DO WE need another app to help us make friends?
There are so many apps out there trying to tap into the needs and wants of society. From sites selling goods to those offering dating, social gathering, sports activities, or even casual sex — every angle seems to be covered.
In this congested space, HeyMeet has spotted an opportunity and carved out a little niche for itself.
The Singapore-made app wants to take elements of these social networking apps and get you to meet up for a casual chat or a business huddle.
Founder Erik Lorenz says HeyMeet allows you to connect with like-minded professionals through user-made events, around coffee or a snack. But the trick is you need to do it within a short period of time.
Lorenz says that the immediacy of a six-hour time frame will set this Singapore-made app apart from the competition.
Social apps often create connections online and promote digital communication with a real world meeting as the end goal. HeyMeet turns that well worn formula on its head.
Online To Offline Swiftly
“We aim to move interaction from online to offline in the shortest time possible,” he explains. He declares that with the last decade’s proliferation of social media, making “real” face-to-face social connections have become increasingly difficult.
“We want to reduce time spent connecting via an electronic device and make it as easy as possible to make connections in person,” he adds.
Current social apps can successfully connect strangers but focus excessively on digital communications, thereby delaying social interactions in the “real world”. Lorenz insists that digital communications and connectivity has to be used only as a tool to facilitate a meeting as quickly as possible.
Dating apps like Tinder and Coffee Meets Bagel have paved the way for local efforts like Paktor, Blindfold, and Lunchclick and now, Lorenz believes that the market is looking for a new element in social connectivity.
“Connections are a bit like currency in business life today, and people are actively looking for it. There is real potential here!” he enthuses.
By “micro-focussing” his efforts on the business crowd in the Central Business District, he aims to encourage more activity in an area already filled with professionals looking to make new connections for business or pleasure. Lorenz adds that associating the app to routine activities not only creates ease of use but also makes the app relevant every day — a “toothbrush effect” — and will ensure that users remain active.
He adds that the app also provides the opportunity for food and beverage (F&B) owners to host their own events and build their clientele base.
