Archive for May, 2014

Companies and journalists keep getting it wrong:

http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/01/ambient-proximity/?utm_campaign=fb&ncid=fb

The friend finder / check-in apps didn’t fail because the technology was too creepy, or too hard to use.

They failed because they solved a problem the vast majority of people do not have. Most people don’t want to serendipitously meet up with their Facebook/Foursquare/etc friends. Much less constantly broadcast their location (even rough location is revealing / creepy to broadcast).

Out of 100s of friends, not even one person I know uses a friend finder / check-in app. None are using Facebook/Nearby. Almost everyone I know uses Google Maps for traffic and directions, and Yelp for restaurants.

People use location based apps that provide immediate value:

“I’m late. How can I get to work 5 minutes faster?”.
“I’m hungry. What’s the best burrito within walking distance?”.
“I’m buzzed. Is there a DUI checkpoint on my way home?”