As New Yorkers, we are constantly meeting interesting people, yet don’t have a simple way of connecting with them. Social Media is great once you have already connected with someone, but making that initial connection is a hassle that no one appreciates. Friendthem, the location based app, eliminates the search function and allows you to connect in seconds to access all of your new friend’s social handles. Whether you meet someone at a bar, café, or in a business setting, the process nevers involve more than a few clicks.
AlleyWatch chatted with CEO Charles Sankowich about the Startup and how it will boost your networking ability.
Tell us about the product or service.
Friendthem is a location-based tool that eliminates the search process in connecting via social media, with people nearby.
How is it different?
Nobody is doing what Friendthem is doing. We are not a dating app, nor are we a social network. We are an incredibly valuable tool; we enable our users to grow their following and facilitate their connectivity.
What market are you attacking and how big is it?
We’re targeting everyone who is active on one or more social networking platforms. The size of this market is hundreds of millions worldwide.
What is the business model?
We will take our daily active userbase (DAU) and use the valuable information we gather from the information to find the appropriate companies to sell advertisements to.
What inspired the business?
After a missed connection, where I struggled to find someone online who I’d connected with at a bar, I realized the need for a service that eliminates the search process for consumers. Life happens when people connect, and I wanted Friendthem to be the tool that does the work for you.
Why is an app like this necessary in the crowded social networking realm?
As social networking expands beyond ONE core platform (Facebook) and into a more diverse and niche landscape, Friendthem works to aggregate all of these online presences for you, making it easier to find people online and connect. It also eliminates the need to get the correct spellings of people’s names and handles for Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Tumblr accounts.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
Through hyper-focused marketing in a high density populated area like New York City, we plan to rapidly grow to 500 thousand DAU and expand to other strategic cities soon after.
What is the one piece of startup advice that you never got?
No one told me just how much perseverance you’d need. Startups are a grind and not for people who aren’t ultra-determined.
If you could be put in touch with anyone in the New York community who would it be and why?
I’d be honored to sit down with Gary Vaynerchuk. He’s a giant in the industry and one who would appreciate Friendthem’s power.
Why did you launch in New York?
New York City is one of the most high density and diverse communities in the country, which is ideal for our virility.
Where is your favorite bar in the city for an after work drink?
I’d have to go with Death & Co.