
Launch HN: Fiix (YC W17) – Same-Day Auto Repair at Your Home - khallil
Hi HN, we’re the founders of Fiix (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.fiix.io" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.fiix.io</a>). We’re a startup from Toronto, Canada in the YC W17 batch.<p>We send licensed auto mechanics to your home to fix your car within 3 hours. All you need to do is send us a message over chat. We figure out what your car needs and send over a vetted mechanic with all the parts and tools to perform the repair at your home.<p>We started the company as “TireSwap” from Arif’s parent’s attic as a way to have your tires changed at home. Our customers asked for more and more repairs, until we offered over 300 services. We rebranded to “Fiix” and were accepted into the YC Fellowship (somewhat unorthodoxly!) via Snapchat (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=11678286" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=11678286</a>). Since then, we&#x27;ve quit our jobs, repaired thousands of cars, and are now processing almost $100k&#x2F;month in sales.<p>Getting our unit economics right has been the most important takeaway from YC. We’re priced so we have enough money to acquire customers, offer a great price, and earn a profit to grow the business. We’d love to hear what you think about our company, and if you have any tips on local growth, those would be appreciated!
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warcher
I love this idea, but it's also some super hood shit. This is absolutely a
done thing in lower income areas-- "shade tree mechanics" is the term of art I
know. I would imagine the biggest issue would be ensuring a feeling of
reliability and professionalism to a sort of sketchy proposition. (A random
stranger coming to your house to work on your car.) Plus, as a practicing
shade tree mechanic when I was young and broke and keeping my friends' fleet
of beaters more or less roadworthy, having a suitable facility for mechanic
work is a challenge. I hate having my ass hanging out in the street while I'm
working on a car. I hate working in the cold. Where's the power for my
compressor and lights? Folks with a garage typically will tow their stuff to
the shop.

~~~
ArifBhanji
Thank you! We're trying to change the way consumers see this service. Our
mechanics dress clean, bring you your favourite coffee, and teach you a bit
about the repair as well to educate you about the trade. Our customers range
from low to high income individuals who just want to save time and effort and
spend that time with their family or on their hobbies. We've seen a ton of our
customers build strong relationships with our mechanics and request them over
and over again. I do agree that working remotely is tougher to do then at a
shop and that is why we compensate mechanics 3x more than a shop and provide
them the independence of a business owner. We've seen happiness on both sides
of the equation so we will keep pushing!

~~~
doctorcroc
It sounds like you guys are on the right track, but small input -- the coffee
bit is somewhat campy. I think it's kind of unnecessary burden on your
mechanics that will be tough to uphold as you scale. Additionally, speaking
from personal needs, I couldn't care less if I got coffee -- I just want a
professional mechanic who won't fleece me. Stick to making that your value
prop, and I think both sides of the marketplace (techs, and consumers) will be
better off for it.

~~~
redstallion
There's a reason why people have pointed out the flaws of this model for a
while now: [https://www.quora.com/How-is-YourMechanic-doing-
lately/answe...](https://www.quora.com/How-is-YourMechanic-doing-
lately/answer/Karl-Walter-1/comment/12206733)

'But the flaw is this: "All you need to provide is a driveway or parking space
where the mechanic can work"

I feel any decent mechanic will not work under these conditions. It is
unreasonable to think good quality work can be done without a properly
outfitted shop.'

~~~
warcher
They do limit the jobs they're willing to take on, and you'd be amazed at the
work you can do with a good set of socket wrenches, a nice hydraulic jack, and
maybe one of those ODB2 readers to talk to the computer.

I think if they got into professionally evaluating used cars alone it'd be a
pretty useful service. Buying a used car, boom, send out a mechanic before you
hand over the cash.

