About Guest Spotter

Hello, my name is Aleksei. I am the creator and founder of GuestSpotter: The application that connects tattoo artists with tattoo studio owners. I am currently seeking investors to improve my platform and create a more seamless interface for users. Although I have released a beta version, GuestSpotter is not in its final form. I want to incorporate more features, and build a more friendly design with improved usability and visuals — everything needed to strengthen functionality and make users happy.

I’d like to share a bit about myself. I was born and raised in Ekaterinburg, Russia. I immigrated to the United States in 2022, started my career as a tattoo artist. After beginning my artistry journey, what I fell in love most within the tattoo industry was the ability to travel and work at the same time. Guest spotting is incredible because you can meet other artists, gain experience in new environments, and spread your artwork. This truly inspires me, which is why I wanted to develop a method to make guest spotting a more seamless endeavor so that tattoo artists can build a stronger community in the United States, and all around the world.

My first ever guest spotting experience was in Austin, Texas for four days. I absolutely loved it, and immediately wanted to learn more. I asked my mentor, "If I want to tattoo in other cities, is there an application or website where I can locate studios and inquire about guest spots all in one place?" He laughed and said, "No, such a thing does not exist." He explained that getting a guest spot involved the arduous task of finding, hand selecting and contacting studios on your own. When I first started asking around, I noticed other artists who had traveled before were reluctant to share contacts and resources. This process would take me weeks or even months to complete. It was then that I realized guest spotting was a lot more work than I anticipated.

This led me down a rabbit hole of research, trying to find answers to my lingering questions. I became obsessed with the idea of traveling across the entire country and tattooing in many cities. After an enormous amount of effort I had finally managed to plan a 36 city trip all around the United States on my own. It would be an understatement to say locating studios and sending hundreds (and I mean hundreds) of emails was a task only of nightmares. The process was exhausting and inconvenient. I thought to myself how ridiculous it was that a process such as this was so difficult given the technology we have today. I had to solve this problem.

That is how GuestSpotter was born. I wanted to create this application not just for myself but also for other talented tattoo artists who want to travel. GuestSpotter is simultaneously a map and marketplace concept where two groups of people can find each other: tattoo artists and tattoo studio owners.

The good news is that even though I had to plan my guest spotting journey the old fashioned way, I did complete my trip across America. All 36 cities. During my time on the road I got to see some amazing landscapes, visit many studios, and create some of my favorite tattoo artworks in different cities. The experience I had was priceless, and I want more tattoo artists to have access to the same opportunity. I would love for cool studios with low visibility to have a place they can list their storefront, and bring more life into their businesses. GuestSpotter will be a bridge into a new world–a place where the tattooing industry is enriched and it's easier than ever to build a reliable network and partnership between tattoo artists and studios. 

100% of the money I earned during my travels went into creating GuestSpotter. This application is my dream, and I believe in it so much that I am giving it everything I have worked so hard for.

Now that I have completed my first cross country journey and developed GuestSpotter, I am looking for like-minded people to join me. I am looking for other tattoo artists and/or investors who see my vision and appreciate fresh ideas. GuestSpotter is the first application of its kind. By investing with me, you will become part of the original team that made this concept into a reality that will aid the development of a blooming tattooing industry. 

Today, GuestSpotter is already used by thousands of people–500 of them having purchased a subscription. From this anecdote, we can observe that GuestSpotter is in demand. The next step is to improve the functionality and create a more user friendly application. I’ve already received tons of feedback that I am excited to utilize, and I am looking forward to taking GuestSpotter to the next level.

Every bit of your support matters. You can invest a larger amount to officially become an investor or make a smaller donation to show your support. Check out the Kickstarter to find out how you can contribute, thank you so much!