Case Study

Case Study: Chapter Eleven

Introduction

MetroNaps is a new take on an old idea that provides comfortable facilities for a daytime powernap in city locations. Based on research conducted at Carnegie Mellon University, the MetroNap Pod is designed to provide a recharge pod for meditation and power-napping so they can do more with their day, both professionally and personally.

A product of MetroNaps, an EnergyPod looks something like an ergonomically designed lawn chair from a futuristic space movie. The shield provides some privacy, headphone jacks allow music listeners to plug in, and the timer in the armrest starts the pod shaking gently and increases lighting levels when time is up so customers can’t oversleep. The sleeping pods are rented in 20-minutes increments and at the convenient locations. It includes its first location in the Empire State Building, which open in 2004. The first 20 minutes of nap time cost $14; for an additional 20 minutes, they pay $9.50 more.

The founders of MetroNaps, Arshad Chowdhury comes out with this idea because he realized that many of his coworkers at a New York investment bank were sneaking off to the bathroom to “rest their eyes” for 15 minutes or simply fall asleep at their desk. That problem seems clear to him. People simply were not getting enough sleep. But the solution seemed less obvious, especially in the 24/7 modern environment, in which people are bombarded with information, entertainment, and deadlines, making it difficult for them to unwind and get to sleep at night.

When Chowdhury found started researching further, he noted that for two decades, studied had suggested that naps improve job performance. But most companies tend to discourage napping. What these sleep deprives people really needed was a way to get away for a little shut-eye, a difficult undertaking, especially in urban environment. So MetroNaps instead offers a sleeping pod.

Recently, the company has ventured into the B2B market by selling...