Does seem like it'd wind up being expensive relative to say, a Jiffy Lube,
which seems like it's on a roughly equivalent level of service. Another one of
those startups marking up service industry conveniences for the affluent.
(That's not a value judgment, it's just a familiar business model.)

~~~
nstart
> They do limit the jobs they're willing to take on, and you'd be amazed at
> the work you can do with a good set of socket wrenches, a nice hydraulic
> jack, and maybe one of those ODB2 readers to talk to the computer.

Second this. In Sri Lanka, quite a few of us depend on some mechanics we know
to come home to do repairs for us. My car's been saved quite a bit this way
(one particular time was when the coolant stopped flowing through the radiator
due to a jammed thermo). Quite often the work involved taking out most of the
pieces sitting under the hood.

The most difficult part was the reliability of bringing the mechanic down. So
it's pretty cool to see this service here. I'd gladly pay for something like
it in SL.

------
pmcollins
Here's what I want: To take my car to a gleaming, state of the art repair
facility with every tool I could ever need, staffed by auto mechanic "coaches"
who will help me repair my car myself.

~~~
packeted
These places do exist, I worked on friend's car at an awesome place called
Lifted in Fremont. They had all the tools you could want and a knowledge crew
to get you out of sticky situations. It looks like there are a few other
places throughout the Bay Area too. I think the challenge was inexperienced
people coming in and underestimating the task they were taking on or screwing
things up and having to leave their cars at the shop for what was originally a
day job.

~~~
cjensen
Being in Fremont, I immediately searched to learn more. It's permanently
closed.

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cialowicz
This is really neat, and I think it could work well for most basic maintenance
work. I'm really curious about the logistics.

How do you handle catastrophic failures during a repair? For example, what
happens when a rusty bolt head snaps off and now a component needs to be
drilled and tapped? I've worked on my fair share of older cars that have lived
their lives on salty New England roads, and this happens more often than you'd
think. Does the car get towed to a repair garage in these cases?

I see wheel/tire mounting and balancing listed as a service. How does that
work? Are you able to get the balancing machine into the service vehicle, or
do you pick them up, leave the car on jack stands, and then bring them back
balanced (probably disconcerting for the customer)?

~~~
khallil
I'm glad you like the idea :)

We have a few partner shops across the city that we'll get the car towed to in
the case that we can't complete the work at their home. That being said, we've
completed thousands of repairs and less than 1% have needed the tow service.

Off rim tire changes and wheel balancing are the only services we offer that
are non-mobile. These are 'experiments' for now, but we have them on the site
because we have other mobile partners that will bring a large truck with the
balancing machine and complete the repair.

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dwynings
How do you guys compare yourselves to
[https://www.yourmechanic.com/](https://www.yourmechanic.com/), also a YC
startup?

~~~
overcast
Other than servicing Toronto, that yourmechanic doesn't seem to be available
in, not much. Looks like these guys are pretty established with a much better
quoting interface. fiix requires me to input my name/number, and other details
that piss me off. Just for the price to show up.

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dbot
How do you avoid the issue that home cleaning companies encountered? Namely,
once they use your service to create a relationship, the customer can contact
the mechanic directly and cut you out?

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mtreis86
What have the legalities been like for you to do this in Canada? As a mechanic
in the USA (ASE a decade ago) I was told multiple times that repairs cannot be
at a customer's residence due to both EPA regulations on fluid contamination
and various local or state zoning ordinances.

~~~
emodendroket
Well I guess the Silicon Valley way is to start a company that flagrantly
violates the law and then lobby until it's made legal.

~~~
sporkmonger
Give Pruitt a few weeks. :-P

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dbg31415
It just seems really ghetto to have someone come to my house to do the work.
Trying to get a sense for who would use this... I already have a mechanic I
trust, he's less than 5 minutes away from my house... and I can just drop my
car off and pick it up when I'm done. Do a lot of other people not have
preferred mechanics already?

Also doing car repair in the driveway or on the street -- in many
neighborhoods this would be a violation of the HOA agreement. We aren't
allowed to do vehicle repair anywhere visible from the street (so like my
garage door would have to be closed in order to avoid an HOA fine).

Just seems sketch... My AC goes out and I'm going to call some guy in a van to
come put a new one in? Can he change my oil? Recharge my AC? What about spills
and leaks, who cleans that up if it gets on my driveway or lawn? For a variety
of reasons, mechanic shops better suited for this sort of work. Is this even
kosher with the EPA?

Edit: Looked at the site... wiper replacement and battery replacement were
some services offered. Yup... got it, I'm not the target audience for this.

~~~
emodendroket
> Edit: Looked at the site... wiper replacement and battery replacement were
> some services offered. Yup... got it, I'm not the target audience for this.

