Do you remember being a little kid and bartering – maybe it was trading snacks at lunch, baseball cards, or even candy on Halloween. Swade is a mobile app that makes bartering possible, at scale, for practically anything. In the app, you have the ability to barter not only items but also services. Have an expensive knife set laying around that you don’t use? Why not trade it for some graphic design for your next social media campaign. Your experience on the platform is tailored to your preferences and you have the ability to combine the disposition of items with the acquisition of desired items to ensure you are not just accumulating clutter. You can also upload an item and see what the market value of it is and easily trade the item for something of equivalent value that’s listed on the platform.
AlleyWatch interviewed founder Christian Smeltzer to learn about the launch of this mobile app, Swade.
Tell us about the product or service that Swade offers.
Swade is a SAAS (Software as a service) which gives users the ability to barter items and services. Swade let’s user receive limitless options since any other item on the site can be offered on behalf of that item. Users can combine the sale and purchase process getting their desired item and ridding themselves of unwanted (or unneeded) items simultaneously.
How is Swade different?
No full spectrum barter platform currently exists. Swade gives users endless options for getting rid of their items, unlike a sales app in which your article competes with every similar article.
How will you ensure that the items available for sale are in the actual condition stated?
Profile moderation, picture requirements, in-app messaging for questions, and user-to-user rating system.
What market does Swade target and how big is it?
All individuals with internet access. Primarily Gen X and Baby Boomers with hundreds of millions of potential users each.
What is the business model?
Solid-State Investment Management.
What inspired the start of Swade?
My personal experience on my farm in Missouri state where I traded equipment for tools, services, etc.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
+3K users / 150 trades weekly.
What is the one piece of startup advice that you never got?
Just because it should’ve been done by now doesn’t mean it has. Even if it has been done, the fact we cannot think of who did it means that they didn’t do it right.
If you could be put in touch with anyone in the New York community who would it be and why?
Gary Vaynerchuk, we think the same way and he would be an amazing resource.
Why did you launch in New York?
I moved here to grow my finance management experience so that one day when I pitched for Swade; I’d have clout. 4 years later, it’s time!
What’s your favorite restaurant in the city?
Zenkichi in Williamsburg.
