As a seasoned Rachio Pro for years now with hundreds of Rachio’s installed I have wondered about the future of Rachio. The new fertilizer program seems a bit out of touch and really just angered the licensed professionals in the industry leaving them to ask “why would Rachio compete with us, and take business away from us.” Yes, fertilizer is on every corner marketed to homeowners all the time. However, they have to buy equipment to spread it and make an effort to lift and purchase it several times a year. Once again I can not wrap my head around the strategy here. Every time I look at where Rachio has been and try to figure out where Rachio is headed I have this reoccurring movie clip in my head from the movie (Knight and Day). Where Tom Cruise explains to Cameron Diaz’s success of life “with me / without me”. Feel free to watch the clip on your own, it speaks volumes. Rachio has a unique opportunity to jump ahead of the major manufactures in weather stations. Taking a deep dive into what is out there for the Pro’s to install for the homeowners and what homeowners want is a proper weather station that connects directly to the Rachio controller “wirelessly”. The major manufactures are working overtime trying to figure out how to connect to products they already have using dongles and such. An absolute nightmare for Pro’s to troubleshoot. I have a PWS and my biggest complaint is the inside piece needs to be tethered to my computer for wifi connection. It would be great for Rachio to figure out how to work with a PWS maker and BRAND it Rachio that would connect directly to my GEN 3. All my weather is on my dashboard in my Rachio app.
It is time for Rachio to sell something that works with the Rachio’s we already have in our homes. It is a win win for everyone and it a product that everyone wants and needs for continued Water Conservation!