I feel like even the least car-savvy person on Earth can figure out how to
change their own windshield wipers.

~~~
wapz
I'm hoping that mos people who pay for windshield wiper replacements get it
bundled. Let's say they don't want to leave their house to get an oil change
(and are too lazy to do it themselves). They go to the site and request an oil
change. Then they remember their wipers are going bad and don't want to pick
them up or order them online. So they just pay the _extra_ $5-$20 or whatever
the company charges to have the mechanic replace it for them.

~~~
emodendroket
I guess that makes sense. I think I bought them from a mechanic once, when I
was getting the state test and they said the ones I had wouldn't pass.

~~~
dbg31415
So yeah I think my biggest concern about this... I have a mechanic. But even
if I didn't... I would want a mechanic. I don't want some random guy showing
up each time. This isn't like Uber, it's more like a dentist... I guess some
people probably don't request the same hygienist each time... but I some jobs
I want done by someone I have a relationship with. I want to deal with the
same person on a regular basis, know he does a good job, trust him, and not
leave it to chance each time I need my car serviced. Maybe it's different for
people in bigger cities...

~~~
wapz
If you think about how their service started--as a tire replacement service--I
don't think it's as concerning. If I wanted my tires changed or rotated I
don't care who does it (I always took my bike to the CycleGear but that's just
because they always had good rates for tires). But once something big happens
to your vehicle I'm with you and can't imagine calling over a random mechanic
(nor do I think they can do a sufficient job repairing it in a driveway).

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sergiotapia
This service is only available in Toronto, Canada.

Seems like a good idea if the price is right. I'd love this for regular car
maintenance.

~~~
jacquesm
I'd hate to be a mechanic working outdoors in winter Toronto. Just thinking of
handling steel tools with un-gloved hands (otherwise you can't grasp much)
makes me feel sorry for those folks.

~~~
pbhjpbhj
>Just thinking of handling steel tools with un-gloved hands //

Nearly all the mechanics I see working now in the UK have gloves, tight
fitting "latex" ones. I suspect it's in part to do with evidence suggesting
used engine oil is strong carcinogen, and also because most garages have open
fronts here. There are plenty of other fluids knocking around you don't really
want to be in contact with a lot; also even light latex gloves will stop some
scuffs and nicks. I've used them myself occasionally, when it's very cold
(just above 0degC/freezing) they help a lot.

Gloves seem more common the more expensive the service is too, so it might be
a company mandated 'health and safety' protection.

~~~
jacquesm
Interesting. I've never found gloves I could comfortably work with, especially
when the area I'm working on is out of view (which is more often than not with
cars). Which inevitably leads to lots of scrapes so I can totally understand
why gloves would be mandatory.

------
cellularmitosis
I just tried "Brakes to go" today for the first time (basically your model,
but only for brakes), and I am now totally sold on this idea. Granted, Brakes
to go has a much simpler problem to solve (much easier for them to just show
up with every possible part they could need to replace, then figure out what
they need on-site), but I see no reason you couldn't expand their idea in
similar ways (perhaps dedicated mechanics with rigs dedicated for specific
jobs). Judging by the Yelp reviews for Brakes to go in Austin, I'm definitely
not the only one enamores with this idea. Best of luck!

------
mrbill
Sounds similar to yourmechanic.com, which I've used a couple of years ago -
although you have to schedule an appointment, versus 3-hour service.

Had them replace my alternator (I'd had AAA tow the car back to my driveway)
and the guy showed up early, did good work, and had it ready to go within an
hour. Cost me $200, but it was a lot more convenient than having the car towed
elsewhere and then getting the work done.

------
overcast
Let's get serious for a moment here. Beyond relatively simple home garage
fixes, how do you plan on addressing larger issues that a mobile service could
never handle. Something that requires a lift for example? Exhausts,
transmission, basically anything under the body. Are teams available? How did
you handle mounting / balancing with TireSwap?

~~~
Danihan
The mechanic shows up in a tow truck.

~~~
pbhjpbhj
Does anyone make a mobile car lift, like a truck with an embedded hydraulic
lift. Seems doable, just not sure if it would be worth selling because you can
tow to a lift and that lift would be [much] cheaper?

