Friends Around

Nowadays we find it easier and easier to share everything about ourselves online. I remember when I first started using Twitter, it asked “What are you thinking?”. My response was “Why do you want to know?”  But I quickly caught on and liked the idea of sharing and reading other people’s thoughts.

(Friends Around Me app screen shot)

Today we are taking it a step further.  With all the “check in” apps available, we not only let everyone know what we are thinking and doing, we also specifically announce where we are.  I get it.  But “Why would I want to do that?” is the question that I’ve heard constantly.  Here’s are some of my thoughts.

For businesses, the location aware capability is an interesting new way of collecting data, getting to know your customer, and getting more people in your shop.  I believe it’s something they have to do.  Here’s a quick How-To for business.

For users, this makes you more social, you can see where your friends are going, which places they constantly visit, check ins provide a sort of competition - making for great conversation starters.

If businesses keep getting smarter (as some have done already) they can offer deals to people who check in often, for example.  It just makes sense - it’s a win/win - you get a deal, they get you to go and spread the word.

So why would I want to share my location?

-to find others that are near me

-to see if I get any deals

-to get tips on what I should do / or avoid

Why would you want to share your location?  Are you still hesitant to do so?

It’s been busy here at Zila Networks while we are preparing for the launch of the application.  Lot’s of things getting done!

Today our new website is up and we are extremely happy to share it with you!

http://www.friendsaround.me

What do you think?  Send us your comments.
You can also talk to Egor (co-founder) directly via Twitter: @elavrov

If you search the Internet today trying to find an experienced iPhone developer you are going to be surprised. There are close to none that are available. It may sound ridiculous: there are almost 200,000 apps in the Apple iTunes App Store. Who made them all? Well, of course: developers. The problem is they are mostly already hired.

It reminds me of the 90s when the Internet was becoming popular and since all companies wanted to have their own web page, they were hiring students who knew a little bit of HTML to make their home pages. Web developers in the 90s were kings; it was very easy to find a good job. Fast-forward to now and you are free to choose from hundreds of thousands of companies around the world, millions of freelancers and zillions of unemployed HTML gurus.

Almost the same thing that happened 15 years ago is occurring now. All companies, from big oil businesses to your local bar, want to have a presence online - today this includes Twitter, Facebook, and of course they also want to have their own iPhone app. It is an image thing, it is a must - banks, restaurants, magazines, everyone wants to showcase their app. Every kid has a dream app, every IT entrepreneur has or had a brilliant idea for an app.

Developers who work for big corporations, releasing one update a month for their app are doing very well.  In most cases we are talking about just creating or updating a UI to some existing corporate web presence, so not too much work to do, and they do receive a good salary.

Developers working for the companies that make the most popular apps on iTunes - the ones you can see on the “Top 100” list - are working day and night, many of them making very decent money in addition to owning stakes in the companies. Most might be in fact founders of their own companies.

So what is left for us, the entrepreneurs, who want to revolutionize the mobile space, but do not program ourselves? Well, we have to raise a lot of capital to be able to hire those people that are already working for stable positions. This is when we also need to be very convincing about our ideas, because money by far is not the most important part of the deal when you are trying to get someone to work for your startup and leave a stable position in a big corporation.

Or, as another option, we need to learn how to code ourselves. Well, let’s just say that this last option is not the most viable solution…

Nevertheless, I want to add that we are hiring. :-) Full-time position for Developers at our Miami-based startup, located in the Brickell area. We have a fantastic idea for the mobile social space, great people and secured funding. iPhone and Ruby on Rails developers, join us to change the world, I promise it will be more interesting than developing just an iPhone interface for boring online banking places. :-)

How will Friends Around Me change the way you communicate?

The Huffington Post recently wrote that one of the things that became obsolete this decade is calling.

What has replaced calling? Texting.  It’s true, now I mostly text my friends.  And sure, if I have them on a social network I send them messages through there as well.  But I still find that texting is a quicker way to get in touch with them, since on a social network they don’t get a notice right away, they need to go login to see it, or they might not have access to it at all.  And, as the story goes, this will have to be replaced as well.

Now what?  What will be the thing to replace texting and connecting through social network sites?  Friends Around Me. I’m pretty excited about this because I will be able to send a chat message to a friend or a group of friends at once and will get a notice for each reply right on my phone.  I wont’t be spending money on texting, nor will I need to log in to a site, send a message and wait for my friend to read it.

And best of all is- that’s not ALL it will do.  We have integrated other fun and helpful features so you have it all instantly in the palm of your hand.