Picture your car transformed into the perfect weekend getaway machine. Not with expensive modifications or bulky equipment that takes over your garage, but with a simple solution that fits in your closet between adventures.

That’s exactly what Murray White couldn’t find when he moved to Colorado with his 4Runner. He saw thousands of car owners spending weekends building custom wooden platforms or shelling out thousands for rooftop tents. There had to be a better way to balance daily driving with weekend wanderlust.

In 2023, an unexpected layoff from his tech sales job gave Murray three months of severance pay and a choice: take another corporate position or turn the prototype in his garage into something real. He chose the prototype. Today, his company, Hele Outdoors, is helping car owners across the country turn their everyday vehicles into adventure-ready camping rigs in minutes, not months.

From Problem to Prototype

After five years in tech sales, Murray understood the value of market research. “I did a massive amount of research on forums, websites, and YouTube videos, and I saw millions of people taking an interest in ‘custom built’ platforms,” he explains. His own experience searching for a solution made him the perfect test customer. “My biggest benefit during the design phase was that I was the ideal customer. I knew exactly what was needed.”

Murray’s approach to design was remarkably straightforward. Armed with just paper and pen, he sketched out his ideas before translating them into detailed documents with precise measurements. This no-frills method proved effective in bringing his vision to life.

The Hele Box emerged from three versions of prototypes and years of tinkering. The lightweight sleeping platform includes adjustable legs to clear vehicle obstacles, while its carrying case doubles as storage and converts into a camping table. This simple design solves a complex problem: how to camp comfortably without compromising your daily driver.

Boulder County proved the perfect testing ground. “The Boulder Community would graciously let me test my prototype frames in their vehicles free of charge,” Murray notes. This community feedback shaped each iteration during his intensive development sprint. “It was a blitz for 3 months straight – I would work on the prototype, test it in strangers cars, make adjustments, and repeat.”

Building a Business from the Ground Up

When previous employers offered him safe options to return to tech sales, Murray made a calculated choice. “The safe bet was to take one of those and continue working on Hele Outdoors on the side. The reality is that there’s no way I would’ve been able to get done what I needed to by juggling both jobs.”

Finding the right manufacturing partner was a deliberate process. Murray started with a broad list of potential manufacturers, narrowing it down to 5-10 through initial conversations. His first interactions taught him valuable lessons about communication. “I quickly learned that you have to spend the time introducing yourself, needs, and being transparent about what you’ll need from them.” After receiving samples from the shortlisted manufacturers, he made his final selection based on quality and capability.

By April 2024, Murray launched pre-sales with a calculated risk but maintained a safety net: “We made sure not to spend any of the money earned in pre-sales so that if everything blew up in our face, we could at least refund their money.”

The first production run followed shortly after. “Our first production run was 200 units, it was all we could afford at the time!” Murray recalls. “We thought it would last us 6 months, but we were sold out in less than 3!” One unexpected challenge during this phase was shipping costs. “Some of our parts come from overseas, and the shipping costs really started to add up as we were against the clock on pre-orders and needed to get them landed sooner than later,” Murray explains.

May brought the first shipments to customers, and the initial sales validated his market research. “When that first sale came through – I was ecstatic.” An unexpected boost came through social media: “I lucked out and had one of my first Instagram posts go semi-viral (reaching 1m views). What surprised me, was that it was for a video I thought was mediocre!”

As the sole employee, Murray maintains a hands-on approach to customer service. “I check my email constantly, if a customer question or concern comes up, I stop everything I’m doing and handle it!” he says. “People buy from people, but it helps to have a kick-ass product as well.”

The company’s success led to expansion, including a Duo version for two people and “stubbies” – shorter adjustable legs for more headroom. Murray also committed 3% of profits to nature conservation efforts, connecting his business success with environmental stewardship.

Turning Personal Need into Market Opportunity

For those starting their own business, Murray White offers this insight: “There’s no outline to success, no one telling you where you should invest your time and money. You have to trust your gut and learn from your mistakes (fast!)”

Murray’s success shows what can happen when you combine personal needs with market research and decisive action. He saw a gap in the market because he lived it. He tested his idea with real users before spending money on inventory. Most importantly, he didn’t wait for perfect conditions. He took his prototype, his three months of runway, and his understanding of future customers and moved forward. His growing customer base demonstrates that solving your own problem can lead to solving it for others, too. Next time you spot a gap in a market you know well, your frustration might just be your opportunity.