~~~
cellularmitosis
Perhaps something like a PODs truck? [http://www.merchantcircle.com/pods-
peoria-moving-and-storage...](http://www.merchantcircle.com/pods-peoria-
moving-and-storage-peoria-il/picture/view/2845479)

------
nautical
A related article trending on HN couple of months back
[https://medium.com/@afarrington/ycombinator-backed-fiix-
io-i...](https://medium.com/@afarrington/ycombinator-backed-fiix-io-is-a-
scam-f90584231a0e#.r3jq8vru4)

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emodendroket
Why would someone choose this service for basic stuff over something like AAA?
For more complex stuff, do you really want "just some guy" showing up and
doing the work on your driveway?

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alangibson
How do you deal with local ordinances? This shadetree mechanic thing is
illegal in a lot of municipalities and is forbidden in every apartment lease
contract I ever signed in Texas.

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whistlerbrk
This is a great idea, but I don't see why I would want to book a specific
mechanic rather than let you choose the best one for me based off my
model/make/needs.

~~~
khallil
The main flow of the website is to let us pick the mechanic for you, but for
customers that really want to choose their mechanic, they can book directly at
fiix.io/mechanics

------
brazzledazzle
I was legitimately disappointed that I couldn't use this today
(US/California). Is there any way I can signup for a notification when you
expand to my area?

Congrats on the launch!

------
Wagthesam
Very smart team, excited to see the Canadian ecosystem grow

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elmar
forget the mechanics thing, just do a snapchat channel you guys rock it on
social media.

------
james98
Great idea, looks like you've got the right team to do it as well

------
salimavisram
Such a great idea! How did you get into YC via snapchat?!

~~~
khallil
We pitched to Justin Kan on his snapchat story, and got an interview for the
YC Fellowship. If you're interested, you can read the whole story here:
[https://hackernoon.com/how-to-make-20-000-on-snapchat-and-
ge...](https://hackernoon.com/how-to-make-20-000-on-snapchat-and-get-into-y-
combinator-2513a7ee371d#.r32kj8hqy)

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saidmasoud
Any plans to go international, particularly state side?

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getchamba
Are you providing a warranty on the work completed?

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cCWS
Thank you!!

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mattsolm
This looks exactly like YourMechanic (also YC company), with a far less
refined product. Actually there is no product. It is just a chat interface.
Also, your pages seem to be broken; for example:
[https://www.fiix.io/estimates/Audi/A4/Coolant-Flush-
cost](https://www.fiix.io/estimates/Audi/A4/Coolant-Flush-cost) shows estimate
of $0. In fact almost all the Audi A4 estimate pages have $0 (at least all the
ones i opened).

What exactly would you say is the differentiating factor, other than the fact
that they don't service Canada?

~~~
redstallion
+1, this type of business suffers from the same problems that an Uber for $x
would have. The moment YourMechanic were to expand to Toronto and undercut the
competition, they would corner the market.

Because there's very little human touch to the mobile mechanic business model
in addition to how infrequent one would use Fiix, people are in no way swayed
on picking between YourMechanic or this - it all comes down to price
competition.

I would definitely not invest in this product, especially because it's based
in the Greater Toronto Area (for similar reasons why Instacart started in
tech-savvy cities like New York and San Francisco instead of most of the GTA
which is suburbia - for one to grow the seed for such modern apps, they should
plant them in the most forward-thinking communities).

~~~
ttaubkin
Is it not suspicious that both mattsolm and redstallion were created minutes
before these comments were made. And both focus on promoting YourMechanic.
It's okay to have competition, no need to be shady about it.

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marginalcodex
Hi Khallil,

I just sent an email to your About.me account. If that's no longer active, is
there another address I can reach you at?

Thanks,

Daniel

~~~
khallil
khallil@fiix.io or m.me/km

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fiatjaf
What is this "Launch HN" thing now?

~~~
sctb
It's a new thing we've been experimenting with for this YC batch. See
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13670456](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13670456)
and
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13492779](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13492779)
for some background. Now's a good time to share any thoughts about it if you'd
like to send us an email at hn@ycombinator.com.

~~~
jacquesm
Suggestion: disable flags for these submissions.

