem solvers, you see a difference in your own conversations and your thinking process.”

The ins and outs of business

This approach to problem-solving was a key factor in the development of PinPark, especially when working against competitors.

“You have a lot of competitors that are focused on getting the solution for, let’s say, cities or universities enforcing parking, or just helping people find negotiated rates for cheaper,” Khan said. “But none of our competitors can identify the exact space or exact spot, and that is the major problem. It’s just like you’re asking somebody, ‘How do I get this dish?’ First, you need to get the ingredients in.”

Fulfilling consumer needs and receiving market validation is a core part of entrepreneurship. Khan says that after designing the product, assembling a team and executing the business plan, the most rewarding part is seeing the success come to life.

“The most fulfilling part is when you tell people what you’re working on and you see their eyes just go big,” Khan said. “They’re like ‘oh, I never thought of this,’ or ‘I didn’t realize that just this one small problem of not knowing where parking is can have such big impact.'”

Khan described his fulfillment after launching the app in Europe and receiving significant market validation.

“Everyone, even people that weren’t in the parking space, were coming like, ‘Hey, could you bring [the app] to my city in Spain?’ ‘Could you bring it to my city in Italy?'” Khan said. “This is the response we got from people because everyone saw the vision. They believed in it and understood the use of it.”

The future of PinPark

Khan’s success with PinPark inspired him to explore new opportunities beyond the original concept. He said that the company is aiming to be the next “unicorn” — a term that refers to companies with a billion dollars in revenue — to come from Utah.

He plans to dedicate many of his resources to creating jobs and bringing the best talent to the Utah economy.

“Honestly, this state, the people, have given me so much, [with] the love and the education and the attention and everything else,” Khan said. “This is my way of giving it back to the community.”

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