Have you ever arrived at new city and wondered where the locals eat? Where the best clubs are? Where the best coffee shops are? Where the best places to hang out are at? Sure you could do some research on the internet but avoiding tourist traps has always been difficult. If only there was an app for that. Well thankfully there is. Meet Sphere, the app that will help you connect with locals.
The vision
The vision for Sphere was simple – “‘to get people back together as communities and become the one stop shop for just about everything.” In today’s information age it seems almost absurd that thus far there hasn’t been a proper platform in which we can share information in real time based on location. Sphere strives to allow users to share knowledge with each other and allow its user to avoid local tourist traps and shady businesses.
What does Sphere do?
Sphere connects you with helpful and friendly locals around your current location in real time. No matter where you are heading you can get personal suggestions and make new friends.
If you’re looking for a romantic restaurant to take your date to, just ask the locals. They will get back to you with suggestions for the best places and deals. Would you rather enjoy a cold beer with someone in your area? No problem. Drop a message and see if anyone is around and free. The app utilizes your GPS location and tries to find relevant users that can help.
What inspired the founding team to launch the Sphere app?
David, the founder of Sphere told Bizzvenue that the idea came from a need he saw. David saw that there was a demand for local information on the go. People need to get directions and suggestions that require human experience, you need to ask people, but you wont ask random people on the street for a recommended restaurant or doctor. That’s why Sphere was made. With Sphere you simply launch the app and connect directly to the locals in your area. It’s like Facebook, but everything is location based. Locals can share their experiences with others and this information is extremely valuable.
What was the biggest challenge with the Sphere project?
David told Bizzvenue that building the app was actually the easy part. It was simply a matter of time until the project was completed. The hardest part was getting users. Users are critical for apps of this nature as the whole experience revolves around user engagement. Without active users the app is useless. Therefore a carefully planned launch strategy was planned for specific areas. This all becomes even harder as the venture has been bootstrapping its way along without any proper funding thus far.
Are there any exciting future updates in the works?
The plan is to implement a mechanism that would allow users to make cheap calls to each other via VOIP within the app, get the best deals in their area on the go and even make payments within the app. Another cool feature that the Sphere team would like to implement is a system that would allow locals a connection with city officials, so as to communicate if there are any problems in the city.
What’s the number one priority for Sphere moving forward?
You can only go so far by bootstrapping. Thus getting funding in order to expand quickly into new markets is the number one priority at the Sphere HQ right now.
Why should you download the app?
We gave David one paragraph to make a case for himself and try to persuade you to download his app. David told Bizzvenue that if you value your time, money and the experiences of others you need his app. By using the suggestions of the local community you avoid many problems. You will enjoy access to details you could never get without someones else’s experience. Say you’re looking for a good place to take your date but it must be also non-smoking place and have a gluten-free menu. You will need to do a lot of research beforehand in order to find the perfect place. With our packed schedules, many of us simply don’t have the time to read hundreds of reviews. Sphere solves this problem by allowing locals to share their suggestions with you.
Sphere’s top tip for entrepreneurs who want to get into app development
The Sphere team told Bizzvene that it’s critical that the founding team have a strong vision and be constantly working on something they truly care about. You need to be dedicated because there will be many obstacles along the way and you need to be motivated to get past them.
