Tell me your problems and desires!

TreeRock

TreeRock

Hello,
I am an ISA Certified Arborist and NZQA Qualified Arborist (New Zealand) looking for problems to solve. This can be anything related to physically doing the work, logistics, physics, measurements, estimations, business analytics, tree inventories, technology, quoting, tracking, software etc. You name it, I want to know about it! I'm looking for the little things that make you sigh or curse silently to yourself or loudly at your workmates.

Ever had a "You know what would be cool?..." thought or conversation? Fill me in!

Tell me your headaches, your backaches, your frustrations, your stress and worries, your idealistic vision for what the arboricultural industry COULD BE.

Tell me where you recognize waste within the industry: wasted time, wasted effort, wasted materials, wasted energy.

The reason I am asking is for a personal learning project. I want to try to identify some problem that is relatively common amongst tree people and just try to solve it through app or product design or some other means. This is purely an experiment in curiosity and learning and wanted to pull from the vast experience of arborists that is beyond my own tiny perspective.

Thank you kindly for your input and time:)

Michael
 
Last edited:
Tom Dunlap said:
It looks like you might have a story to tell.

From being in Ohio a few years ago and now NZ. Should be interesting
Click to expand...
Started in arboriculture in Columbus, Ohio in 2011, moved to Charlotte, NC in 2013, and finally came to NZ in 2017. Initially came here just to travel on a Working Holiday Visa. Realized my arborist skill set was in high demand here in NZ and had a path to permanent Residency. Met a girl on a train and decided to try and stay. Just waiting on that Residency application to process!

Now I'm trying to expand on my arboricultural experience into the realm of app development or something similar. Hoping to get a feel for what kinds of problems people need solved so I can brainstorm and find creative ways to solve problems and learn in the process!
 
I’d say most of my external problems are related to work I have yet to do internally to be a better human. Bad back, from lifting improperly due to stubbornness, impatience, and hubris.. busted truck, stubbornness and impatience, and hubris... bad cut, due to bad body positioning due to stubbornness and impatience, and hubris... to be honest with you, I don’t see my day filled with problems, just opportunities. If it feels like a problem it’s usually because I’m hungry.

Sorry, I know that’s an annoying answer :) good luck with your search for problems!
 
Stumpsprouts said:
I’d say most of my external problems are related to work I have yet to do internally to be a better human. Bad back, from lifting improperly due to stubbornness, impatience, and hubris.. busted truck, stubbornness and impatience, and hubris... bad cut, due to bad body positioning due to stubbornness and impatience, and hubris... to be honest with you, I don’t see my day filled with problems, just opportunities. If it feels like a problem it’s usually because I’m hungry.

Sorry, I know that’s an annoying answer :) good luck with your search for problems!
Click to expand...
haha thanks for your reply! Fair enough, we all could benefit from improving ourselves internally and having a good meal (also internal hmmm...tasty)

It's good that you see opportunities instead of problems. The opportunity to problem-solve aspect of tree work is what I love most!

Thanks for your reply. Please let me know if you notice specific opportunities that come up frequently (large or small, even infinitesimal) that could be solved externally.
 
evo said:
Why? I have many problems, and few hammers..
Click to expand...
I'm asking for a personal learning project where I can take some problem and just try to solve it, either through app or product design or some other means. I want to see if I can create that hammer for you and learn in the process. Trying to take knowledge I already have an expand on it into another field.
 
Precisely!
Finding and retaining employees is such common issue throughout the industry. This is a hard one to find a solution for because the root of it is there just simply aren't enough arborists. This is kind of a positive for employees because they can always find work pretty much anywhere, but is challenging for business owners as workers come and go with no one to fill their absence.

Why aren't there enough arborists? I know when I first started at age 23, I didn't even know that the trade existed. At least not in the highly skilled, methodically safety conscious and professional reality of much of the industry. Perhaps part of the solution is some kind of apprenticeship program incorporated with high schools and secondary education. More of a unified training program that trains people from zero. Finding new talent among the younger generations.

Obviously this is a big boulder to move that requires collaboration between the industry and public schooling somehow. Not a small endeavor.

Personally, I was an avid rock climber before I ever climbed trees. Perhaps one could post ads at local climbing gyms (Surely there must be quite a few in WA). There is a fair amount of cross-over in mindset and skillset. Might find some employees that are attracted to the interaction with and love of the natural world that never knew a trade existed that resonated so deeply with their ideals.

Thank you for your reply!
All the best,
Michael
 
TreeRock said:
Precisely!
Finding and retaining employees is such common issue throughout the industry. This is a hard one to find a solution for because the root of it is there just simply aren't enough arborists. This is kind of a positive for employees because they can always find work pretty much anywhere, but is challenging for business owners as workers come and go with no one to fill their absence.

Why aren't there enough arborists? I know when I first started at age 23, I didn't even know that the trade existed. At least not in the highly skilled, methodically safety conscious and professional reality of much of the industry. Perhaps part of the solution is some kind of apprenticeship program incorporated with high schools and secondary education. More of a unified training program that trains people from zero. Finding new talent among the younger generations.

Obviously this is a big boulder to move that requires collaboration between the industry and public schooling somehow. Not a small endeavor.

Personally, I was an avid rock climber before I ever climbed trees. Perhaps one could post ads at local climbing gyms (Surely there must be quite a few in WA). There is a fair amount of cross-over in mindset and skillset. Might find some employees that are attracted to the interaction with and love of the natural world that never knew a trade existed that resonated so deeply with their ideals.

Thank you for your reply!
All the best,
Michael
Click to expand...
Maybe there's an app idea here! ;)
 
TreeRock said:
Hello,
I am an ISA Certified Arborist and NZQA Qualified Arborist (New Zealand) looking for problems to solve. This can be anything related to physically doing the work, logistics, physics, measurements, estimations, business analytics, tree inventories, technology, quoting, tracking, software etc. You name it, I want to know about it! I'm looking for the little things that make you sigh or curse silently to yourself or loudly at your workmates.

Ever had a "You know what would be cool?..." thought or conversation? Fill me in!

Tell me your headaches, your backaches, your frustrations, your stress and worries, your idealistic vision for what the arboricultural industry COULD BE.

Tell me where you recognize waste within the industry: wasted time, wasted effort, wasted materials, wasted energy.

The reason I am asking is for a personal learning project. I want to try to identify some problem that is relatively common amongst tree people and just try to solve it through app or product design or some other means. This is purely an experiment in curiosity and learning and wanted to pull from the vast experience of arborists that is beyond my own tiny perspective.

Thank you kindly for your input and time:)

Michael
Click to expand...
If you want to make an app, figure out how to put estimating, invoicing, mapping, and scheduling all into one program that shares all client and site related info. You could also make a clock in/out button (with a selectable hourly rate) for each client that follows GPS, so if you forget to clock out, your app asks you. The program could also include digital versions of all industry forms, like Tree Risk Assessment, Plant Pathology forms from local extensions, etc...even maintenance forms for vehicles and equipment.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom