What Building a Travel eSIM Startup Taught Me About Friction

Serhii Pustovit — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:38:47 +0000

When people think about startups, they often think about features.

More pages. More tools. More integrations. More dashboards.

But after building ViaConecta — a global eSIM platform for travelers — I learned that growth often comes from removing things, not adding them.

Travelers Don’t Want Features. They Want Resolution.

A traveler landing in a new country usually wants one thing:

Internet. Now.

They don’t care about your roadmap.
They don’t care about your architecture.
They don’t care how clever your onboarding flow is.

They want the problem solved in under 60 seconds.

That changes how you build products.

Every Extra Step Is Expensive

At first, many startup flows feel “reasonable”:

Create account
Verify email
Choose country
Compare plans
Add billing info
Confirm password
Login again

But for someone in an airport with 8% battery and no data, this is a disaster.

So we started removing steps.

What We Changed

We launched a faster buying flow:

Choose destination
Select plan
Enter email
Pay
Receive eSIM instantly

No forced registration.

Accounts can happen in the background later.

That one shift changed how we think about product design.

Simplicity Builds Trust

Many founders think trust comes from adding more text, badges, and explanations.

Sometimes trust comes from clarity:

clear pricing
fast checkout
clean interface
immediate delivery
no surprises

Users feel when something is easy for the right reasons.

Startups Overbuild Too Early

A lot of early-stage founders (myself included) spend time building systems nobody asked for.

The better question is:

What can I remove today that increases conversions tomorrow?

Final Thought

People rarely remember how many features your startup had.

They remember whether it worked when they needed it most.

That’s the standard we’re trying to build toward with ViaConecta.

Beyond Connection: Why We Built a "Human-First" Global eSIM Store

Serhii Pustovit — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 11:53:02 +0000

In 2026, traveling involves sharing sensitive data with dozens of services. Airlines, hotels, and apps all want your information. The problem isn't that accounts exist—the problem is that they are difficult to manage and insecure.

When building ViaConecta, we decided to flip the script. We wanted a platform that combines the speed of a startup with the security of a bank.

Here is our philosophy on Security, Data, and Simplicity.

Frictionless Onboarding (The 30-Second Rule)

We believe that creating an account shouldn't feel like filling out a tax return. At ViaConecta, we integrated modern authentication (Google Sign-In) to make onboarding instant.

No useless forms: You connect in one click.

You are in control: You have a personal dashboard to track your data usage and top up instantly.

Optional Details: Want to complete your profile (Gender, DOB)? You can. Don't want to? You don't have to. We respect your choice.

Bank-Grade Payments with Stripe

We don't reinvent the wheel when it comes to your money. We partnered with Stripe, the global standard for payments.

We never see your card number: Your financial data is handled directly by Stripe's encrypted vaults.

Apple Pay & Google Pay: Pay with a fingerprint or FaceID. It’s the fastest and safest way to buy connectivity on the go.

Why a "Dashboard" Matters

Some services offer "throwaway" eSIMs. We offer a Digital Home for your connectivity. Because you have a secure account with us, you can:

Check your remaining GB balance in real-time.

Top up your existing eSIM without installing a new one.

Keep your purchase history organized for expense reports.

ViaConecta is about transparency. We use technology not to hide things, but to make your travel experience seamless and secure.