Blizzard is good news for this Boston-area weather information startup



Blizzard is good news for this Boston-area weather information startup

One Boston-area startup is seeing an uptick in business because of this week’s blizzard.

Newburyport-based What to Wear, which offers email subscribers daily clothing suggestions based on the weather and other weather-related information, expects to see an increase in subscribers because of the snow, said founder and CEO Joshua Porter.

“We get a lot more attention during inclement weather in general; sign-ups go way up,” Porter said in an email. “Our service is all about preparedness, so this is really when we shine and when people are thinking a lot about how weather affects their lives.”

Tuesday’s clothing suggestions for women around Boston: a heavyweight sweater, either chunky cotton or wool, warm pants and winter boots with a heavyweight jacket, scarf, mittens, and optional accessories such as lip balm (for the cold winter air) and a hair tie (for the wind).

The email also features clothing suggestions from San Francisco-based visual discovery tool Pinterest, top headlines, and tips on whether it’s a good day, weather-wise, to bike to work or go to the gym.

Subscribers to the free daily email are currently in the “many thousands,” and Porter could see triple or quadruple the number of sign-ups during a blizzard such as this, he said.

For now, the email is solely targeted at Boston-area residents and Porter’s company is self-funded with an undisclosed amount.

Porter is the former director of user experience for Cambridge-based sales and marketing software firm HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS). He said he does not yet have a revenue-generating strategy for the startup; and instead is focused on improving the email and expanding to include weather-related information from other cities.

What to Wear is one of a few Boston startups that are seeing an increase in business due to the blizzard, including Boston-based on-demand alcohol delivery service Drizly.


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