PAMETNA HRVATSKA Mihaela Visinski

Guest Mihaela VisinskiHosted by Boris ŽivkovićMay 3, 2026

Mihaela Visinski

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

Building a local alternative to a global giant like Google Street View might seem like a daunting prospect. Yet, Mihaela Visinski, co-founder of Event Roaster, chose to compete by focusing on what the behemoth couldn't — or wouldn't — deliver: hyper-local relevance, up-to-date information, and deeply curated content. Her startup's mobile application, RouteMap, aims to transform how visitors and locals alike discover and navigate cities, starting with Zagreb. This conversation explores the strategies of carving out a niche against an established player, the unexpected challenges of scaling, and the quiet determination required to build a product that truly serves its community. You will walk away considering how local expertise can outmaneuver global scale, and why quality often matters more than sheer volume.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Google Street View's photos are often nearly a decade old, cluttered with outdated businesses that no longer exist. RouteMap's core proposition is its commitment to fresh, locally curated content, demonstrating that in an era of information overload, quality and relevance can be a powerful differentiator against sheer volume.

After launching in Zagreb, Mihaela Visinski aims to expand RouteMap to tourist-heavy regions like Istria and the coast, but also prioritizes Slavonia and other rural areas often overlooked by tech. Growth isn't only about targeting the largest markets; it can also mean serving the communities that need digital visibility most.

RouteMap gained significant tourist downloads after providing stickers to private renters, who then placed them in their accommodation units. Your most effective marketing channel might not be direct advertising, but empowering existing service providers to onboard their own customers to your tool.

Mihaela Visinski was rejected from EU innovation funds, and reflects that her own 'perfectionism' often delays applying for opportunities until she feels the product is truly ready. Sometimes, the biggest barrier to funding isn't the external market, but an internal standard of perfection that delays seeking crucial support.

While Google Street View's data is often a decade old, Mihaela Visinski plans to refresh RouteMap's visual content with two dedicated cars, starting in Zagreb. Outcompeting a giant isn't always about superior technology; it's often about the relentless, on-the-ground commitment to keeping information current.

RouteMap's data shows tourists primarily seek historical sites and local cuisine, while locals use the app more for nightlife. Understanding that different user segments have distinct, even opposing, needs is crucial for designing a product that serves everyone effectively.

RouteMap aims to integrate features like taxi ordering and public transport schedules directly into the app, so users don't need 'a hundred additional applications.' The true path to user convenience often lies not in adding more features, but in consolidating existing needs into a single, comprehensive platform.

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