Having trouble finding a rural partner?: Two Tahoe natives may have a solution

GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA, Calif./Nev. – Two Tahoe area natives have created a website to take the guesswork and hassle out of finding a backcountry partner.

It all started with a conversation Daniel Feldman and Richard Bothwell had on a rural adventure a few years ago. They discussed the rigors of rural sports while laying their leather tracks.

Feldman, who has a background in human-centered design and experience at IDEO.org and Apple, and Bothwell, who has experience in avalanche training and ski guiding, combined their backgrounds to find a solution.

The merger resulted in the development of their organization, SlabLab, which conducts research and applies human-centered design to solve problems specifically for rural communities.

The core of their research is conducting qualitative interviews that reveal participants’ motivations, fears, and experiences.

“And one of the things that emerged as we synthesized all the interviews we did was that people have this universal problem of not being able to find partners,” Bothwell explained.

In their interviews, they found two culprits who made this difficult.

“First, there’s really no place to do that,” Feldman explained. “Second, you need a lot of things in one person to take risks.” Whether it’s similar schedules, experience levels, risk tolerance, or up-and-down talent compatibility, there are a multitude of characteristics to consider in a person when it comes to a rural partner.

Working to overcome these two challenges comes SlabLab’s partner network.

It takes on the former as a platform that focuses on finding partners in rural areas. Second, the network website allows individuals to create a profile, providing a wealth of rural-specific details. It is these details that are subject to filters in customizable searches for a potential rural partner.

These filters include location, days of the week, experience, avalanche courses, gender, age and risk tolerance, as well as communication style. You can get to know potential partners better by reviewing more information on their profiles or sending them a direct message.

Before this partner network, Feldman and Bothwell found that people often found partners through social media groups, which brought its own challenges.

“There is a lot of gatekeeping going on and beginners are put down,” Feldman explained. “So Richard and I work hard to create an inclusive culture at SlabLab, where you won’t be criticized for being a newbie, saying the wrong thing, or being honest.”

Another challenge they find with these outlets is that people often find partners that fit their schedule, but many other factors are not taken into account. SlabLab hopes to provide greater coverage on this topic. “We’re trying to help people find compatible partners rather than convenience,” Feldman said.

In their research, they also learned that rural women desire a community space that feels safe for them. To solve this problem, Feldman and Bothwell are adding a women-only engagement area to the networking platform.

While the platform has gone far beyond previous methods of finding partners from rural areas, Feldman and Bothwell don’t want to stop there. “We’re building a whole program to help you finish the season a better partner than when you came in,” Feldman explained.

The mini course, along with other resources, is a membership benefit for participation. Resources provide worksheets for writing down goals and reflecting periodically throughout the season. They also provide information on developing better teams, including tips on communicating with partners.

Bothwell and Feldman completed a pilot program last season. It’s been so successful that they’re launching the website this winter and expanding to Colorado, Utah, and Washington, as well as California.

This year, they’re offering the service at a starting price of $29.99, which will increase to $39.99 in the future.

To join the network or learn more, visit: Slablab.co/partners.