I’ve talked many times about how much of a believer I am in side projects. Usually I talk about the value of learning new skills, having something to work on you care deeply about, and learning to build marketing momentum from zero.

But I rarely talk about the financial side.

Here’s the thing. My side projects make a tiny, tiny fraction of what other SaaS companies do. But for me, that “tiny” stream of revenue can make a huge difference.

Something, Not Everything

When I think about what the Mountain Collective has become, this is the parallel that comes to mind. At one point this pass was the talk of the town. It grabbed all the headlines and had gobs of momentum.

But that was 2012. The IKON pass wasn’t a thing. The MAX pass wasn’t even a thing. Epic was still miles away from their BHAG of 1,000,000 passes. Peak Pass didn’t exist. Indy didn’t exist. Powder Alliance didn’t exist. Freedom Pass didn’t exist. The list goes on. Each of these serving as a reminder just how much the landscape has changed in the decade since.

Yes, Epic and Ikon have grown considerably and the space is much more crowded, but Mountain Collective’s ability to cover key brands across multiple passes, include some of the most aspirational indies, and offer that all at a price that means you don’t have to choose one pass or another?

That’s compelling to a lot of people. Especially at a time when people aren’t just buying one pass.

Growth

I’d seen a lot of people talk about how the Mountain Collective seemed dead in the water, but I had enough of a view behind the curtain to know just how popular it remained.

This was validated by the recent news that Le Massif was joining the pass.

We are very excited to welcome Le Massif de Charlevoix to the Mountain Collective family! pic.twitter.com/ciaywC2qIW

— Mountain Collective (@CollectivePass) June 8, 2022

And keep in mind who Todd had on the pass before Le Massif. It’s hardly a bunch of no name brands.

Not too shabby, eh?

Something, Not Everything

Mountain Collective’s staying power is proof that a pass (or marketing campaign or partnership or product, etc.) doesn’t have to be everything to be something.

If it solves a problem in the market, if it solves a problem for resorts, if it does so in a way that’s sustainable and smart and creative and well thought out? Well, it can be a powerful something for a lot of people even if it doesn’t hold the flashy, innovative corner of the market it once did.

Mountain Collective is one of those products. And, as far as I can tell, it has plenty of gas left in the tank.

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.